LAUNCH OF ‘SO RESI AGENCY’ MARKED BY PARTNERSHIP DEAL WITH BRICK BY BRICK IN CROYDON Today, the shared ownership brand of leading housing association Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing has announced the launch of its new sales agency, created to help make shared ownership more accessible to homebuyers. SO Resi Agency’s
Work is officially underway for a key regeneration project that aims to bring affordable housing in East Leeds. National housebuilder Keepmoat Homes and Places for People, one of the UK’s leading affordable homes led placemakers, is redeveloping the brownfield site, located on Seacroft Crescent, into a 49 new home development, Pennine Crest.
Residents at a Salford tower block are starting the new year with a new-look home thanks to a multi-million-pound refurbishment by Salix Homes. The Salford-based housing association has recently completed a £7.5million improvement project at Fitzwarren Court in Pendleton, which has seen the high-rise building undergo a major facelift. The
CEO of Checkatrade, Mike Fairman, said, “Our tradespeople have shown great resilience over this challenging period and are committed to safely carrying out home improvement and repair jobs following Government guidelines. Checkatrade has worked directly with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy to share additional guidance for trade
National housebuilder Keepmoat Homes has completed the purchase of a site on School Street, Thurnscoe, which will be developed in partnership with Homes England and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The site, situated within the Dearne Valley on the eastern outskirts of Barnsley, was previously owned by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council,
Charitable housing association, Yorkshire Housing, has acquired an 18-acre development site on Boroughbridge Road in Knaresborough, where it now plans to build 120 homes that will be available through a wide range of ownership options. Dacre, Son & Hartley’s specialist agricultural and development division has managed the land, which forms
A digital property management platform which promises to simplify property management transactions for buy-to-let landlords, tenants and trades will soon launch an equity campaign on Crowdcube, the leading crowdfunding platform in the UK. Clooper has been developed to bring property transactions into the 21st century and offers a multi-faceted platform
A property maintenance company is celebrating the academic success of its only female service manager. Stacey Bowling, who works at Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of one of the UK’s largest social landlords, Platform Housing Group – has recently passed an HNC in Construction with flying colours. Stacey – who manages the organisation’s unoccupied properties in both Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, began her
Work is set to start on a £11.5 million affordable housing development in Sheffield in the new year. The 93 homes, which are being built off Ferrars Road in Tinsley, will be available for affordable rent via Together Housing Group and have been brought forward by Caddick Group. The development, which will comprise 19 two-bedroom houses, 70 three-bedroom houses and four
The publicly traded Daiwa House Group (Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd., with a turnover of around € 32 billion) signed a share purchase agreement with the current shareholders of Flexbuild Holding (Flexbuild) on December 18, 2020. Flexbuild is the holding company of Jan Snel Group (Jan Snel), which realises modular building solutions in the
LAUNCH OF ‘SO RESI AGENCY’ MARKED BY PARTNERSHIP DEAL WITH BRICK BY BRICK IN CROYDON Today, the shared ownership brand of leading housing association Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing has announced the launch of its new sales agency, created to help make shared ownership more accessible to homebuyers. SO Resi Agency’s first deal is with Brick By Brick, the development company set up by Croydon Council to provide high quality and affordable homes across the borough. The newly established SO Resi Agency will handle the sale of these affordable homes, which will be available for purchase through shared ownership. The homes comprise of one, two and three-bedroom apartments alongside a small number of maisonettes, in keeping with demand for entry-level properties for local first time buyers. The three schemes, located in Upper Norwood, Thornton Heath and South Croydon in South London, are designed by outstanding architects, including RIBA Stirling Prize-winning Mikhail Riches. Homes have been developed to a high specification, with timber parquet flooring, Silestone worktops, Bosch appliances and private balconies. All have a range of integrated energy efficient features to ensure their sustainability credentials, including secure cycle storage, solar energy, electric vehicle charging points, and an Environmental Performance Certificate rating of