Redrow has announced that it will be expanding its presence in England by opening a new Southern division.

The strategic decision by the housebuilder comes as demand for homes in London’s commuter belt continues to grow. The new division is expected to be operational before the end of the 2022 financial year.

Covering Surrey and East and West Sussex, the new Southern division will sit separately to the housebuilder’s existing Southern Counties and South East divisions and will be headed up by recently appointed managing director, Rod Martin, former divisional managing director at Taylor Wimpey for this area.

Martin commented: “I am thrilled to be joining the ambitious team at Redrow and am looking forward to building out Redrow’s operations in a region of significant growth.

“With modern life shifting significantly over the past 14 months and hybrid working patterns becoming the new normal, the capital’s commuter belt is booming, and there is a huge opportunity for us to tap into this growing market by giving prospective homebuyers the option of our award-winning Heritage Collection homes.”

Matthew Pratt, Redrow’s group chief executive, added: “London’s commuter belt has been a key growth area for us in recent years, evidenced by the launch of our Thames Valley division in 2018. Now, in the wake of the pandemic, the trend has been accelerated with an increasing number of people seeking more space both inside and outside of the home.

“Redrow already has a very successful presence in the South East, including across Berkshire, Hampshire, Kent and West Sussex so it makes sense to expand our operations in line with customer demand.  With Rod’s deep experience of Surrey and Sussex’s residential housing markets, we look forward to making our mark in this area and providing more high-quality new homes for local people.”