Paragon Bank’s development finance division has appointed Martin Crossley as relationship director.

Crossley (pictured) joins Paragon from Lloyds Bank, where he spent over 12 years, most recently as real estate manager. Prior to that, he was a mortgage broker, specialising in residential and buy-to-let.

CrosslHey joins Paragon during a period of growth for the development finance division. Lending to SME housebuilders and property developers grew by 24% in the company’s last financial year to £623.2 million, with the development finance loan book increasing to £719.9 million, up from £608.2 million the year before.

Crossley said: “I am excited to join Paragon to help drive new business across the country. Paragon has forged a fantastic reputation in the development finance sector in the past three years and is a well-respected operator. Our clients appreciate our sector expertise, consistent approach, and the backing of a well-capitalised bank.

“The company has a high-quality roster of clients, which I am looking to build upon. The UK has a supply-demand imbalance in the housing market and buyers appreciate the type of product our clients offer.”

Neal Moy, Paragon Bank development finance managing director, added: “Martin is an excellent addition to our strong relationship director team. He has already been out meeting clients and making new connections and I am pleased to welcome him to the team.”