B or higher. Diana Alam, Head of Sales at SO Resi Agency, comments: “We are excited to announce our first partnership through our new SO Resi Agency, and to work together with Brick By Brick to increase levels of affordable homeownership in Croydon. Partnerships such as these create a genuine opportunity to leverage expertise and work alongside equally ambitious partners to accelerate the delivery of much needed local, affordable housing. “Croydon is a highly searched area on the SO Resi website, demonstrating that there is a clear demand from customers for shared ownership properties in this area as well as Greater London. We are pleased to be supporting Brick By Brick with the sale of these properties at three developments in the borough, which will allow aspirational first time buyers get onto the property ladder and secure their own home.” Colm Lacey, CEO at Brick By Brick, said: “Brick By Brick’s partnership with SO Resi Agency will help us to provide high-quality affordable housing to those who need it in Croydon and accelerate the returns we provide to our shareholder Croydon Council. These high-spec homes, which have been designed to our usual high environmental standards, offer a very appealing option for local people looking to take their first step onto the property ladder.” The award-winning team at SO Resi launched the innovative new shared ownership sales agency for external parties earlier this month, with an official virtual launch set to take place in February. The aim of SO Resi Agency is to provide greater access to affordable homes available with external parties including housing associations, local authority housing providers, investment funds or private developers able to promote their property on the SO Resi website. As well as promotional support, partners will be able to access the SO Resi teams’ shared ownership expertise including marketing and sales support. SO Resi partners will be able to gain increased exposure for their shared ownership properties via the agency website which already attracts approximately 60,000 visitors every month. Despite the unprecedented challenges the pandemic has posed for the country and the housing sector over the last year, SO Resi has continued to report high levels of demand for shared ownership due to its affordable route to homeownership. To find out more about SO Resi or the new homes available through Brick By Brick in Croydon, visit www.soresi.co.uk or call 0208 607 0550.
Work is officially underway for a key regeneration project that aims to bring affordable housing in East Leeds. National housebuilder Keepmoat Homes and Places for People, one of the UK’s leading affordable homes led placemakers, is redeveloping the brownfield site, located on Seacroft Crescent, into a 49 new home development, Pennine Crest. The site, which was previously owned by Leeds City Council and acquired by Places for People from Keepmoat Homes in August 2020, will offer a variety of house types along with new public open spaces. All the homes will be available as affordable housing through either shared ownership or affordable rent. “We are very excited to have started work on Pennine Crest. The site isn’t your typical new homes development, it is part of a wider regeneration project in East Leeds which represents a tremendous opportunity for the city’s growth, of which we will be delivering 10 out of the 13 developments,” said Paul Oldridge, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Homes. “We have a strong track record of delivering new homes across the country, particularly on brownfield land such as this. We’ve brought our experience to this development and, working with Leeds City Council and Places for People, we’re breathing new life into the area and aim to make a big impact on the local community, delivering real value to not only those to choose to live there but also to the surrounding area.” The £8 million development is part of the Leeds City Council Brownfield Programme which is designed to support the city’s future growth aspirations and will see over 1,000 new homes being built across 13 development sites in East Leeds. The programme will not only contribute to the delivery of new homes in Leeds but will significantly improve the communities and neighbourhoods in which they are located. “Pennine Crest will provide much needed affordable housing for people in Leeds on a former brownfield site. Alongside Keepmoat Homes and Leeds City Council, we will utilise our end-to-end expertise to create and manage a sustainable community for the long-term, with social value and people at its core,” added Nilam Buchanan, Regional Managing Director at Places for People. As part of their commitment to the local community and the city of Leeds, Keepmoat Homes and Places for People has pledged to support local people and help generate opportunities in training and employment through the use of sub-contractors and work placements. Work at Pennine Crest is expected to complete in Autumn 2021.
