Dacorum Borough Council and award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group are pleased to announce the formation of a new long-term investment partnership aimed at increasing the delivery of affordable homes and bringing forward significant regeneration across the borough.

The Dacorum Investment Partnership is an equal investment and decision-making collaboration between the Council and Hill. This new initiative has been established to support the Council's ambitions to increase the supply of affordable housing, realise strategic town centre and neighbourhood regeneration sites, and secure long-term income streams for the Council.

Dacorum Borough Council and Hill will work together to unlock a pipeline of sites across the borough. The focus will be given to Hemel Hempstead town centre, where the Council's Town Centre Vision outlines an ambition to transform the area into a thriving culture and leisure hub. The regeneration will deliver a vibrant mix of new homes and other leisure or commercial activity, helping to re-establish the town centre as a lively and exciting destination for residents, businesses and visitors alike.

Hill brings to the partnership a strong track record in delivering high-quality sustainable homes across all tenures and establishing well-connected communities through residential and mixed-use developments. The company's experience in placemaking, estate regeneration and delivering large-scale developments in collaboration with local authorities makes it ideally placed to support and implement the Council's objectives. The partnership will benefit from Hill's expertise in masterplanning, planning, procurement and development delivery, ensuring that developments come forward at pace and to the highest standards for both affordable and private sale homes.

Andy Hill OBE, founder and Group Chief Executive at The Hill Group, commented: “This partnership marks an exciting chapter for Dacorum, and we are proud to bring our expertise to support the borough's housing and regeneration ambitions. At Hill, we are passionate about creating sustainable and inclusive communities that have a lasting positive impact. Through this collaboration, we look forward to delivering quality homes and vibrant places that reflect the character and aspirations of the people of  Dacorum. Together we will lay the foundations for a thriving, sustainable and inclusive future for the borough.”

Councillor Sally Symington, Leader of Dacorum Borough Council, said: “The new Dacorum Investment Partnership is a groundbreaking initiative for us as a Council. It's an exciting opportunity to work in partnership to develop affordable housing and bring vital regeneration to the borough. Through the collaboration, we aim to identify key potential sites for future development to deliver new homes, commercial spaces, and essential infrastructure. It provides an approach to involve the private sector at an early stage to leverage their expertise from the outset.”

The Dacorum Investment Partnership will play a central role in delivering the Council's strategic goals around housing, regeneration, and financial sustainability. The partnership is currently developing its first strategic business plan. This will outline a framework for identifying, progressing, and delivering development opportunities that meet the needs of local communities both now and into the future.

ENDS

 About The Hill Group

The Hill Group is a top 10 housebuilder* and one of the leading developers in London, the home counties, and the South. The company is renowned for its partnership ethos, specialising in the building of distinctive new places and communities where people want to live, work, and socialise. 

In its 26th year, this family-owned and operated company has grown to establish itself as the UK's second-largest privately-owned housebuilder, with an impressive and diverse portfolio of projects ranging from landmark, mixed-use regenerations, and inner-city apartment developments to homes in rural communities. 

Employing over 950 staff, the company operates from six strategically located regional offices including Bristol and Abingdon to help facilitate growth in the South West and the Midlands, with its head office based in Waltham Abbey, Essex. 

Hill completed more than 2,800 homes in the last financial year and has a development pipeline of over 32,000 homes, including 10,200 with planning consent. Around half of its portfolio is in joint ventures to deliver a range of mixed-tenure developments, reflecting Hill's commitment to partnerships with government, local authorities, housing associations, and private clients. 

Since the company was founded in 1999, Hill has won over 500 industry awards, including the esteemed title of WhatHouse? Housebuilder of the Year in 2015, 2020 and 2023. Most recently in 2024, Millside Grange in Croxley Green also won The Standard's Homes & Property Award for Best Commuter Home.

In addition, Hill's dedication to delivering the highest quality homes and exceptional customer service has earned the housebuilder its 5-star status in the Home Builders Federation's annual Customer Satisfaction Survey for the past eight years. Hill is a registered developer with the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) and follows the New Homes Quality Code (NHQC), a new industry standard to ensure high-quality homes and an exceptional customer experience. With a score of 4.8 out of 5, Hill is also ranked as the number one housebuilder on Trustpilot.

Hill is donating 200 fully equipped modular homes to local authorities and homeless charities as part of a £15 million pledge through its Foundation 200 programme, launched in 2019 to mark Hill's 20th anniversary.

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For more information, contact The Oracle Group PR Agency on Tel: 020 8394 2821 or hill@oraclepr.co.uk

*The Hill Group was listed within the top 10 of the Top 150 UK Contractors and Housebuilders published by Building.co.uk in December 2024