Issue of Equity

Artisan (UK) PLC
03 March 2006


                                Artisan (UK) plc

                  Placing for Cash and Director's Shareholding

Artisan (UK) plc ('Artisan' or 'the Company'), the residential house builder and
commercial business park developer, is pleased to announce that it has today
placed 40,000,000 ordinary shares in the Company at 2.75p per share to raise
£1.1 million for additional working capital. These shares have been placed with
Aspen Finance Limited, a company of which Michael Stevens is a director and in
which he has a beneficial interest. Aspen Finance Limited is now interested in
69,666,667 ordinary shares representing 21.21% of the Company's issued share
capital.

The funds raised by this Placing, together with the expected increased debt
funding facility to be provided by the Company's Bankers, will be utilised to
progress the Group's land acquisition programmes to replace and expand the
number of sites available to Rippon Homes and Artisan Developments, as announced
in the Company's trading statement made on 24 February 2006.

Under the AIM Rules, the placing of shares with Aspen Finance is regarded as a
related party transaction and therefore the Board, with the exception of Michael
Stevens, have carefully considered the terms of the Placing and, having
consulted with the Company's nominated adviser, consider the terms to be fair
and reasonable insofar as the Company's shareholders are concerned.

Further Enquiries:

Artisan (UK) plc:     Chief Executive             01480 436666
Chris Musselle                                    [e-mail]
Seymour Pierce        Nominated advisers          020 7107 8000
Sarah Wharry
Bankside Consultants  Financial PR advisers       020 7367 8888
Simon Rothschild                                  07703 167065

Company website: www.artisan-plc.co.uk - Now fully redesigned and updated





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