As national attention returns to new towns and strategic development, successful delivery is about far more than building homes. Bringing forward sustainable communities requires strong partnerships, clear governance, and informed decision-making across programmes that can span decades.
At Rund, our Joint Venture Supervisor service helps provide the independent oversight and assurance needed to support complex partnership-led developments. Leading the service is Jo Rothery, Associate, who has spent the last several years with us supporting complex, multi-party developments where strong governance, clear reporting and aligned decision-making are critical.
We spoke to Jo about the changing landscape of large-scale development, the realities of partnership working, and what makes a successful partnership-led scheme.
With renewed national focus on strategic development, including the work of the New Towns Taskforce, what do you think is changing in how large-scale places are being brought forward?
The biggest change is the shift away from individual housing sites towards creating sustainable places at scale. It's no longer just about housing numbers; it's about delivering the infrastructure, services and employment opportunities that allow communities to thrive over the long term.
That puts much greater emphasis on strategic partnerships. Bringing together organisations with different objectives and responsibilities requires clear governance, aligned goals, and effective decision-making from the outset. Infrastructure also needs to be considered much earlier, whether that's transport, schools, healthcare, utilities or environmental mitigation.
A lot of proposed new towns are extensions to existing places rather than completely new settlements. Does that change the kind of partnership support needed?
Yes. You're often integrating new development into an existing community, infrastructure network, and local authority context, which creates a much more complex stakeholder environment.
Infrastructure planning can also be more challenging because you're frequently expanding or upgrading existing services rather than starting from scratch. That creates greater dependency on third parties and requires closer coordination across organisations. On projects that span many years and multiple phases, it's important to have clear objectives and decision-making processes in place to keep everyone aligned.
For those less familiar with the role, what does a Joint Venture Supervisor actually do in practice?
At its heart, the role is about helping partners make informed decisions. We provide independent reporting and assurance, attend board meetings, highlight risks and opportunities, and help ensure decisions are based on the right information.
Our involvement spans the full breadth of a project, from reviewing commercial performance, procurement activity and financial models to considering site progress, drawdown requests and sales and marketing performance. By bringing all that information together, we give partners a clear understanding of how the scheme is performing and where decisions or interventions may be needed.
With landowners, developers, and public bodies all involved, what does it take to keep everyone aligned and moving in the same direction?
Good communication is essential, but it starts with having a shared vision and clear objectives from day one. Everyone needs to understand what success looks like and how decisions will be made.
Strong governance provides the framework, but transparency is equally important. When risks, opportunities and performance are reported openly, partners are better placed to make decisions and maintain momentum throughout the life of the project.
What is something you have learned about these schemes that most people might not expect?
Probably the importance of relationships. These projects run over long periods, so a huge amount can change along the way, whether that's funding availability, planning policy, market conditions or political priorities.
Technical issues can usually be resolved, but if trust between partners starts to break down, decision-making becomes slower and delivery becomes harder. Maintaining good relationships and addressing issues early is often more important than people realise.
What do people often misunderstand about what a Joint Venture Supervisor brings to a scheme?
People often associate the role with governance and reporting, but the real value is in supporting better decision-making. Large-scale developments inevitably face changing circumstances, competing priorities, and difficult choices. Having an independent perspective helps ensure decisions are based on good information and remain aligned with the partnership's long-term objectives.
Effective governance shouldn't be viewed as an administrative requirement - it's an enabler of successful delivery. When the right structures are in place, partnerships can make decisions confidently, manage risk proactively, and maintain momentum throughout the life of the project.
Can you share an example of where your governance support has helped shape a positive outcome?
One project was performing significantly better than forecast and the partnership was considering accelerating the build programme. We helped the board assess the advantages and risks of doing so and supported the decision-making process.
The outcome was substantial. Sales rates and revenue exceeded expectations, and the programme was shortened by several years. It demonstrated the value of having good information and clear decision-making when opportunities arise.
What has been one of the more complex stakeholder situations you have navigated?
One that stands out involved a neighbouring NHS Trust that owned land and infrastructure critical to the delivery of the project. Construction access depended on an agreement being reached, and it remained a contentious issue for a number of months.
A temporary arrangement was required while the long-term agreement was finalised, which created challenges along the way. It reinforced how important stakeholder engagement and collaboration are on large-scale developments where so many interests overlap.
How has the role evolved over the last five years, and what do you see changing over the next five?
One of the biggest changes has been how information is presented. Reporting is becoming more visual and accessible, helping boards and stakeholders quickly understand key issues and trends.
Personally, increased experience means it's easier to identify risks and opportunities at an earlier stage and draw on lessons learned from previous projects. Looking ahead, I think technology and data visualisation will continue to improve how projects are monitored and reported, while the demand for experienced JV support will continue to grow.
Beyond technical knowledge, what's the one quality that makes someone great at this role?
Trust. The role relies on integrity, impartiality and strong relationships. People need confidence that you're providing objective advice and transparent reporting.
These are long-term partnerships, so being open, honest and focused on the bigger picture is just as important as technical expertise.
Find out more about Rund’s work on JV/Development Monitoring and New Towns here. To speak directly to Jo, please contact [email protected].