'Partnerships will power the housing revolution’
We are calling on other housing associations calling to form more meaningful partnerships to continue delivering much needed affordable housing.
We delivered 1,202 homes last year and are forecast to complete similar numbers by the spring of next year.
By working in partnership with developers and local authorities – with a key focus on detail, quality and delivery – this has led us to achieve real progress in developing and delivering more affordable homes.
With the support of Warwick District Council, we recently added 185 affordable new homes to our portfolio. The properties located off Europa Way in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, are the result of a joint venture with developers Vistry Group - the UK’s leading provider of affordable mixed tenure homes - representing the first of its kind between our two organisations.
Elizabeth Froude, our Chief Executive Officer said: “This scheme is testimony to the strength of good partnerships. From the land we bought from long standing local authority partners to our first joint venture with Vistry, the housebuilder is now a key development partner for us. I have always said that partners who work with us in a genuine way enable us to deliver and this development is evidence of what can be delivered, ultimately creating 185 affordable homes for the residents of Warwickshire; it's a partnership which we are confident will deliver more in the years ahead.”
James Warrington, Divisional Chair for South Midlands and the North at Vistry Group said: “We are extremely pleased to mark the successful handover of the final homes to Platform on our Europa Way development. This milestone represents not just the final stages of this project but also the beginning of a new chapter for the residents as this new community flourishes.”
Councillor Helen Adkins, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Warwick District Council said: “Lack of affordable housing, particularly in the rental sector, is an ongoing challenge faced by our council. We are therefore delighted to see the progress being made on this significant development of homes in this area which will soon become available to rent or for shared ownership. The scheme is a direct result of a successful partnership we have built with Platform Housing Group and developers Vistry over a number of years and complements our own developments of council homes within the district.”
Our two organisations will also be working together in Coventry to deliver 260 homes at Keresley and 195 at Sphinx Road. In total there are 766 homes already on sites being developed across the region, with 636 in the pipeline for the future.
Despite pressures on resources, we continue to have a healthy development pipeline and increased investment in new homes by more than 25 per cent compared to the previous year. All new homes will be gas free and have an average EPC rating of B to keep costs down for customers. Our aspirations for growth remain strong, focusing on acquiring good quality sites, backed by Homes England funding of £250m through the Strategic Partnership programme.
Photo caption : New homes at Europa Way in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire