United House Developments
United House Developments is a United Kingdom property development company focused on social housing, urban regeneration, refurbishment and public-private partnership projects.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
United House Developments is a British property development and housebuilding business associated with social housing, urban regeneration, refurbishment and public-private partnerships. Its origins date to 1964, when Geoffrey Granter established Harp Heating to install central-heating systems in occupied council housing. The company gradually expanded during the 1970s through partnerships and larger refurbishment contracts, including work connected with the Greater London Council. By the end of that decade it was also exploring new-build housing. During the early 1980s, Harp Heating was rebranded United House and moved to Swanley. The business broadened from heating installation and refurbishment into housebuilding and wider housing construction. Jeffrey Adams joined in 1982 and became a joint owner with Granter, while Michael Rayfield served as a joint managing director and shareholder until his death in 1984. In 1990, the company created a dedicated development division under the Modern City Living name. The 1990s brought substantial growth through the United Kingdom's Private Finance Initiative and related social-housing programmes. United House also established United House Solutions in 1997 to strengthen its position in the PFI and public-private partnership market. The wider group became a significant housing contractor, with responsibility for approximately 7,000 homes reported in connection with its PFI activities. In the 2000s it formed a strategic housing partnership with Portsmouth City Council and collaborated with Hackney College on an NVQ Level 2 housing qualification described as the first of its kind in Britain. Modern City Living was renamed United House Developments in 2008. Around the same period, Granter reduced his active involvement and Steven Halbert joined the board as chairman. The company subsequently pursued growth in inner-city private housebuilding, supported by minority investment from Lloyds Development Capital and bank financing from Royal Bank of Scotland. In the early 2010s, management increasingly prioritised new-build development over traditional refurbishment and reduced work undertaken for other private-sector developers. A major group restructuring was announced in September 2014. The construction operation, United House Ltd, merged with Bullock Construction to form United Living Group. United House Developments was separated as a development-focused business, with Jeffrey Adams as chairman and Rick de Blaby as chief executive. The company was involved in projects including the residential conversion of Frobisher Crescent at the Barbican, Central St Giles in Covent Garden, Clapham One, Hale Village in Tottenham, and Paynes & Borthwick in West Greenwich. In 2015, it sold interests in four London development sites to Telford Homes. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about its ownership, current management and activities after that transaction.
History
United House Developments developed from Harp Heating, a business founded by Geoffrey Granter in 1964 to install central-heating systems in occupied council housing. Its early model addressed the practical difficulty of improving housing stock while residents remained in their homes. During the 1970s, partnerships enabled the company to move into larger internal refurbishment schemes, including work associated with the Greater London Council. The business maintained a large warehouse operation near its Swanley head office and began considering new-build construction alongside refurbishment. In the early 1980s, Harp Heating adopted the United House name and relocated to Swanley. The company expanded into housebuilding and housing refurbishment. Jeffrey Adams joined in 1982 and became a joint owner with Granter. Michael Rayfield was a joint managing director and shareholder until his death in 1984. A specialist development division, Modern City Living, was created in 1990, marking a clearer separation between development activity and the group's contracting operations. United House grew substantially during the 1990s as housing policy created opportunities connected with the Private Finance Initiative, the Decent Homes agenda and new social housing. In 1997, the group established United House Solutions to pursue partnership-based and PFI work. It became a major British PFI housing contractor, with reported responsibility for roughly 7,000 homes. The company also expanded its partnership model in the 2000s, becoming the first contractor to form a strategic housing partnership with a local authority when it worked with Portsmouth City Council. Its collaboration with Hackney College produced an NVQ Level 2 housing qualification described in the reference material as the first British qualification of its kind. Modern City Living was renamed United House Developments in 2008. The rebranding coincided with management changes, including Granter's withdrawal from active involvement and Steven Halbert's appointment as chairman. Despite the financial crisis, the company reported strong growth in 2009. In 2010, Lloyds Development Capital acquired a minority stake, while Royal Bank of Scotland supplied financing for expansion into inner-city private housebuilding. The following year brought further reported growth in revenue and profit. During the early 2010s, the business shifted its priorities toward new-build development and away from its traditional emphasis on refurbishment. It also sought to reduce the amount of construction work performed for other private developers. This repositioning preceded the 2014 restructuring of United House Group. United House Ltd merged with Bullock Construction, another LDC-owned construction business, to form United Living Group. United House Developments became a separate London-based development company, led by Jeffrey Adams as chairman and Rick de Blaby as chief executive. The company's documented projects include the conversion of Frobisher Crescent at the Barbican for residential use, participation in the Central St Giles mixed-use scheme in Covent Garden, construction of Clapham One for Cathedral Group through a partnership with the London Borough of Lambeth, completion of Hale Village in Tottenham with 388 social homes and commercial space, and completion of the Paynes & Borthwick riverside project in West Greenwich. In 2015, it sold interests in four London development sites to Telford Homes. Later ownership, leadership and operating details are not sufficiently documented in the supplied reference material.
