<p>Crest Nicholson has announced an “ambitious growth strategy” to increase its completions to more than 4,200 by 2026, while revealing new climate change targets.</p> <p>The housebuilder is using a Capital Markets Day, being held today (October 20) to state its <span>medium term</span> growth intentions after completing what it said was a “t<span>urnaround of its financial and operational performance”. Its strategy will involve it moving into new geographies.</span></p> <p><span>Phase one of Crest’s two-phase plan will see it achieve gross margin rate accretion and volume growth from its existing divisions between FY22 and FY24. In phase two it will grow volumes from its three new – unspecified - divisions between FY24 to FY26.</span></p> <p><span>By FY24 Crest hopes to achieve completions “in excess” of 3,000, stepping up to more than </span><span>4,200 by FY26. In the year ending October 31 2020, the business completed </span>2,247 homes although this was a Covid-hit period. In 2018, it completed <span>3,048 homes.</span></p> <p>During the FY24-26 period, Crest is aiming to achieve an operating margin of <span>18-20% and a return on capital employed of 22-25%.</span></p> <p><span>In announcing its new climate change targets, Crest said it aimed to achieve net zero emissions across its value chain by 2050 “at the …