Amethyst Homes

Questions put to Richard Bass, Development Director, Amethyst Homes

Your company is less than 10 years old. What have you achieved in that time?

Creating a business from scratch to now having four developments takes hard work and dedication. The fact that we’ve done this in less than 10 years is an achievement in itself. Key to our success is having a stable, experienced and dedicated team.

What makes Amethyst Homes different?

Due to the size of the business, we try to do things a little differently. The specification and finish is unlike mainstream housebuilders, in that we offer more recognised brands rather than those commonly used by volume house builders. We do this to try and give our customers greater choice on the specification of their home. We intend to build on this over the next few years, as the business continues to grow and evolve.

You’ve won five Premier Guarantee Quality Recognition Awards already! What does it mean to win?

Winning any external award is special, however the Quality Recognition Award always means a lot to the site team. All our staff are proud of what they do and the homes that they handover, so to be recognised as being the best within your peer group/industry brings a great deal of pride and satisfaction.

Describe the challenges and highlights of your developments?

Regents Park Consett is the site of the old Consett Steelworks, so the whole site had to be fully remediated – which was a significant operation. The creation of over 400 homes, along with the provision of community facilities, including commercial units and allotments and open space and parks, has resulted in a whole new community being established in a hugely positive and popular environment.

The Meadows Stillington is a relatively small development, with the site nestled on the edge of the village. The site is adjacent to the main access road in to the village opposite the local primary school, so all development and deliveries to site required careful planning and management. The Meadows has been highly popular from a sales point of view, which is extremely rewarding for our site and sale teams.

Sleekburn View South East Northumberland is located close to the river’s edge, so this required an engineered clay retaining wall to be located around the development to allow construction to take place. The site is nearby the river estuary protected with Site of Special Scientific Interest SSSI status, as it is recognised as a vital area for wading birds. Consequently, the site needed careful planning and management during construction. The result is a development which offers buyers an outlook on an ever-changing landscape, with the river being tidal.

How have you found the experience of working with Premier Guarantee?

Our dealings with Premier Guarantee have been very positive and we feel that they have been supportive of our business. Good communication is key and having a good working relationship is extremely important.

Our approach is, if there is an issue or concern, which can occur due to the nature of our business and environment in which we operate, it is dealt with promptly and in a positive and proactive manner.

What are some emerging themes in house building and how are Amethyst Homes readying themselves for the future of building?

The changes in the building regulations, especially around sustainability, is a major step change not just for Amethyst Homes, but for home builders in general. We fully endorse this approach and want to play our part. We are currently reviewing what we do, how we do it and what we should be doing in the future to ensure we are meeting and where possible exceeding industry targets.