- 2015
Four London site interests are sold
[1]United House Developments sells interests in four London development sites to Telford Homes.
- 2014
United House Group is restructured
[1]United House Ltd merges with Bullock Construction to form United Living Group, while United House Developments becomes a separate development business.
- 2010
Lloyds Development Capital takes a minority stake
[1]Lloyds Development Capital acquires a minority interest, with RBS financing supporting further expansion.
- 2008
Modern City Living is renamed United House Developments
[1]The development division adopts the United House Developments name as the group adjusts its management structure.
- 1997
United House Solutions is launched
[1]A new division is formed to expand the group's public-private partnership and PFI activities.
- 1990
Modern City Living development division is created
[1]The group establishes a dedicated development division under the Modern City Living name.
- 1982
Jeffrey Adams joins the business
[1]Jeffrey Adams joins United House and becomes a joint owner alongside Geoffrey Granter.
- 1964
Harp Heating is founded
[1]Geoffrey Granter establishes Harp Heating to install central-heating systems in occupied council housing.
Products and positioning
A United Kingdom housing and urban-regeneration developer with roots in social-housing refurbishment and public-sector partnerships, later placing greater emphasis on new-build and inner-city residential development.
Housing development
Social housing development
Development and delivery of social and affordable homes, often as part of local-authority partnerships, regeneration schemes and wider mixed-use projects. The company's historical activities combined new-build construction with refurbishment of existing public housing.
Property development
Urban regeneration
Urban regeneration projects combining residential accommodation with commercial, civic or public-realm improvements. Examples associated with the business include projects in London locations such as Clapham, Tottenham, Covent Garden and West Greenwich.
Housing services
Public-private partnership housing
Housing schemes delivered through PFI, PPP and strategic local-authority partnerships. During the 1990s and 2000s, these activities made United House one of the notable housing contractors in the British PFI market.
Residential development
Inner-city private residential development
Private residential and mixed-tenure development in urban locations, particularly in London. In the early 2010s, the company gave greater priority to new-build projects and sought to expand its inner-city private housebuilding portfolio.
Brand decisions
2015
Sell interests in four London development sitesStrategyBackground
Following its separation as a development-focused business, the company adjusted its London project portfolio.
Action taken
Interests in four London development sites were sold to Telford Homes.
Aftermath
The transaction reduced the company's direct interest in those sites and transferred them to Telford Homes.
Reported transaction value. £23 million (September 2015)
2014
Separate development operations from construction operationsM&ABackground
United House Group contained both construction and development activities, while Bullock Construction offered a complementary construction profile.
Action taken
United House Ltd merged with Bullock Construction to form United Living Group, and United House Developments became a separate development company.
Aftermath
The restructuring left United House Developments focused on property development rather than the wider group's construction operations.
2010
Accept minority investment and expansion financingM&ABackground
The company sought to expand into inner-city private housebuilding during a period of difficult credit and property-market conditions.
Action taken
Lloyds Development Capital acquired a minority stake, while Royal Bank of Scotland provided loans for expansion.
Aftermath
The financing supported the company's growth strategy and development activity.
2008
Rebrand the development division as United House DevelopmentsStrategyBackground
Modern City Living had operated as the group's development arm since 1990, while the wider business was adapting its management and market identity.
Action taken
The division was renamed United House Developments.
Aftermath
The new name established a distinct development identity within the United House group.
Sources1 sources
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