Former Labour housing heavyweight to head up BTR ‘task force’
British Property Federation and the Association for Rental Living have brought together 24 industry leaders to create BTR task force led by Clive Betts.
Some of the sector’s biggest names have come together to form a task force that will focus on promoting build-to-rent (BTR) and single-family rental (SFR), protect consumers and facilitate the building of more homes.
It will be chaired by Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East (pictured), and is made up of representatives from the British Property Federation (BPF), the Association for Rental Living, leading developers, operators, advisers, and investors.
Vital part
The group says BTR and SFR are a vital part of the housing market, contributing 123,000 homes since 2012, with a further 158,960 either under construction or in planning, but despite its rapid progress it still only accounts for 2% of all privately rented homes in the UK.

It adds that with the supply of rental housing is being increasingly constrained and with ambitious Government housing targets, it is essential that the sector is better known, and that planning decision-makers recognise its role in meeting housing needs and providing investment into communities.
Ian Fletcher, Director of Policy, British Property Federation, comments, “Build-to-Rent has made significant progress over the last decade, unlocking institutional investment to become an integral part of the housing market.
The Taskforce is seeking to ensure that local authorities and planning decision-makers have a thorough understanding of how the sector is evolving.”
“However, the Government’s ambitious housing targets require all parts of the housing market to be operating efficiently and effectively. While build-to-rent has diversified out of core cities and into single-family housing, and need for rental homes is well-identified, but very few local planning authorities yet have dedicated BTR policies.
“The Taskforce is seeking to ensure that local authorities and planning decision-makers have a thorough understanding of how the sector is evolving and the contribution it makes to community and regeneration.
“Against the backdrop of the Government considering its 10-year housing strategy, there is a huge amount of investment interested in helping fund the chronic undersupply of new rental homes, which the Taskforce will seek to harness.”
Build-to-Rent Taskforce membership
- Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield East
- Martin Bellinger, Goodstone
- Ben Pile, Barings
- David Mawson, Place First
- Rebecca Taylor, Long Harbour
- Wyn Evans, Shared Voice
- Anna Whitton, Get Living
- Simon Scott, JLL
- Jo Davis, Avison Young
- Jason Margrave, Quintain
- Eliza Pattinson, Grainger
- David Reid, L&G
- Chris Jeffs, M&G
- Sam Smith, Dandara
- Duncan Sutherland, Sigma
- Sandra Jone, Price Hubble
- Alan Hughes, Lichfields
- Kirpal Rehinsi, Touchstone
- Victoria Manston, Hub
- Brendan Geraghty, Association for Rental Living
- James Pargeter, Global Apartment Advisors
- Steve Quartermain, Former Govt. Chief Planner and Town Legal
- Jennifer Murray, Homes England
- Richard Berridge, Blackbird RE
- Ian Fletcher, British Property Federation
- Theo Plowman, British Property Federation
Building image courtesy of Get Living.