Residents at a Salford tower block are starting the new year with a new-look home thanks to a multi-million-pound refurbishment by Salix Homes. The Salford-based housing association has recently completed a £7.5million improvement project at Fitzwarren Court in Pendleton, which has seen the high-rise building undergo a major facelift. The 23-storey building had originally been earmarked for demolition as part of a wider regeneration of the area, but the plans were halted in 2016 when Salix Homes secured funding to modernise the block. The once-ageing 1970s building has been completely transformed inside and out, with the former blue and green façade replaced with modern tones of grey, green and orange render, as chosen by the residents, who have played an integral role in developing the proposals for the block. As part of the ambitious investment project, new kitchens, bathrooms, doors and windows have been fitted at all 135 apartments, along with a brand-new apartment conversion added to the ground floor. The communal areas, lobby and grounds have all been upgraded and a digital property intercom system has been installed enabling residents to contact Salix Homes via a portal to book repairs – the first of Salix Homes’ tower blocks to use such intelligent technology. The exterior has been completely rendered and a sprinkler system and state-of-the-art fire alarm system have also been installed as part of the landlord’s Safety Enhancement Programme across all its high-rise blocks in Salford. Sue Sutton, chief executive at Salix Homes, said: “For many years, residents at Fitzwarren Court have been in limbo about the future of their homes, so we’re delighted that our ambitious improvement and modernisation scheme is now complete, and residents can start the new year, and look forward to the future, in their new-look homes. “Our significant investment has given the building a new lease of life, complimenting the wider regeneration taking place in the Pendleton area, and ensuring this iconic building can stand proud on the Salford skyline for many years to come. “Salix Homes is committed to raising the bar of building safety in all our homes, having been instrumental in the development of the national Building Safety Charter and the Government’s draft Building Safety Bill. The additional safety measures incorporated into this refurbishment project cements our commitment to delivering the safe, modern and energy efficient homes that everyone deserves.” A geo-thermal heating system has also been installed under the carpark, which has improved the thermal efficiency of the building and reduced residents’ fuel bills. The ground-source heating system works by harnessing heat from underground, rather than burning fuel to generate heat. Salix Homes has been working alongside partner contractor Casey to complete the refurbishment programme, which has also included improvements to 10 terraced homes on the neighbouring Rosehill Close. Alan Taylor, director at Casey, added: “The Fitzwarren Court scheme has been fantastic to be part of and we have been so pleased to assist with improving the lives of those living in the Salford community by undertaking these works. “The project has transformed the appearance, practicality and sustainability of the block for many years to come. Whilst working on the scheme we have also been able to deliver new apprenticeships, work placements, job creation and assist with community projects, all of which will leave a lasting legacy within the Salford area.”
CEO of Checkatrade, Mike Fairman, said, “Our tradespeople have shown great resilience over this challenging period and are committed to safely carrying out home improvement and repair jobs following Government guidelines. Checkatrade has worked directly with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy to share additional guidance for trade members and homeowners to help everyone stay as safe as possible. For example, we encourage our tradespeople to use video calls for advice and quotes, and recommend you keep in touch with your tradesperson to talk through the work in advance and agree how to reduce risks. “As we continue to spend more time at home, homeowners will be wanting to also invest time and money into making them as comfortable as they can be and as a result, we’re seeing uplifts in searches for tradespeople to carry out home improvements in the winter months bucking the trend of previous years.” The measures that homeowners are encouraged to undertake when carrying out home improvements and maintenance work include: · Keep in touch: Regular contact with your tradesperson in advance of any home visit is important – to talk through details of the work and to agree how risks can be reduced · Keep it digital: Checkatrade is encouraging tradespeople to embrace video calling for advice and quotes, whenever that is possible · Keep it clean: Clean surfaces around the working area and in ‘high traffic’ areas such as door handles with disinfectant before, during and after work is carried out · Keep a distance: Avoid too much face-to-face contact with those working in your home and keep children or pets in other rooms whenever possible
National housebuilder Keepmoat Homes has completed the purchase of a site on School Street, Thurnscoe, which will be developed in partnership with Homes England and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The site, situated within the Dearne Valley on the eastern outskirts of Barnsley, was previously owned by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, and will see 360 brand new homes created in the area. The development will comprise of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes with off-street parking and private gardens, of which 5% will be affordable housing. The £52m development represents the third phase of housing on the wider site and highlights Keepmoat’s commitment to working with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council to transform the area through the creation of high-quality, modern homes, public open spaces and a children’s play area. As part of their ongoing commitment to the local community, Keepmoat Homes has pledged to support local people and help generate opportunities in training and employment through the use of sub-contractors, work placements and educational visits to the site, which will be delivered throughout the lifetime of the project. Dan Crew, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Homes, said: “We’re delighted to be continuing to work in partnership with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Homes England to deliver our third phase in Thurnscoe. “As a local developer, with our Head Office in Yorkshire, this acquisition is a positive step for our ambitious growth plans in South Yorkshire and following the success of previous developments in the area, it’s a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our presence in the town and cement our relationship with the Council. “The new homes are designed for both first time buyers and those looking to up-size, as well as providing much needed provision of more affordable homes. We are driven to make a big impact to the local area and aim to create a new community with open spaces and park facilities for everyone to enjoy.” The first homes will become available to purchase at the start of 2021 and the development will take around nine years to complete.
