A number of well-known senior mortgage industry individuals are behind Belmont Green Finance Limited, a planned new intermediary mortgage lender.

David Tweedy (pictured), former managing director of Platform Home Loans, and Guy Batchelor, most recently managing director, corporate business at Countrywide plc, are heading up the challenger brand. Tweedy is Belmont Green’s CEO whilst Batchelor is sales and marketing director.

Also on board are Lesley Sewell, ex-CIO and operations director at Post Office Ltd and formerly CIO of Northern Rock, who takes the role of chief operating officer, and chief financial officer, Will Howard Davies, formerly head of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) investments at PIMCO in Europe.

Ian Giles, who was director of marketing and communications at Kensington for three years, is Belmont Green’s director of marketing.

The Egham-based operation is currently recruiting to build a new wholesale-funded lending business to target under-served sections of the UK mortgage market.

Belmont Green’s lead investor is Pine Brook, an investment firm that manages more than $6.0 billion of capital commitments and specialises in ‘business building’ and other equity investments, primarily in financial services and energy businesses.

Tweedy said: “I can confirm that we are exploring market opportunities in residential mortgage lending, looking to build a proposition that challenges the status quo, but there is no definitive plan or timing for a launch. We look forward to updating the market when we have more to say.”