from One Heritage Group Plc (isin : GB00BLF79495)
One Heritage Group plc: Interim report for the six months ended 31 December 2023
One Heritage Group plc (OHG) ONE HERITAGE GROUP PLC (the “Company” or “One Heritage”) Interim report for the six months ended 31 December 2023 27 March 2024 One Heritage Group PLC (LSE: OHG), the UK-based residential developer focused on the North of England, announces its half year results for the six months ended 31 December 2023.
Financial highlights
Operational highlights
Post Period Events
Outlook
Commenting on the Group’s performance, Jason Upton, Chief Executive Officer said: “Our focus has been on finishing our projects in hand, both our own developments and those where we are development manager. In this respect, by the end of our interim reporting period, we had substantially completed projects at St. Petersgate, Stockport and North Church House, Queen Street, Sheffield. We have stepped back from the risks associated with self-delivery and we have looked at ways to monetise our unsold inventory. We have embarked upon a thorough investigation into how we can fully utilise, through diversification, the potential of our excellent team and brand in our core business of development/development management and we are actively engaged in conversations with distribution networks in territories abroad where we know there to be significant amounts of capital as we seek an even wider market for the Group’s end-product. Our positive outlook is grounded in a robust strategy that focuses on core city centre locations for residential apartment projects and areas in high demand for our new build housing initiatives. The North West of England, particularly Greater Manchester, continues to be our primary focus, with the region expecting the highest sales price growth of any UK city in 2024 and already generating above average growth for rent at 9.8%, above the national average of 7.8% in January 2024.
Contacts One Heritage Group plc Jason Upton Chief Executive Officer Email: jason.upton@one-heritage.com
Hybridan LLP (Financial Adviser and Broker) Claire Louise Noyce Email: claire.noyce@hybridan.com Tel: +44 (0)203 764 2341
About One Heritage Group One Heritage Group PLC is a property development and management company. It focuses on the residential sector primarily in the North of England, seeking out value and maximising opportunities for investors. In 2020 One Heritage Group PLC became one of the first publicly listed residential developers with a focus on co-living. The Company is listed on the Standard List of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, trading under the ticker OHG. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at https://www.oneheritageplc.com/. CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW During the second half of calendar year 2023, our interim reporting period, our focus has been on finishing our projects in hand, both our own developments and those where we are development manager. In this respect, by the end of our interim reporting period, we had substantially completed projects at St Petersgate, Stockport and North Church House, Queen Street, Sheffield. During this same period, as anticipated, we began to see some degree of stabilisation in build costs on our latest developments, Victoria Road, Eccleshill, where we are the developer and One Victoria, Manchester where we are the development manager. Both have fixed priced contracts in place which are proving essential in de-risking the build process. In time, we expect that this model will serve to ease the pressure on our margins. We have also continued to pay careful attention to our cash management including the refinancing of Oscar House, Manchester (as reported on 28 December) enabling unsold units to generate revenues through rentals and serviced apartments and agreeing construction finance at Victoria Road, Eccleshill and, in so doing, fully funding the remaining development cost. Post period, we announced practical completion of St Petersgate, Stockport (as reported on 9 January); practical completion of North Church House, Queen Street, Sheffield (as reported on 12 March); completion of a revision of the shareholder loan agreement, extending terms to 31 December 2025 (as reported on 15 January); and the appointment to the Board of Directors in February of a new Chief Financial Officer Stuart Ormisher and then, regrettably, his decision to step down at the end of this month. In this respect we have secured a highly experienced Interim Head of Finance and have commenced the search for a long-term replacement.
In assessing our performance, the strategic objectives outlined in our annual results for the financial year 2023 serve as a benchmark, guiding this performance. An update against these objectives is outlined below.
As announced in our annual results for the financial year ending 30 June 2023, four project completions – three direct developments and one development management project were completed within the period.
In April 2023, we were pleased to commence the construction, as developer, of 24 houses at Victoria Road, Eccleshill, West Yorkshire, our first new build housing project. A principal contractor was appointed with a fixed price build contract and completion is expected in H2 2024.
In July 2023, we were also pleased to sign a construction contract for our development management project One Victoria, Manchester which comprises 129 units. This secured further fees of 2% of the ongoing development costs which are in the region of £20,000 per month until practical completion in Q2 2025.
