A MAJOR part of her job is to secure land for housebuilder Redrow, but the latest asset Katherine Ball has secured is a job promotion for herself. Katherine, 24, from Wilmslow, has been confirmed as land manager for Redrow’s Lancashire division, after 18 months’ preparation for the role as trainee land manager and, before that, a place on the company’s rotational graduate training programme. Katherine, part of the Redrow Homes (Lancashire) land team based at Buckshaw Village, Chorley, is delighted with both her promotion and the support she has received from Redrow throughout. “You have to work hard and maintain a positive attitude,” says Katherine. “But with that you get the rewards; and I am lucky to have done that and to have a good team of people around me with whom I really enjoy working. “I am lucky too in terms of the training I have been given to support me in my role and the encouragement I have had to get the qualifications which will enable me to progress and further my career.” Katherine originally joined Redrow’s highly regarded graduate training programme after securing a BA in Human Geography from Leeds Metropolitan University. Working across various disciplines she soon found a natural affinity with land and planning, but also enjoyed the interaction with other parts of the business that’s required to successfully pursue a land purchase. Now, as land manager, she will control a range of land bids for the housebuilder, going through the process of identifying possible sites, negotiating with land owners, acquiring sites and taking them through the planning process. Says Katherine: “It involves building good relationships with agents, land owners and consultants; and having a good understanding of Redrow’s portfolio and the sorts of development it wishes to pursue. Katherine has recently taken a more major role in a number of land acquisitions which are still ‘under wraps’ but, working with land director Karl Longworth, she was also involved in the purchase of over 20 acres for 245 new homes on land at Garrett Hall, near Mosley Common, in Greater Manchester, where Redrow has begun building homes as part of its Bridgewater View development. “I love the challenge of my job,” says Katherine, who now lives in Manchester city centre. “I also love the sense of pride when you see homes being built on sites with which you’ve been involved. There is a great sense of achievement in working on a development opportunity which then becomes someone’s home.” Karl Longworth, land director for Redrow Homes (Lancashire), says: “Katherine very quickly became a valued member of the team. She is eager to learn, hardworking and tenacious in her efforts to help secure the land sites which will become our future developments. Building excellent relationships around her, both inside and outside the company, she personifies Redrow’s reputation for quality and professionalism.” Encouraged and supported by Redrow, Katherine is now in the final semester of a master’s degree in Real Estate & Property Management, which will enable her to work towards her APC (assessment of professional competence) and the opportunity to become a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Nurturing young talent in this way and encouraging the professional development of its staff has helped Redrow be the first housebuilder to earn the British Institute for Learning and Development (BiLD) ‘Quality Mark’, recognising the calibre of its approach to training and professional development programmes. For more on working for Redrow visit www.redrowcareers.co.uk. Post Views: 1,185
Katharine Ball has been appointed as land manager at Redrow 's Lancashire office . In her new role , Ball will oversee a range of land bids , identify possible sites for acquisition and help landowners progress through the planning process . Ball first joined the housebuilder on its graduate training programme , before becoming a trainee land manager at the Redrow UK land team in Buckshaw Lane , Chorley .