Lovell sets up Midlands retrofit division

Carl Yale has been appointed as regional managing director of Renew Central, an arm of the partnership housebuilder focused on refurbishments.

Renew Central will officially begin operations in the new year, building on work the company has delivered across the region for more than two decades, as part of the existing Lovell Midlands business.

Yale takes up his new role from the start of January. He joined Lovell in 1998 as a management trainee and has led major refurbishment and retrofit programmes across the Midlands and East Midlands.

Lovell Renew Central brings together the company’s established refurbishment, planned works and retrofit teams under one dedicated service for the region.

It will cover the Midlands, East Midlands and East Anglia, partnering with councils and housing providers to refurbish and retrofit homes.

Lovell also has a Renew North arm, which will work alongside Renew Central to provide a refurbishment and retrofit offer across both geographical areas.

Renew Central will bring together around 90 specialists, led by Yale. He also sits on the board of the Sustainable Housing Action Partnership, a not-for-profit set up in 2005 by Sustainability West Midlands.

Yale’s new role follows a raft of promotions from within at Lovell announced last week, including that of Midlands-based Stuart Penn, who becomes MD of the Central region.

Yale said: “Establishing a specialist refurbishment business for the central region positions Lovell Renew to lead with a singular focus on delivering exceptional, people-centred refurbishment services for planned works, high-rise, and retrofit projects in homes across our communities.

“With a wealth of experience and a dedicated team driven by strong values and a supportive culture, Lovell Renew will showcase our capabilities through a refurbishment-focused leadership team serving customers regionally and nationally.”

David Gough, managing director of operations and commercial for Lovell, said: “Housing providers are dealing with significant pressures around safety, compliance and decarbonisation, and this dedicated unit helps us respond with the focus and capacity they need.

“Carl has been at the heart of our refurbishment and retrofit work for many years. His experience, regional knowledge and commitment to residents make him the right person to lead Renew Central as it grows.”