Bridging & Commercial

👀 The moment we've all been waiting for... ...The latest Bridging & Commercial Magazine Power List is out NOW! Let's collectively rejoice and celebrate the individuals behind some of the standout deals of 2024. 👏 Click HERE to immerse yourself: https://lnkd.in/eceTzF3t

The British Business Bank has committed up to £50m to Elbow Beach’s Climate Impact Fund 2 through its Enterprise Capital Funds programme. Christine Hockley, managing director and co-head of funds at British Business Bank, said: “Our commitment to Elbow Beach builds on the programme’s track record and will help early-stage founders in the climate impact sector across the UK to build their businesses.” Jonathan Pollock, CEO and managing partner at Elbow Beach added: “The backing from the British Business Bank is a real vote of confidence in Elbow Beach’s investment strategy and in Britain’s entrepreneurs.” Read the full story at B&C: https://lnkd.in/e9tAfBaq

Last month, former AMI CEO Robert Sinclair warned mortgage lenders would “try to claw back market share from brokers”, after an IMLA - The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association report predicted nearly 89% of gross regulated mortgage lending in 2025 would flow through intermediaries, expected to rise to almost 91% in 2026. B&C spoke to industry experts to find out whether this pressure from the mortgage market could impact the specialist finance sector. “Brokers are the lifeblood of the specialist finance market and any attempts by lenders to bypass them will ultimately fail,” said Jonathan Samuels, CEO at Octane Capital . “Consumers, with the best will in the world (for the majority), are simply not equipped with the knowledge and experience to be able to navigate the specialist lending market with confidence,” said Michael Street, founding partner at Word On The Street. Kelsey Phillips, head of specialist lending at Arose Finance, commented: “Lender advice is often limited to their specific lending capabilities. In contrast, borrowers can receive unbiased, whole-of-market structuring recommendations from third-party brokers who have direct visibility into the entire UK lending panel’s arsenal of lending solutions." Read the full story at B&C: https://lnkd.in/eKFzh5ca

Shawbrook has provided a £6.8m development exit loan to support a London-based developer in completing a high-end residential project in Wimbledon. Alex Mills, development finance relationship director commented: “Speed and flexibility were key here, especially with some works still outstanding." Nick Ellis-Calcott from brokerage PropCap Consultancy Ltd said: “Shawbrook’s product ticked all the boxes in terms timescales, service and price, and it was a pleasure to work with both parties to land an outcome that met our clients’ needs and expectations.” Developer client, Sunny Patel, also commented: “Both Propcap and Shawbrook were excellent in providing a clear and transparent service that met our financing requirements." Read the full story at B&C: https://lnkd.in/e9PfbQv2

Recognise Bank has appointed Tristan Mahoney, as CFO, subject to regulatory approval. Commenting on his appointment, Tristan commented: “I’m very pleased to be joining the executive committee at Recognise Bank as the chief financial officer." Simon Bateman, CEO at Recognise Bank also said: “We are excited to expand our team and welcome Tristan to the Bank as we embark on our next phase of growth." Read the full story at B&C: https://lnkd.in/eCrNt6XP

Mortgage Brain welcomes Shariah-compliant ethical bank, Gatehouse Bank plc, to its Sourcing Brain and Criteria Brain platforms. Gemma Donnelly, head of customer propositions at Gatehouse Bank commented: “We’re delighted to be partnering with a leading technology provider such as Mortgage Brain to offer brokers even greater access to our range of home finance products." Neil Wyatt, sales and marketing director, Mortgage Brain added: “A very warm welcome to Gatehouse Bank to Mortgage Brain's sourcing platforms." Read the full story at B&C: https://lnkd.in/eKJS2Y7J

🌟 Honouring a legacy - how hard can it be? In an industry that’s constantly changing, this boutique lender is staying true to its roots. Kyle Tyrrell, non-executive director at District and County Investments shares how this company is honouring the legacy of its late founder by upholding the values of integrity, honesty, and trust in everything they do. Click here to read their inspiring story: https://lnkd.in/eC2fzrZ4 #Legacy #Integrity #Honesty #BusinessValues #2025Vision #Boutiquelender #BCMagazine

InterBay, which is part of OSB Group, has appointed two specialist finance account managers (SFAM) and a dedicated office BDM. Matthew Butt joins as a SFAM covering Greater London while Nicholas O'Leary has moved from Precise/KRFI to join InterBay as a SFAM covering East Anglia. Joshua Williams fills a new role as office BDM following his recent promotion from the broker liaison team. Marc Callaghan, head of commercial lending at InterBay, said: “With a firm focus on strengthening the sales support we offer to our commercial clients both in the field and from the office, these key appointments mean we are really well placed to meet the specialist demands within the commercial market." Read the full story at B&C: https://lnkd.in/eVYQH9ff

YBS Commercial Mortgages has reduced its response time to initial case requests from 48 to 24 hours. Mike Davies, head of lending at YBS Commercial Mortgages, said: “We understand the importance of brokers being able to provide their clients with a yes or no answer as quickly as possible, which is why I’m delighted to halve our response time to initial enquiries, providing that all relevant information is supplied up front." Read the full story at B&C: https://lnkd.in/es6vMdms

Metro Bank (UK) has appointed Richard Jenkins as commercial lending director for Wales and the South West. Mark Davies, regional commercial director at Metro Bank commented: “I’m thrilled to welcome Richard to Metro Bank." Commenting on his appointment, Richard added: “Metro Bank is truly committed to supporting SMEs across the country and I’m excited to start meeting some of the excellent examples we have across Wales and the South West of England.” Read the full story at B&C: https://lnkd.in/eyUDNXBh