Places for People is to extend its affordable living portfolio into Hunstanton, Norfolk, with the development of 61 brand-new independent living apartments for people aged 55 and over at Lavender View. The leading social enterprise, which owns or manages more than 245,000 homes across the UK, celebrated the development alongside its partners on Tuesday 2 September with a traditional ‘topping-out’ ceremony – held to mark the construction reaching its highest point. Attendees included Cllr Thomas and Cllr Jamieson from Norfolk County Council, Cllr Rust from King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Council, Teresa Snaith, Business Development Director of Lovell Later Living, Deepesh Patel, Executive Director of Radis Community Care and Simon Medler, Regional Managing Director of Lovell Partnerships. The event was facilitated by Ben Ruston, Director of Developments – South East Region at Places for People. Places for People is collaborating with partners including Norfolk County Council – which has provided £2.9m capital funding to support the scheme as part of its Independent Living programme, Homes England – which has provided £5.7m in grant funding for the scheme, alongside developer Lovell Later Living, building contractor Lovell Partnerships and care provider Radis Community Care. The development of this new community designed by Langtry Langton Architects will deliver 61 one and two bedroom affordable-rent apartments by the end of summer 2026. The Radis Community Care team will provide on-site care and support 24/7 at Lavender View, enabling individuals to remain independent in a home of their choice. It has aptly been named Lavender View after the rich and vibrant lavender fields established since 1932 and located three miles south of Hunstanton.  The new community is being developed in the Hunstanton area of Norfolk and will bring much-needed independent living accommodation to people over 55 living here. Neil McKay, Head of Commercial. Quality and Growth at Places for People, said: “Tackling the housing crisis means providing homes that meet everyone’s needs. Lavender View is a vital development, offering people the right environment to live happy, independent lives. We are delighted to see progress on site and look forward to welcoming the first residents next year.” Lavender View will also offer residents an onsite café, an activity room for healthy and positive living, impressive communal areas including a main lounge and landscaped gardens, on-site hairdressing, a spa room, mobility scooter storage and on-site parking for residents and their visitors. Lavender View is due for completion in late summer 2026. Cllr Alison Thomas, cabinet member for Adult’s Services at Norfolk County Council, said: “This topping out ceremony marks an exciting moment for Hunstanton as we move another step closer to providing residents with an accessible, safe new home in a vibrant community as they age. “Norfolk County Council remain committed to investing in schemes just like Lavender View that prioritise independence, but with the added peace of mind of on-site care and support when they need it.” Kate Collins, Senior Manager for Provider Management at Homes England, said: “Increasing the supply of quality affordable homes remains one of our key objectives and we are committed to supporting stakeholders of all sizes to achieve their ambitions. “Lavender View is a prime example of how we work collaboratively with partners like Places for People to achieve our mission to build much needed new communities that people can be proud to call home.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

England’s largest not-for-profit later-living provider, Anchor, celebrated the topping out of Mulberry House located near Gresley Way in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The development will provide 64 one and two-bedroom later living apartments with affordable ways to buy and rent. Once open, the brand-new development will also provide future residents with various modern communal spaces including an on-site café, residents lounge, a hair and beauty salon and landscaped gardens. Residents will have full access to Anchor’s Be Well 360 service, ensuring support for health, well-being and social connection. Anchor’s Delivery Officer, George Weeden said: “The topping out at Mulberry House is an important milestone for both Anchor and the development.  Mulberry House will deliver much needed, high-quality accommodation to support older people and their changing needs as well as contributing to our vision of creating 5,700 new homes over the next 10 years. I would like to thank HG Construction and our consultants for their skill and collaboration in helping us reach this stage, on time and on budget.” Juliette Bartlett, Head of Development Delivery said: “Anchor has worked closely with the local community throughout the building of this development, which is testament to its commitment to providing homes for later living that suit the demand and changing needs of the older population in our area. I look forward to seeing the developing relationship between Anchor and its residents and witnessing the growth of a thriving older community.” For more information about the development please visit www.lifeinplace.org.uk or call 01695 318195. