Gareth Bacon MP Visits Bell Group’s Orpington Base to See Local Jobs, Skills Development, and Housing Improvements First-Hand

Gareth Bacon MP visited Bell Group’s Orpington base to see how one of the UK’s largest property services contractors is supporting local families, creating skilled jobs, and delivering housing improvements that benefit the community.

Bell Group provides essential housing improvement and retrofit services across the UK, including in the Orpington area. Its work helps strengthen local communities, supports the regional economy, and contributes to national goals on energy efficiency and net zero.

During the visit, Gareth Bacon MP met with the local Bell Group team, apprentices, and contractors. The visit highlighted how investment in housing improvements is helping to create quality employment opportunities, make homes warmer, safer, and more energy efficient, and support local residents in reducing energy costs.

In Orpington, Bell Group is:

·       Creating skilled jobs for local people, including apprentices from the community.

·       Upgrading homes to be warmer, safer, and more energy efficient.

·       Supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions through large-scale retrofit programmes.

Gareth Bacon MP said:

“It was great to meet Craig Bell and his team and to discuss the work that Bell Group have been doing in Orpington and around the country, delivering housing retrofit and improvement services. I have long been an advocate of the apprenticeship route for young people, so I was particularly interested to hear about the Bell Group’s approach to their apprenticeship scheme and to meet some of their newer apprentices. This is a company that practices what it preaches and they are a great local asset.”

Craig Bell, Chief Executive at Bell Group, added:

“We were delighted to welcome Gareth Bacon MP to our Orpington base. Maintaining and improving homes is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about creating good jobs, strengthening communities, and delivering quality housing that local people can be proud of. We’re pleased to show how our work here is making a real difference for residents across the area.”

The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss national policy priorities, including skills development, housing quality, and how targeted investment in existing homes can reduce energy costs for households while contributing to broader economic growth.

Bell Group continues to demonstrate how housing improvement and retrofit activity can deliver tangible benefits for communities, support sustainable employment, and help achieve national goals for energy efficiency and economic opportunity.”