Consumer confidence has been key to Galliford Try’s improved performance this year, Ian Baker, the firm’s new md of housebuilding has said. Speaking to Housebuilder Baker commented: “Mortgage availability has also improved to an extent and people are coming back in from the sidelines.” After the “black period” of October and November 2008, Baker said that half of Galliford’s mothballed sites had returned to production. Galliford Try announced a £126 million rights issue when it posted its results last month. “This is for investment in housebuilding and to protect us from the tough times the construction industry is now experiencing,” Baker explained. Baker stepped into his md role in July, having previously been a divisional md. <br>