About Us
We are the UK’s leading mixed-tenure developer, bringing together modern and efficient delivery methods to create sustainable communities where people love to live.
Our placemaking approach, not only builds high quality homes, but also thinks critically about the social and digital infrastructure, transport and green spaces needed to nurture a vibrant, connected and healthy community. Engaging with and listening to local communities and partners are key to this work.
Our approach incorporates design for life principles, notably creating a place, which connects into the existing community. Our commitment to delivering sustainable communities, ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come, is further supported by our social and economic programme of training, and local and wider employment opportunities.
Modern methods of construction
As a business, we were one of the earliest adopters of modern methods of construction, taking into consideration housing policy, housing needs and the future of the supply chain. As we continue to grow, our innovation will ensure a consistent pipeline of high-quality homes and provide our supply chain partners with a stable pipeline of work.
Modern methods of construction also help us to reduce the amount of construction waste we create and our transition to net zero carbon operations. We already use off-site timber frame construction on 59% of our homes and following the successful opening of our first modular panel factory in Warrington in March 2019, we opened our third factory in Bardon in 2021.
-
Our Structure
We operate through 15 regional businesses and 3 factories across London, the Home Counties, the South East, the South West, the North West, the Midlands and Yorkshire enabling us to understand and respond to the local needs of our stakeholders. The business is driven by the direction of our Board of Directors with day-to-day operation conducted by the Executive Management Team all of whom carry a wealth of knowledge and experience in the sector.
To find out more about how we operate visit our business model.
-
Our commitments
Our purpose is to create places that people love, with sustainable communities built to last.
The places we live and work in have a great impact on our climate and biodiversity and we have an important role to ensure that we create greener and more resilient environments.
Underpinned by this is our commitment to excellent customer service throughout the whole of our customers’ journey.
At the heart of our operation is creating healthy and safe working environments. The health and safety of our people, our supply chain and our customers remains a priority.
Award-winning developer
Image
HBF 5 star award
Image
In-House Gold Award
We are proud that our schemes and our business operations are regularly recognised through industry awards. We are particularly proud of our awards for design, community development, customer service and sustainability:
- We hold more Housing Design Awards than any other housebuilder
- We are the only housebuilder to have ever received the RIBA Stirling Prize for a housing development
- HBF 5 Star customer satisfaction
- Gold Award and the Outstanding Achievement Award from In-House, an independent researcher for customer satisfaction.
- Winner of Winners by the Housing Design Awards 2020 for Rochester Riverside, our flagship regeneration scheme in Medway, Kent.
Investor Relations
Visit our dedicated Investor website to find out more about Countryside and to access shareholder information.
Download our latest reports here:
Annual Report - 2021Sustainability Report - 2021
Our company history
-
1960sWe hold over 60 years’ experience in building homes and placemaking. 40 years ago, we took our first steps into the world of partnerships, building relationships between the public and private sector to increase housing supply.
-
Alan Cherry founded the Countryside in 1958.
-
We carried out some small residential developments in Essex and East London.
-
-
1970s-
In 1972 the Countryside was floated on the London Stock Exchange.
-
We continued to expand our residential development operations.
-
Our strategic land focus commenced.
-
-
1980s-
We began work on our first new community development at Chelmer Village in Chelmsford.
-
We also established our Partnerships team, and our involvement in urban renewal and affordable housing began.
-
Our first partnership development, Reveley Lock in Rotherhithe, London, in 1982.
-
-
1990s-
In 1994 we worked in partnership with Southwark Council to carry out the regeneration of five estates in Peckham through the Peckham Partnership, delivering over 2,000 mixed-tenure homes.
-
Work began on several new community projects, including the award-winning Great Notley Garden Village, Braintree.
-
In 1998, we were selected by English Partnerships to create the Greenwich Millennium Village, delivering over 3,000 new homes.
-
-
2000s-
In 2000, we published our first Sustainability Report.
-
In 2005, we were acquired by Copthorn Holdings Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between the Cherry family and the Bank of Scotland (part of Lloyds Banking Group).
-
In 2008, we celebrated our 50th anniversary and received the RIBA Stirling Prize for Accordia in Cambridge – the first residential scheme to ever receive the award.
-
-
2010s- In 2014, Millgate Developments were acquired we also achieved ISO 140001 and ISO 90001 certification.
-
In 2015, RIBA National award won for Abode, Cambridge.
-
In February 2016, we listed on the London Stock Exchange.
-
In 2018, we acquired Westleigh Group Ltd as part of our housebuilding family, to provide an excellent platform for further partnership growth.
-
2020s-
We were awarded five-star builder status by the Home Builders Federation.
-
The business continued to grow through the opening of the the 3rd timber frame factory and Partnerships Midlands Division
-
Launch of our Communities Fund, a pledge of £1m to a wide-ranging cross-section of organisations spanning from food banks and care homes to housing associations.
-
