Businessman To Speak At Housing Conference

The managing director of the Larkfleet Group (www.larkfleetgroup.co.uk), a Bourne (near Peterborough) based private developer of new homes for sale and for affordable rent, will be one of the main speakers at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s East Midlands regional conference.

Karl Hick will be speaking at the event which is considering the effects of the credit crunch in the East Midlands. He will discuss the immediate effect that it has had on the housing market and the medium term impacts it may also have.

The conference is designed to encourage a debate about the emerging responses from government and financial institutions and from within the housing sector. It will help organisations to maintain the overall supply of housing and the type of housing – and housing-related products and services – which are provided.

The event will therefore deal both with ‘social housing’ – homes provided for low-cost rent or purchase by housing associations and similar organisations – and houses provided for sale on the open market.

Called ‘Homelessness and the Credit Crunch’ the conference will be held at the National Space Centre in Leicester on 3 February.

Karl said: “The credit crunch has had a huge impact on the building and construction industry and this is also likely to affect the social housing sector. I hope that this conference will allow everyone involved in the housing market, from builders to housing associations, to discuss all factors and come up with a few ideas to minimise the impact.”

Other speakers at the event will be Martin Lord, manager of Northampton Citizens Advice Bureau, and Nick Sedgewick, specialist advisor (homelessness) at the Tenant Services Authority.

The conference will be relevant to all those with an interest in the housing sector, both public and private.