Charitable housing association, Yorkshire Housing, has acquired an 18-acre development site on Boroughbridge Road in Knaresborough, where it now plans to build 120 homes that will be available through a wide range of ownership options. Dacre, Son & Hartley’s specialist agricultural and development division has managed the land, which forms part of the former Slingsby Estate, in the village of Scriven for more than 30 years and the company negotiated the sale together with a national development promotion company. Detailed planning for the development was approved in August 2020. Yorkshire Housing plans to start work on the two, three and four bedroom homes in January 2021 with the first homes ready to move into by January 2022. The housing association currently owns and manages nearly 20,000 homes throughout Yorkshire. Ian Cox, a director from Dacre, Son & Hartley, who heads up the firm’s agricultural and development team, said: “This is a prime, oven-ready development site that sits just over a mile from Knaresborough town centre, so it attracted interest from a wide range of housebuilders and developers. “Agreeing this sale with Yorkshire Housing will deliver a good mix of high-quality homes that will appeal to all demographics, including many who would otherwise find themselves priced out of the market in this part of North Yorkshire.” Andy Gamble, Director of Development at Yorkshire Housing said: “We are delighted to have completed the purchase of this site and are looking forward to starting our latest development. The 120 new homes will be mixed tenure and will provide homes for shared ownership, affordable rent, rent to buy and market sale. “We want to continue creating new communities that bring more, much needed homes to Yorkshire where our customers are proud to live and call home. The creation of 120 new homes in Knaresborough is another step towards us delivering on our strategic priority of delivering 8,000 new homes by 2030.”
A digital property management platform which promises to simplify property management transactions for buy-to-let landlords, tenants and trades will soon launch an equity campaign on Crowdcube, the leading crowdfunding platform in the UK. Clooper has been developed to bring property transactions into the 21st century and offers a multi-faceted platform connecting landlords, tenants, trades and homeowners to facilitate transactions. The platform will bring benefits to tradespeople who will be able to use the app to connect with landlords and tenants and view and quote for upcoming maintenance and building projects, as well as manage their appointments. The app will streamline all projects, creating jobs alerts and even preparing proposals. Payment requests will also be sent via the app and landlords then also pay via the app. Landlords will be able to share tradespeoples’ details with tenants who can rate their work once it’s complete. Speaking about the upcoming Crowdcube funding launch, founder of Clooper, Toks Adebiyi said, “We are really excited to be bringing Clooper to market. We look to create customer value in everything that we do and we know that the platform will make a huge difference and improve the experience of landlords and tenants whilst bringing fantastic opportunities for tradespeople. It’s a win win all round.” The platform, Clooper, has already received a significant investment from leading property entrepreneur, Paul Rothwell of Empire Property. Rothwell has over a decade of experience in the build to let market and knowledge of the financial investment having raised over £35m through mini bonds. To register your interest on getting exclusive first access to the Clooper Crowdcube funding campaign, please sign up here. Investments of this nature carry risks to your capital. Please Invest Aware.