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Housebuilder Avant Homes South Wales and housing association Valleys to Coast have announced the exchange of contracts on a £42m deal to deliver 194 affordable homes in Maesteg. The new housing development will be built on the former Ewenny Road Industrial Estate which comprises 16-acres and is one of the largest redevelopment and regeneration projects in the region. This marks Pontypridd-based Avant Homes South Wales’s inaugural deal with Valleys to Coast, and also the first since the housebuilder established a presence in Wales last year. Using Cardiff Capital Region funding, Bridgend County Borough Council worked to remediate the brownfield site to allow the new homes development to take place. Avant Homes will deliver a mix of energy efficient, practically designed house types. Of the homes, at least 108 will be built to Welsh Design Quality Requirements with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of A and be carbon free, with the remainder achieving an EPC ‘B’ rating. The mix of homes available will include one-bedroom apartments and two-, three- and four-bedroom terraced, semi-detached and detached properties. The site has outline planning permission and Avant Homes South Wales will submit a reserved matters application in August. Subject to planning, work is expected to start next March, with the first residents scheduled to move in to their new homes next December. Avant Homes South Wales managing director, Martin Smith, commented: “This deal is an excellent example of effective collaborative working between Bridgend County Borough Council, Cardiff Capital Region, Valleys to Coast and ourselves. “It’s successful conclusion enables the provision of more quality new homes for the South Wales Valleys in a development that will create a thriving new community within Maesteg. “This is a landmark deal for Avant Homes South Wales with it being our first one with Valleys to Coast, and our first in Wales. “We have a highly capable and ambitious local team in our business who are proud to be playing their part in delivering this exciting and essential regeneration project. “We will continue to build upon this momentum and we are in advanced discussions regarding a number of other deals to provide quality affordable new homes throughout South Wales.” Avant Homes Group is headquartered in Barlborough, near Chesterfield, and operates across South Wales, the north of England, the Midlands and Scotland. The housebuilder has a multi-tenure growth strategy which sees it deliver homes for private sale, the private rented sector (PRS) and additional affordable housing. For the year ended 30 June 2025, the Avant Homes Group delivered 1,659 completions with net debt of less than £90m. For further information on Avant Homes visit www.avanthomes.co.uk and for Valleys to Coast go to www.valleystocoast.wales Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

VIVID, a leading housing association in the south of England, has published its 2024–25 Annual Review – showcasing how customer insight, partnership and bold investment are transforming lives and neighbourhoods at scale. During the year, VIVID prioritised the areas that customers said mattered most to them – faster repairs, keeping customers informed, and enhanced complaint handling. Improvements were driven by customers and its teams working closely together. Key results which brought a positive impact direct to customers include: Customers also helped shape this Annual Review. It contains stories and insights that bring to life the real impact of housing in transforming lives and strengthening communities. One standout story comes from Fielder Court, a housing complex for people over 55, where a customer, supported by VIVID’s customer influence team, helped launch and lead a new residents’ group. It’s a great example of how people are coming together to make their community feel more like home. Customer contributor Kevin Grantham said: “It’s not just about sharing what we’ve achieved at Fielder Court—it’s about showing how residents can shape the places they live and feel genuinely heard. Being involved in this annual review has been incredibly rewarding. It’s a reminder that when we work together, we can build communities we’re truly proud of.” The review also tracks VIVID’s performance against the Tenant Satisfaction Measures set by the Regulator of Social Housing. Mark Perry, Chief Executive of VIVID said: “We’re dedicated to providing high quality homes and consistent, reliable services that deliver outcomes that truly matter to customers. