OVERVIEW
BH Group was established by James Houlston a highly experienced developer. BH Group started out life as Business Homes, who specialised in the development of small unit commercial space. BH Group has an enviable track record and has developed throughout the UK. The downturn in 2008 brought a significant shift in strategy moving away from the small business unit market, diversifying into renewable energy via BH Groups sister company BH EnergyGap and working closely with a small number of major funds to create funding solutions for niche sectors such as the energy from waste sector, the hotel sector and the healthcare sector.
50 Development Projects
2.05 million sqft Commercial Development
355 Buildings Completed
Estimate Gross Development Value £975m
579 rooms completed
SENIOR TEAM
JAMES HOULSTON
FOUNDER
James is the founder and managing director of BH Group, he has over 15 years experience developing a wide range of commercial projects and has worked with a number of the major funds throughout the UK. Prior to BH Group, James worked for Business Homes working up the ranks to become managing director, where he took the company from a small business in the North to a nationwide leading developer of small commercial space. Between 2000 and 2010 he developed 42 projects totalling 1.3m sq ft.
Having studied Estate Management at Oxford Brookes, James qualified as a chartered surveyor and worked with some of the major surveying practises including King Sturge, Lambert Smith Hampton and Jones Lang La Salle.
A keen sportsman, James does a lot of running and keeping fit and when time allows, loves indulging his passion for golf and skiing. Most weekends are taken up with his family, he loves nothing more than watching his son playing football and rugby.
CHRIS EDDLESTONE
DIRECTOR
Chris is the self appointed wise man of BH Group keeping an eye on the activities as a non executive director using his wealth of experience in the hospitality sector to advise on strategy and to help use his bank of knowledge and contacts to identify new opportunities. Chris is also a director and shareholder of four other companies involved in the hotel and leisure sector, he is the founder of Annual Hotel Conference and founder of Adsertor a data analytics company.
In addition to his non-executive role with BH Group, Chris has had a very successfully career as a solicitor over the last 35 years he has held senior positions in a number of the major legal practises in the UK, currently he is the Global Head of Hotels at Squire Patton Boggs.
Chris is a consummate sportsman and is regularly found on the golf course honing his handicap, which explains his year round tan or he is indulging his passion for Burnley football club.
He is a life member of MacMillan Cancer Relief and a member of the North West Leaders Committee of the Princes Trust. He has also worked for the NSPCC.
During his time on the committee as either chairman or member of committees he has helped in raising over £3 million for charity.
ALASDAIR MACCONNELL
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Alasdair is a very experienced developer with over 23 years experience gained at two of the most active and successful property companies in the UK; CALA Group (where he was Managing Director of CALA Properties and a member of the Group’s Executive board) and with the Scarborough/Teesland organisations. Alasdair has a successful track record in commercial property creating profitable organisations and ventures by developing and leading executive and project teams, negotiating and securing finance from major funds and banks, and bringing complex projects in on time and on budget.
ST. MICHAELS RESORT AWARDS
AA 4 Silver Stars- South West Wellness Experience of the Year Gold Award 2022
- 2 rosette AA culinary excellence 21/22
- Cornwall Tourism large hotel of the year 2019/20
- Cornwall Tourism Spa & wellbeing experience of the year 2019/20/22
- South West Tourism SILVER large hotel of the year 19/20
- South West Tourism SILVER Spa & wellbeing experience of the year 19/20
5 bubbles in Good Spa Guide 2021- Best Spa in Cornwall MAIL Online
- The Telegraph 9/10
THE SWAN HOTEL AWARDS
Cumbrian Tourism Awards Finalist 2024- AA 21/22
- 5 bubbles in Good Spa Guide 2022
- Boutique Hotelier Award 2022
HAMPTON BY HILTON, BLACKPOOL AWARDS
- Hotel of the Year Award for Lancashire 2022