Ridge hires former PRS taskforce head Andrew Stanford to lead living-sector advisory

Ridge and Partners has appointed Andrew Stanford, who headed the UK Government's Private Rented Sector Taskforce in 2013, as a partner to set up and lead a new living-sector transactions and strategic advisory service.

Stanford joins the firm's London-based Property Consultancy team with more than 30 years' experience across residential investment, capital markets, asset management, government policy and consultancy, Ridge said in its announcement on 20 October.

His remit covers Build to Rent, purpose-built student accommodation, co-living, senior living and affordable housing. He will advise investors, developers, housing providers and other organisations on investment strategy, transactions, portfolio performance and the long-term management of residential assets.

Andrew Stanford, Partner, Property Consultancy at Ridge, said: "Clients want confidence that investment strategies, building performance and technical risks are being considered together."

The new offer

Ridge said the appointment adds investment and market expertise to the technical services its Property Consultancy team already provides. According to the firm's service page, that team carries out stock condition surveys, fire risk and compartmentation assessments and energy performance evaluations, and offers procurement support, contractor audits and technical due diligence.

The firm linked the hire to conditions facing living-sector investors, which it said include higher financing costs, changing regulation, building-safety responsibilities and pressure to improve the performance of existing portfolios.

Mark Astbury, Partner and Property Consultancy Lead at Ridge, said: "By bringing investment and transaction expertise together with our established technical and delivery capabilities, we can advise clients from the earliest strategic decisions through to the performance and management of completed assets."

Stanford's background

Ridge said that at LaSalle Investment Management Stanford helped build a national Build to Rent portfolio of almost 2,000 homes worth about £500m, including acting as asset manager and funder's representative on about 600 Build to Rent homes in central Birmingham.

At Deloitte he helped win the mandate to sell Notting Hill Genesis's Folio portfolio of about 2,000 private rented homes, with a reported value of £800m. His most recent role was at Get Living, where he advised on cladding remediation strategy, Ridge said.

Government records support the taskforce role. On 16 April 2013, housing minister Mark Prisk told Parliament that the Private Rented Sector expert taskforce was headed by Andrew Stanford. The Department for Communities and Local Government confirmed the taskforce's full membership that month alongside the first 45 Build to Rent Fund projects, which it said could deliver up to 10,000 homes. The fund had been increased from £200m to £1bn in Budget 2013, and the taskforce's role included working with unsuccessful bidders to refine proposals for future investment.

Stanford is a chartered surveyor and holds the CFA UK Level 4 Certificate in Investment Management. Ridge said he chaired the British Property Federation's Build to Rent Committee from 2015 to 2023 and has served as a non-executive director of Orbit Group.

Ridge's growth

The appointment follows a period of expansion at the firm. Ridge has announced that CVC has acquired a stake in the business from Horizon Capital, its investor since April 2023. In that announcement Ridge said it had grown from around 800 people in 2022 to more than 1,650, working across 16 UK offices.

Ridge has also said that the appointment of six equity partners took its total across the business to 40. Ridge and Partners LLP is registered at Companies House under number OC309402, incorporated on 28 September 2004, with its registered office in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.