Post period end, in January 2024, we announced the completion of St Petersgate, Stockport, a conversion of a former office building, comprising 18 apartments, and 1 commercial unit totalling c.12,000 square feet. The project was delivered in house and is the last direct development that will be delivered by this method for the foreseeable future.
In March 2024, North Church House, Queen Street, Sheffield, a development management project, which comprises 58 apartments in a former office building totalling c.41,400 square feet reached completion.
*As at 22 March 2024
The UK housing markets continues to be under pressure, and we are not immune to the effects of this. As such, we saw a slowdown in property sales over the last six months of 2023 against a backdrop of high inflation and interest rates which impacted buyer demand.
In the face of this, some unsold units at our completed developments will be rented to enable revenue to be generated as we remain reluctant to reduce sales prices for these remaining units.
The marketing of the 24 houses at Victoria Road, Eccleshill will commence in April 2024 as we enter the final months of the project. Sales will be to the local market.
We are working hard to diversify and thereby increase our pipeline of new development opportunities. The process involves a substantial investment of time as we thoroughly assess a considerable array of new opportunities of a diverse nature designed to ensure the long-term success and resilience of our company.
One significant stride in this direction has been our entry into new build housing with the Victoria Road, Eccleshill project, commencement of which marks our initial step towards diversification into new build housing.
While our move into new build housing serves to broaden our offer and provides us with a more balanced and diversified portfolio, we remain committed to our core product of City Centre apartments. Our brand will expand to incorporate this strategic adjustment as we define a ‘One Heritage City Centre Living’ brand for our apartments, and a ‘One Heritage Homes’ brand for our new build family homes.
Development management
In July 2023, we signed a construction contract at One Victoria which secures the Company 2% of ongoing total development costs payable over the anticipated development period. These fees are running in the region of £20,000 per month until practical completion in Q2 2025. The Company will also be entitled to 15% of the net profit generated, which will be distributed following the legal completion of the sales for all units.
North Church House, Queen Street, Sheffield which comprises 58 apartments, reached practical completion earlier this year in March 2024. This marks the completion of our second development management project.
Our final development management agreement is for One Heritage Tower, Salford. To date we have been successful in achieving planning permission for a 542-unit, 55 storey tower, and are currently in a Pre-Construction Service Agreement (PCSA) with a contractor to secure a fixed price construction cost for the delivery of the project. An update is expected to be provided later in 2024 as the Company is exploring options to either secure an institutional funding partner or a sale of the project.
Property services
As announced in our results for the financial year 2023, there are viability concerns surrounding Co-Living. We have seen a reduction of Co-Living activity with the cost to deliver the projects, high running costs and high interest rates all contributing towards wavering investor demand. A strategic review of this business line is ongoing and, simultaneously, we are looking at new opportunities such as Serviced Accommodation.
Our property management team continues to work hard to provide a first-class service to our landlords and improve processes as we increase the volume of properties under management.
Outlook
As well as experiencing challenging economic headwinds causing upward pressure on building costs which in turn have continued to put pressure on our margins as a developer, and those of our developer clients for whom we act as development manager, we have also witnessed a dropping-off in investor demand for our end-product. To counteract this: we have stepped back from the risks associated with self-delivery; we have looked at ways to monetise our unsold inventory; we have embarked upon a thorough investigation into how we can fully utilise, through diversification, the potential of our excellent team and brand in our core business of development/development management and we are actively engaged in conversations with distribution networks in territories abroad where we know there to be significant amounts of capital into which we can tap as we seek an even wider market for the Group’s end-product.
Our positive outlook is grounded in a robust strategy that focuses on core city centre locations for residential apartment projects and areas in high demand for our new build housing initiatives. The North West of England, particularly Greater Manchester, continues to be our primary focus. Housing in this region remains in high demand and focus will be on areas where performance outpaces national trends. In January 2024 the North West had average growth for rent at 9.8%, above the national average of 7.8% according to Zoopla. Rightmove have also recently reported a 1.5% increase in house price growth in March, the highest monthly house price increase in 10 months.
As we embark on the next phase of our journey, we express sincere gratitude to our dedicated team, supportive shareholders, and stakeholders for their unwavering support. Our optimism for the future is complemented by a cautious approach, ensuring that we navigate market dynamics with resilience and strategic acumen. As such, we believe that we are well-prepared to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.
FINANCE REVIEW For the six months ended 31 December 2023, revenue increased by £3.40m (+59%) to £9.15m (H1 FY23: £5.75m). This primarily reflects significant growth in sales along with construction services.
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