In his new role — which he will officially take up in early July — Sam will join the wider management team to continue to deliver the best possible representation for HBF’s membership.

He will be replacing Andrew Whitaker, who will retire after 28 years at HBF.

Sam, who has been a chartered town planner since 2002, brings significant skills and experience to the role, having worked at various companies within the property sector during his career, including Barrat Developments.

Commenting on his appointment, Sam said he was thrilled to be joining HBF.

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“I will relish representing the housebuilding industry in discussions with partners about how we work towards getting more and better local plans adopted and more and better applications approved,” he added.

Stewart Baseley, executive chairman at HBF, stated: “We are delighted to announce that Sam will be joining HBF. 

“He brings a huge wealth of experience and his appointment will further strengthen our team as we work closely with the government on the future reforms. 

“The problems our members are facing with regards to planning are never-ending, and it is paramount that we are best placed to help the industry continue to deliver the housing that the country needs."