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made. Our customers’ voices help shape everything we do – from the services we deliver to the way we invest in communities. This review of the year reflects that partnership.” Visit the Annual Review 2024–25 here Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Bromford Flagship is delighted to announce that it has undertaken two new financing transactions this month to fund its strategic ambitions over the years ahead. These comprise the completion of a 25-year, £300m sustainable bond and an extended term loan from NatWest. The bond, which has a 25-year maturity, was met with strong investor demand in the current market conditions and was four times oversubscribed. It was priced at government gilts plus 0.82% producing a coupon and yield of 6.072%, marking the housing association sector’s tightest spread in four years. It’s the first issuance under Bromford Flagship’s recently established Euro Medium Term Note programme and was issued under the group’s Sustainable Finance Framework. Both frameworks were established in June 2025 to create an enhanced route to access the sustainable capital markets to enable the organisation to deliver 2,000 new homes a year over the next 30 years. At the same time Bromford Flagship has finalised a term loan from NatWest which extends the life of facilities previously available to the group. This bilateral loan, along with the £300m bond, has sustainability features and these will allow the group to continue its investment in high-quality, affordable homes in places that enable people to thrive, delivering sustainable outcomes for customers and communities. Bromford Flagship’s Chief Finance Officer Paul Walsh said: “These deals optimise our ongoing debt facilities whilst raising some new funds that support our liquidity. They increase the average life of our outstanding debt and demonstrate our confidence to fund the business for the long term to support our ambition to be one of the largest builders of much needed social and affordable homes in the UK. “This is an important milestone which will allow us to move forward with our future financing and development plans and enables us to access the additional £1.9 billion capacity following the creation of Bromford Flagship earlier this year.” Dominic Brindley, Director Financing and Risk Solutions at NatWest, said: “NatWest is delighted to support Bromford Flagship as both arranger of their £1.5bn EMTN programme and an active bookrunner on this £300m debut drawdown. NatWest is committed to playing its part in helping people into safe stable homes and this is reflected in our ambition to lend £7.5bn to the social housing sector.” Bromford Flagship ratings of A2 Stable with Moody’s and A+ Stable with S&P will apply to the bond. The managers on the bond transaction were Barclays Bank PLC, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, NatWest Markets Plc and ABN AMRO Bank N.V.. Bromford Flagship’s legal advisers were Devonshires Solicitors LLP and its treasury advisers were Newbridge Advisors LLP. These transactions follow a £75 million private placement that the housing group issued in April. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

A transformative project to deliver more than 200 modern apartments has been completed within the regenerated Civic Campus in Hammersmith. The exciting joint venture by housing association A2Dominion and Hammersmith & Fulham Council forms part of a renewal project on King Street, providing hundreds of new homes, commercial units and public spaces for the local community centered around Civic Campus, the regenerated Grade-II listed Town Hall. The ambitious scheme built by Ardmore Construction Group comprises of 204 apartments, with more than 50 percent of the homes classed as genuinely affordable for local residents. The scheme provides a mix of housing types to accommodate a range of living styles, from single occupants, to couples, and families. The one-to-three-bedroom apartments were designed by Rogers, Stirk, Harbour & Partners and delivered by PRC Architects, focusing on open-plan layouts. Low energy appliances, solar panels and a ground source heat pump substantially reduces on-site energy demand and helps to improve the sustainability of the scheme. Each apartment also has its own outside space, including private balconies overlooking the new civic square, and there is also a residents’ roof terrace providing stunning views of the River Thames and Hammersmith Bridge.   Chris Ives, Managing Director of Development & Regeneration at A2Dominion, said: “We are delighted to complete the latest phase of homes in this iconic neighbourhood  with our partners at Hammersmith & Fulham Council. “The high-quality apartments bring much-needed affordable housing to this area of the capital and we look forward to delivering more homes and community spaces for the people in Hammersmith to enjoy.” The transformative renewal project is centred around the refurbishment of the Grade II listed Hammersmith Town Hall. The vibrant mixed-use Civic Campus incorporates a public plaza, rooftop bar and restaurants, a new four screen cinema, as well as community art and event spaces to celebrate the area’s heritage as an arts and culture hub. The residential offering  comprises of 69 affordable rented units managed by A2Dominion Homes Limited, 36 shared ownership units and 99 private units sold by FABRICA by A2Dominion. Silver DCC were appointed as A2Dominion’s Employers’ Agent. For more information on Civic Campus, please visit https://www.civiccampus.london/ For more information about the homes available for sale, please visit http://artisi.london/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Landlords