South West landlord recruits new head of growth

The landlord hopes he will bring his extensive investment experience in the public and private sectors to seek out innovative and collaborative funding opportunities, with the aim of helping Magna build more affordable homes across its communities.

Mr Rakodi said: “I’ve been working with residential developers, concentrating on development management, delivering planning consents and negotiating complex land and build opportunities.

“Magna has timed its land and construction plans well and is ready to continue to play its part locally in this significant work. It’s great to see that Magna is open for business, well-funded and actively seeking new opportunities to deliver sustainable homes – including using unique precision-engineered homes, manufactured in our region for our region.”

He joins a restructured team led by Paul Read, the director of sustainability and investment.

Mr Read said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Neo into this critical role at Magna. He will be working as part of a very able and innovative team, which includes project managers, surveyors and energy experts.

“His work will have direct impact across the lifecycle of our homes and estates, including land acquisition, planning for new homes and upgrades to existing homes so they are ready for green energy technologies, and fit to be homes of the future.

“It’s a big brief, but Neo brings a great deal of experience to the role and we’re all excited to support him as we deliver great homes together.”

Magna is a medium-sized landlord that provides 8,500 homes across Dorset and Somerset. It has plans for a multimillion-pound investment strategy to build new homes, and ensuring its existing homes are fit for a net-zero future.

In other appointment news, the head of Places for People’s development division has left after around four years at the giant landlord, to join an East of England house builder.