He joins from Jones Homes North West where he was regional director and brings 27 years experience including senior roles with Bellway and Wates Residential.

Lovell managing director Steve Coleby said: “Lee is a proven business leader with an outstanding track record of success in residential development and contracting across both open market sale housing and affordable development.”

Sale said: “I look forward to working with the regional team to deliver our strategic growth plans for the region, helping the Government meet its housing targets and working with our partners to deliver the high-quality homes which the North West so urgently needs.”

Lovell’s current North West forward order book is at £385m with the business set to complete more than 440 homes in the region this year.

Major schemes include a £40m, 200-home development at Altcar Lane, Leyland, Lancashire which will be the first North West development through the Government’s Accelerated Construction programme.

Other key projects include a £12m development of 105 family homes in Yew Tree, north Liverpool, for Liverpool City Council’s housing company, Foundations.

They are the first homes to be built through Foundations’ £1bn programme to deliver 10,000 new and refurbished homes over the next decade.