Business Enquirer Issue 108 | United Living Group | Nov'22

Regenerating Britain United Living Group

PROJECT DIRECTED BY WRITTEN BY Lee Pheonix Laura Watling

Regenerating Britain

With its history dating back to 1964, United Living Group is lead ing the way in ‘essential services for critical assets.’

In the current financial climate, there could be no better time for United Living Group to showcase its abilities in Property Services, New Homes and Infrastructure.

Driven by its vision to deliver to customer and stakeholder expectations, whilst leaving behind a positive legacy, United Living is supporting the development of communities where people in the UK want to live, work and play.

Speaking to Business Enquirer, Chair and CEO Neil Armstrong discusses the business’s acquisition journey and how it is developing its portfolio to improve homes, and the infrastructure that underpins them, ensuring they are fit for the future.

The Growth Story

United Living Group’s significant growth began when Neil acquired Fastflow Pipeline Services in 2005 from Northumbrian Water, at which point, the business was supporting four million water users in the North East.

From there, in 2010, Fastflow Energy Services was acquired, adding transmission gas to its services.

United Living Group

United Living Group

“From the utility space, we then strategically grew into property services. Although they are in different spheres, there are similarities in the assets and they work in synergy,” Neil shared.

The move into property services started in 2014, when the Group acquired DW Support Services and, along with it, its existing housing stock of half a million properties across the South East and Midlands.

“The next step in our development needed to complement our utilities and property services offering, which meant adding affordable housing construction to our portfolio,” said Neil.

To fulfil this, the business acquired Partner Construction in 2017. “This was a landled proposition, with the business sourcing brownfield sites to build on”.

Despite its vast history and expansion, the name United Living Group didn’t join the business until 2019, when it was acquired. Established in 1964, United Living is a property specialist.

“Now that the business was offering utility infrastructure, property services, and housing construction, the name United Living felt a much better fit, and so in 2019 we adopted the name and its branding,” explained Neil.

The business’s most recent acquisition in its growth story was Great British Communications (GBC), developing United Living’s utility proposition into the 4G and 5G telecommunication market.

“The acquisition of GBC is really exciting and has come at a time when demand for available and reliable networks is increasing,” shared Neil, “It’s set to be a transformative offering for our end users”.

Now, there are three clear pillars to United Living Group:

Infrastructure Services - covering energy, water and telecoms; Property Services - including regeneration, safety services and energy efficiency; New Homes - spanning high and low rise, build to rent and mixed-use developments.

“Each element of our business provides essential services for critical assets. We always aim to make life better for the end user whilst fulfilling the client’s requirements with the use of smart infrastructure solutions and sustainable practices,” Neil said.

Regenerating the UK’s Homes United Living currently has a secured order book of £2.2bn and, amongst the projects the business is currently delivering, most are critical to promoting sustainability and area regeneration.

One such project is Outward Wharf, in which United Living has been awarded a £50 million contract by Ridgeback to build phase two of new residential apartments in Salford, Manchester.

The project includes the delivery of 296 one and two-bedroom properties, including 275 residential apartments, 11 townhouses and ten duplexes across three connected blocks. The

United Living Group

development will also provide ground floor amenity space, parking facilities and podium level landscaping.

“The build will include vital low carbon infrastructure, with solar panels and electric vehicle charging points, contributing to sustainable development,” explained Neil. This also aims to support Salford City Council achieve its vision of becoming carbon-neutral by 2038.

Outward Wharf, which is set to complete in October 2024, forms part of a wider Build to Rent scheme, which Neil considers critical to the future of housing

“With the property ladder virtually impossible for young people to get on to in the current climate, the Build to Rent market is a very exciting opportunity,” Neil said, “We’re able to create not just a home but a lifestyle that really suits people’s wants and needs, for example, adding gyms, coffee shops and crèches into the designs”.

United Living Group’s Build to Rent order book currently sits at over £300 million, with builds planned across the UK, such as Dumballs Road in Cardiff.

Dumballs Road, much like Outward Wharf, is a multi-million-pound regeneration project which will implement sustainable measures such as solar panels and EV charging points. The contract, awarded by Angelo Gordon and Ridgeback, includes 432 one and two-bedroom residential apartments across two blocks, indoor and outdoor amenity space, a public square, commercial space to the ground floor and extensive landscaping.

“This regeneration project is crucial for the area, providing much needed homes for the local people, whilst offering a cool, modern environment,” said Neil.

Zero Carbon by 2050

“We take ESG very seriously at United Living. It’s part of what we implement for our clients, and we

have to reflect that in what we do as a business too,” shared Neil.

United Living Group aims to become a zerocarbon business by 2050, which Neil said, is well on its way to achieve. The business has recently removed 2000 tonnes of plastic from its operations, as well as implemented schemes for staff such as cycle to work and Lightfoot for driving efficiency.

They are committed to the emerging hydrogen and decarbonised energy sector too, providing expertise across the value chain and working with industry, academia, and energy utilities to shape the energy systems of the future.

“I see lots of exciting potential for the use of hydrogen. As a starter for ten, we’re currently working on the rollout of hydrogen boilers in our homes, and I think this energy stream will play a significant role in the future,” said Neil.

Making a statement, United Living Group are

the main sponsor for this year’s tve Global Sustainability Film Awards. Hosted at the BAFTA building, the event will include a keynote speech from Neil. A Growing Business with a Growing Workforce A business with bettering the lives of the British people at its heart, it makes sense that sustainability of staff is also core to United Living.

“We are proudly part of the 5% club, with 5% of our employees being in earn and learn schemes such as apprenticeships,” shared Neil. As well as this, in 2020, United Living grew its workforce by 9% creating 89 new jobs.

“During and post Brexit, we are seeing a labour shortage in our industry. It’s important therefore that we recruit and attract staff, retain them and develop them, as well as offering our apprenticeship scheme,” explained Neil.

“We do challenge our staff, and I like to be challenged too, but we’ve also developed an

United Living Group

attractive recognition and reward scheme,” he said.

The scheme has cost the business £100,000 in the last year, but Neil considers it crucial to show staff that they are valued.

“We want staff to consider working for United Living Group as a partnership. We want to be a business that they can buy into, knowing they have the opportunity to progress,” shared Neil. Forming part of Neil’s leadership ethos, he considers transparency and accountability important. “People are allowed to make mistakes. They should make mistakes. After all, failure is the portal to discovery”.

With a secure order book and a wealth of services, there is plenty of opportunity for United Living as it continues with its organic and acquisition growth and its vision for a more sustainable future.

www.unitedliving.co.uk

Regenerating Britain

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