Horton Strategic is an independent strategic consulting practice working independently and collaboratively with trusted expert associates to provide specialist strategic advice on housing, development, regeneration, and economic and social development to clients in the government, public, private and third sector.
Horton Strategic is currently working with a number of organisations including South East Housing and Development Group (SE HDG), FH Residential, Quinn Estates, IConstruct, UKLI and Everland Property.
With recent commissions including Maidstone Borough Council, Gravesham Borough Council, Clarion, Bellway Homes, Kier Living, DCLG Private Rented Sector Taskforce, BuildOffsite, Housing and Finance Institute (HFi), Cheyne Capital, South East Consortium, Kent and Medway Sustainable Energy Partnership Project Board, Red Loft and Kent County Council.
Brian Horton is the founding Director at Horton Strategic and ‘Housing Enthusiast’.
Brian has over 30 years of professional experience in the Housing and Development sector.
As Strategic Housing Advisor at SELEP Brian works with all the local authorities across Kent, Essex and East Sussex to promote the delivery of housing and share best practice. In the SELEP role, Brian works in partnership with central government and Homes England to accelerate housing delivery across the South East to facilitate significant economic growth.
Brian’s work both with SELEP and outside brings him into regular contact with senior leaders from Local Government, Central Government, Housing Associations and Private Business. The aim is consistently to influence and encourage partnerships to create the conditions for growth and a permissive environment for quality development.
SELEP’s housing work has been recognised as innovative by the government and the SELEP area has benefited from significant inward investment and developed market-leading approaches to stimulate housing growth.
As Strategic Housing Advisor at Kent County Council (KCC), Brian worked with the 14 local authorities in Kent to develop and implement the Kent and Medway Housing Strategy.
This work again brought Brian into regular contact with senior leaders from Local Government, Central Government, Housing Associations and Private Business. The role is to influence and encourage partnerships to accelerate housing growth. The Kent and Medway Housing Strategy remains the only County Region Housing Strategy. Brian led a process:
- To develop and promote innovative responses to stimulate housing growth
- To report on progress to the Kent Leaders, Joint Kent Chiefs, Kent Housing Group, Kent Planning Officers Group and Kent Developers Group
- To liaise and negotiate with the relevant private sector, third sector, local and national bodies to develop the strategy and the means of implementation
- Develop ongoing influence through engagement with opinion formers and stakeholders across and outside of Kent.
The work in Kent has been recognised by the government to be “Ahead of the Game” and Kent has attracted major inward investment and exhibited enviable levels of effective partnership working.
Prior to joining KCC Brian worked with AmicusHorizon Housing as Chief Executive of Swale Housing Association and Executive Director Kent.
Brian has previously held positions at Thanet District Council, English Churches Housing Group, Corporation of London and Wandsworth Borough Council.
Brian is a Board Member at Gravesend Churches Housing Association and ABC Property Limited, Co-opted Member Kent Housing Group Executive Board and recently stood down as Chair of the Margate Town Deal Board.
Brian has a degree in Social Administration from Bristol University, a Masters Degree in Housing, a Diploma in Management Studies and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Current Affiliations:
- Kent Housing Group – 1996 – Present
- Kent Housing Group Executive Board – Co-opted Member 2009 – Present
- Kent Housing and Development Group – 2009 – Present
- South East Local Enterprise Partnership – Strategic Housing Advisor – 2013 – Present
- South Essex Housing Group – Member – 2014 – Present
- Essex Developers Group – 2015 – Present
- East Sussex Housing Partnership Board – 2015 – Present
- SE HDG – South East Housing and Development Group – 2024 – Present
- Developers East Sussex – 2017 – Present
- Armed Forces Champion – Kent Housing Group – 2018 – Present
- Enterprise Advisor – Hartsdown Academy – 2019 – Present
- Strategic Advisor – FH Residential – 2024 – Present
- Housing Advisor – Riverside – 2020 – Present
- Board Member – GCHA (Gravesend Churches Housing Association) – 2021 – Present
- Board Member – A Better Choice for Property Limited – 2021 – Present
- Chair – Thanet Regeneration Partnership Board – 2024 – Present
- Development Consultant – Everland Property Limited – 2022 – Present
- Retained Strategic Housing and Development Advisor – UK Land Investors – 2023 – Present
- Member Board of Trustees – Turner Contemporary Margate – 2023 – Present
- Member Board of Trustees – Sureserve Foundation – 2024 – Present
- Board Member – Keystage Housing – 2024 – Present
Hakim Horton is the Strategic Advisor at Horton Strategic.
Hakim joined Horton Strategic in this advisory role in July 2022.
Hakim hold a Masters Degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics (LSE). Hakim has 4 years post-Masters’s experience working in Asia on projects at United Nations ESCAP in roles including Social Affairs Consultant, Research Assistant and Consultant on the Future of Work and Social Issues.
Hakim’s role is to widen the reach of Horton Strategic to Asia and beyond, using experience gained over 3 decades in the UK to provide insights and add value for clients working in housing, development, regeneration and social development in the government, public, private and third sector.
Hakim is a native