Northern Ireland businessman, housebuilder and philanthropist James Hagan has received the Freedom of the City of London, marking almost four decades in which he has helped shape Northern Ireland’s housing landscape, revitalised communities, created employment and championed dozens of charitable causes.
The founder and chairman of Ballyclare-based Hagan Homes was formally admitted to the Freedom at a ceremony at Guildhall in London recently (24 September), surrounded by members of the Hagan Homes team and friends.
The Freedom of the City of London is one of London’s oldest traditions, dating back to the 13th century. Once carrying practical privileges for those trading in the City, it is now largely ceremonial and is bestowed on people from all walks of life as part of a centuries-old civic tradition.
For James, the occasion offered a rare opportunity to reflect on his career, the opportunities he has been afforded in life, the family who shaped him and the place that has always remained at the heart of everything he has done – Northern Ireland.
At the centre of those reflections are his much-loved parents, Jim and Peggy Hagan, whose example and upbringing James credits with shaping the person he is today. They instilled in him a strong sense of hard work, loyalty, friendship and responsibility to his community – values which have remained with him throughout his life and career.
Since founding Hagan Homes in 1988, James and the company have delivered more than 5,000 homes across Northern Ireland, supporting thousands of jobs for local contractors, consultants and tradespeople along the way.
Central to that work has been a commitment to building quality, affordable homes and giving people the opportunity to aspire to home ownership – to have a home and a part of Northern Ireland that they can call their own.
Over almost four decades, that philosophy has made a difference not only to the thousands of people who have bought a Hagan home, but to tens of thousands of individuals and families whose communities, employment and local economies have benefited from the company’s investment.
Hagan Homes has often chosen to build in areas overlooked by competitors, and it is that boldness that has distinguished the company.
While other developers have shied away from difficult, neglected or sensitive sites, James has repeatedly invested in communities where regeneration was most needed. That included building in Rathcoole and Ballybeen at the height of the Troubles, as well as later investment in neighbourhoods deeply affected by the conflict and its legacy.
By delivering modern, quality and affordable homes in these areas, Hagan Homes has helped breathe new life into communities, encourage investment and provide new generations with the opportunity to put down roots and own a home in their part of Northern Ireland.
Developments such as 33 South in south Belfast and Mulberry in Ballysally, Coleraine, have brought new housing into previously overlooked areas, while the company also took on the redevelopment of the former Kincora Boys’ Home site in east Belfast.
James is also an outspoken voice within Northern Ireland’s construction sector. He has publicly challenged lengthy planning processes, bureaucracy and disproportionate utility connection costs where he believes they inhibit the delivery of much-needed housing or ultimately increase costs for homebuyers.
He has also campaigned for measures to support first-time buyers and has consistently pushed Hagan Homes to adapt through recessions, the pandemic and changing market conditions, while maintaining its focus on affordable, quality homes.
James Hagan said: “I am genuinely humbled to receive the Freedom of the City of London. Anyone who knows me knows I am usually more interested in what we are doing next than looking backwards, but an occasion like this does make you stop and reflect on what has happened over almost four decades.
“I have been very fortunate in my life and I am enormously grateful for the opportunities I have been given. Northern Ireland has my heart. It has been very good to me, and particularly as I have got older, I have felt an even greater responsibility to give something back.
“More than anything, I think about Mum and Dad. I am who I am because of them. We had a brilliant upbringing and I learned from them every day – about working hard, treating people properly, being loyal to your friends and never forgetting where you came from. The foundations for everything I have done came from Jim and Peggy. They would be so proud of what is happening today, and it is such a shame that they are not here to see it all. The older you get, the more you appreciate just how much your parents gave you.”
James added: “I think about the thousands of homes we have built, the thousands of jobs our work has supported, the communities that have changed around those developments and all the people who have worked alongside us to make that happen. One of the things I am particularly proud of is that we have built quality homes that ordinary people can aspire to own, including in communities that have faced some of the greatest challenges because of our past. There is something very powerful about being able to say, ‘This is my home, this is my part of Northern Ireland.
“Hagan Homes has never been about one person. We have 15 staff today and I am incredibly proud that two of them have been with me for almost 40 years, while another three have each been with the company for more than 20 years. That sort of loyalty means a great deal to me. We also have brilliant contractors, tradespeople and consultants who have stayed with us through good times and difficult ones. When people have stood beside you for decades, they become part of the Hagan Homes family.
“But I also think about the people I have met through the charities, schools, sporting organisations and community groups we have supported. There are incredibly good people in Northern Ireland doing extraordinary things every day. Being able to help some of them do that work has been one of the great privileges that success in business has given me.
“I have seen first-hand the difference that the right support can make to someone’s life. Whether that is helping a family own their first home, supporting a child’s education, helping someone through illness, giving a young person an opportunity through sport or supporting people when life is difficult, it all matters. I want to continue giving back to Northern Ireland because this place has given so much to me.”
James’s contribution to Northern Ireland extends well beyond housing. Over many years, he has used the success of Hagan Homes to support people and organisations across education, sport, healthcare, community development and other areas of public life, helping ensure vital charities and organisations have the resources they need to continue their invaluable work.
In recent years James and the company have supported more than 60 charities, organisations and individuals across Northern Ireland, spanning education, healthcare, homelessness, mental health, sport, children and young people.
Long-term partnerships have included the Integrated Education Fund, Northern Ireland Hospice and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free books to young children to encourage reading from their earliest years.
Funding has helped create or sustain frontline roles including a community palliative care nurse for Northern Ireland Hospice, support workers, counselling and trauma-informed services, a volunteer co-ordinator at Start360 and an Emotional Wellbeing Support Officer at Ballyclare High School.
For James, this wider contribution reflects a simple belief that success brings with it an opportunity to make a positive difference. Having seen the impact that investment, employment, housing and charitable support can have on people’s lives, he remains committed to giving back to the country of his birth and to the communities that have supported Hagan Homes for almost four decades.
A lifelong motorsport enthusiast, James has competed in historic racing for almost three decades, racing internationally in Formula Ford and historic Formula 1 machinery. His collection and racing career have included the original 1974 Hesketh 308 associated with Formula 1 legend James Hunt, while his own successes have included victory at the Phillip Island Historic Grand Prix in Australia.
Hagan Homes continues its development programme, with the company having previously committed to invest £300 million in delivering an additional 2,000 homes.