are already stepping up to meet the ambitions of the government’s consultation on the new Decent Homes 2 standard, with investment in improvement works up 26% in the last year, according to new data from market-leading procurement specialists Procure Plus. Key features of the proposed Decent Homes 2 standard include: Even though the Decent Homes 2 standard remains under consultation, landlords are already taking proactive steps to futureproof their housing stock, focusing on quality, safety, and long-term condition to improve the lives of tenants. In 2024/25 alone, Procure Plus supported landlords in delivering: By using Procure Plus’ procurement frameworks, these upgrades were achieved at costs significantly below market base rates, enabling landlords to reinvest savings into additional works. For example, market prices in 2024/25 saw kitchens cost £6,700 per unit on average, while Procure Plus secured a base price of £4,026 for its clients. Similarly, bathrooms averaged £4,010 per unit on the market, compared to a Procure Plus base price of £2,794. Landlords are also intensifying their focus on damp and mould programmes, with 6,603 ventilation measures installed and 32,470 properties assessed through condition surveys, helping to better prioritise maintenance and target future improvements more effectively. Procure Plus also revealed that 92% of its Decent Homes work was delivered by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), demonstrating its ongoing commitment to supporting local businesses and generating local economic and social value. Matt Jarratt, Operations Lead of Procure Plus, said: “Decent Homes 2 sets out a clear vision, and landlords have already started delivering on it. We’re seeing a strong commitment from the sector to make homes warmer, safer and healthier. “This increase in activity shows how cost-effective, transparent procurement frameworks empower landlords to go further, tackling disrepair, damp, and new regulatory standards while also supporting local businesses and generating lasting social value. “Despite ongoing pressures affecting the supply chain this year, from increased shipping costs to uncertainty around American tariffs, Procure Plus remains confident in providing competitively priced solutions, and we’ll continue working closely with suppliers to ensure stability and value for our clients and the sector.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

The Guinness Partnership, one of England’s largest housing associations, held an event to celebrate the topping out of the final phase of their Leaside Lock development in Bromley-by-Bow, London. The event was attended by The Guinness Partnership’s Kevin Williams, Group Director of Development and Commercial Services who was joined by Chris Wallace, Construction Director and Ian Russell, Project Director, both from the appointed contractors Lovell Partnerships, and other members and partners of Guinness’s development team.  Leaside Lock is a development consisting of 965 homes in total, which have been completed over three phases, with this third and final phase consisting of 321 homes, 135 of which will be affordable rent. The homes will be a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments along with six, three bedroom town houses. The homes at Leaside Lock have been designed with sustainability in mind, with photovoltaic panels providing affordable and sustainable energy for communal areas, which alongside the combined heat and power system, enables increased energy efficiency and reduced monthly outgoings.  The development offers amenities for residents which include an on-site gym, a convenience store, café, concierge, residential roof terraces, games room, communal workspaces and bike storage. There will also be 40,000 sq ft of commercial space and a new urban square and park. The homes are being delivered with the support of funding from the Mayor of London, under a GLA Strategic Partnership agreement.     Kevin Williams, Group Director of Development & Commercial Services at The Guinness Partnership said: “The topping out of the final phase at Leaside Lock is a significant milestone in bringing more new high-quality affordable homes to East London. We would like to thank the contractors Lovell Partnerships, Greater London Authority, the council, and other partners who have helped to deliver these homes for the capital.”  Lorraine Casey, Regional Managing Director – London at Lovell Partnerships said: “Lovell is absolutely delighted to share in the achievement of this significant milestone with Guinness. The fantastic progress made by the site team to reach ‘topping out’ has only been possible through genuine collaboration and partnership. We are immensely proud of our efforts in working with Guinness to deliver the high-quality affordable homes that the community deserves, and of the training and employment opportunities that we are also providing to genuinely change lives.”  Phase 1 began in April 2019 and residents began moving into Phase 1 homes in February 2022. Phase 2 started March 2021 and completed in May 2024. Residents began moving into Phase 2 homes in June 2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals