Fast-growing affordable homes developer reflects on 2025 success and looks ahead to 2026

Matt Beckley, partnerships director of Burntwood-based housebuilder Keon Homes, said 2025 marked “another strong year for Keon Homes” - with revenues on course to be up 20 per cent on the same period last year.

Five sites have been completed across the 12 months, he said, and work has started on seven new developments, highlighting the company’s growing track record in Birmingham, Coventry and in our traditional heartlands of the Black Country and Staffordshire.

Several parts of the business have also been bolstered with new staff to ensure current and future demand can be met.

Mr Beckley said: “All of this has been achieved against the backdrop of a complex supply chain and a planning landscape that is still tough to navigate because of a lack of planning resource at local authority level.

“The Autumn Budget also failed to deliver any real initiatives, stimulus or confidence to the UK housebuilding sector at a time when it was needed for industry, especially if the government has any ambition of actually achieving their target of 1.5million new homes across England by the end of parliament.

“Where we do see some big opportunities is in the revitalised Social & Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP), which has seen funding increase from £11.5bn to £27.3bn outside of London.

“It runs for 10 years so offers developers like Keon Homes long-term planning certainty, with the stronger emphasis on social rent (at least 60 per cent of funded homes expected to fall within this tenure) aligning with our commitment to balanced developments that deliver for local communities.

“Going forward, we will continue to work closely with social housing providers and local authorities to collaboratively bring forward land and build opportunities. Our involvement in the Tower Ballroom scheme in Birmingham is a prime example. 

"This was a complex proposal, but we are well on the way to starting work on a 95-strong mix of apartments (one and two beds) and homes (two, three and four beds).

“On a final note, I’d like to see movement on some of the government’s intentions to remove barriers to growth for SMEs – streamlined planning processes and approvals, eased BNG requirements, grey belt utilisation and exemptions from building safety levy would all be welcome changes.”