Newcastle Intermediaries has hired Andy White as business development manager for the south west and home counties.

Bristol-based White has more than seven years of experience in financial services, and joins with immediate effect to support broker partners in the south west.

He most recently worked for the Bank of Ireland as a telephone business development manager covering the south west region.

White says: “I’m familiar with Newcastle Intermediaries’ commitment to high-quality service and their flexible underwriting approach so I’m really I’m looking forward to presenting that offer to brokers and helping them help their clients.”

Newcastle Building Society head of intermediary mortgages Franco Di Pietro adds that he is sure that “broker partners in the south west and home counties will value his [White’s] knowledge and experience. He understands the needs of brokers and their clients”.

Earlier this month, Newcastle Intermediaries made several changes to its residential and buy-to-let lending criteria that included lifting maximum loan amounts and loan-to-value ratios.

It said the maximum loan size for residential applications had been raised to £1.5m and £1m for BTL products.

The broker-only unit added that its updated buy-to-let criteria includes an increased maximum of 80% LTV and introduced a new split approach to affordability, which applies a different interest coverage ratio depending on an applicant’s status as a lower or higher rate taxpayer.