Bellway p.l.c. Taps Balfour Beatty CFO as UK Housebuilder Cost Pressure Mounts
Bellway p.l.c. on Thursday named Philip Harrison, the longtime finance chief at Balfour Beatty, as an independent non-executive director and incoming audit committee chair. The move brings fresh construction-sector finance know-how to the board, as UK housebuilders contend with mounting cost pressures and softer buyer demand. Chair John Tutte called Harrison’s listed-company finance background a “great benefit” for Bellway. Ian McHoul, meanwhile, plans to step down from the board at the annual meeting in November. The timing is key. On Thursday, Persimmon flagged that higher energy prices may drive supply-chain costs up through the back half of 2026 and into 2027, but the company stuck to its delivery guidance. JPMorgan’s Zaim Beekawa described Persimmon’s announcement as “robust” relative to rivals.