Integration of Westbury Homes helps housebuilder sell 9,900 homes in first four months of 2006.

Housebuilder Persimmon has revealed sales of 拢1.8bn since the new year as it prepares for a shake-up of its board of directors.

In an AGM statement released this morning, the firm said it had sold around 9,900 homes in the first four months of the year, that prices in 2006 had continued to hold firm and that it expected that house prices would increase by 3-4% over the year.

Persimmon will also complete a reshuffle of its board at today's AGM, with group chairman Duncan Davidson stepping down to be replaced by current chief executive John White. Mike Farley will replace White, while Chips Keswick and John Millar are also retiring from the board.

Davidson said: "I have total confidence that the Persimmon team will continue to achieve further profitable growth in our business."

He added that the group had made "significant progress" with the integration of Westbury.