A property maintenance company is celebrating the academic success of its only female service manager. Stacey Bowling, who works at Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of one of the UK’s largest social landlords, Platform Housing Group – has recently passed an HNC in Construction with flying colours. Stacey – who manages the organisation’s unoccupied properties in both Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, began her career in social housing 12 years ago at the age of 17. She explained: “Working in social housing has been the best career decision I could have made. To begin with the jobs I worked in provided back office support within Repairs and Maintenance; I was keen to develop my skills however and ultimately move into a more technical role. As I had no specialist trade experience or qualifications I thought my options would be extremely limited; I couldn’t have been further from the truth!” All employees at Platform Property Care receive a career development plan with the chance to gain formal qualifications. Stacey has been supported in her studies – including an NVQ Level 3 in Management, a BTEC Level 3 in Workforce Development and a Level 2 Certificate in Contracts Law – culminating in a BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Construction and the Built Environment, giving her an indepth knowledge of subjects including construction technology and surveying. Stacey is now studying for an NVQ Level 4 in Construction Site Supervision. Malcolm Kaszics, Assistant Director of Property Management and Growth at Platform Property Care said : “We are so proud of Stacey; her success is testimony to her hard work and dedication. Interestingly, women make up a mere 11 per cent of the construction workforce in the UK and just 1 per cent of workers on site; indeed, the proportion of those with specialist skills such as roofers, bricklayers and glaziers are so low they are practically unmeasurable. However, here at Platform Property Care we strongly feel that the role of women in construction is critical for equality, fairness, parity and impartially within the construction sector. Congratulations to Stacey and we look forward to her continuing career success.” Stacey concluded : “I am proud to work for Platform Property Care and hope my contribution will help us to achieve our aims as a social housing provider. I have never felt that my gender or age has held me back and I am passionate about women developing careers in what are seen as traditional male roles. My aim is to continue to learn and improve every day and be part of something that really does change lives.” Platform Property Care continues to grow and has ambitious plans to deliver the majority of its maintenance and compliance activities to all its customers and joint venture partners. For further information please contact Stacey Bowling, Service Manager, Platform Property Care on 0121 788 7804 or email her at stacey.bowling@platformhg.com.
Work is set to start on a £11.5 million affordable housing development in Sheffield in the new year. The 93 homes, which are being built off Ferrars Road in Tinsley, will be available for affordable rent via Together Housing Group and have been brought forward by Caddick Group. The development, which will comprise 19 two-bedroom houses, 70 three-bedroom houses and four four-bedroom houses, is possible thanks to funding from Homes England. Together Housing was announced as one of the government housing agency’s strategic partners in January 2019, receiving £53 million to help deliver 1,152 additional affordable home starts by March 2022. According to Zoopla, the average price for property in Sheffield stood at £211,334 in November 2020. This is a rise of 5.17% compared to 12 months ago. Kevin Ruth, Deputy Chief Executive for Together Housing said: “Rising house prices are forcing many young individuals, couples and families out of the area they grew up in and away from their support networks. “The provision of affordable houses for rent in the city will enable those priced out of the housing market, including key workers and low-income families, to put roots down in the city.” Johnny Caddick of Caddick Group said: “We’ve been involved in this project from the outset, and working with Together Housing to realise such an important scheme, which is set to help so many individuals and families to find their new homes at affordable prices, has been a very positive experience. “Working closely with Together Housing from the start, demonstrates the breadth of what we offer as a Group as well as the collaboration and understanding required to make these types of projects successful.” The scheme, which will also include landscaped open space with ponds and public art, is set to be completed by early 2023, with the first homes being ready to welcome new residents in early 2022.
The publicly traded Daiwa House Group (Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd., with a turnover of around € 32 billion) signed a share purchase agreement with the current shareholders of Flexbuild Holding (Flexbuild) on December 18, 2020. Flexbuild is the holding company of Jan Snel Group (Jan Snel), which realises modular building solutions in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. With this agreement, Flexbuild and Jan Snel will become part of Daiwa House Group and together are taking an important step in the ongoing rollout of industrialised building across Europe. Investing in new markets Jan Snel and Daiwa House are forerunners in industrialised and modular building. Daiwa House is already active in Asia, North America and Australia. Together with Jan Snel, Daiwa House will be capable of further expanding its modular building business within the European market. The growing housing shortage and a lack of professionals in the European market has resulted in increased demand for smarter housing solutions in the market. By combining global knowledge, manpower and solutions, Jan Snel can offer well-suited solutions for the European housing shortage. Strong growth ambitions Jan Snel is the market leader in the Netherlands in the field of industrialised and modular building. By producing housing under controlled conditions in their factory, Jan Snel is able to improve both the quality and speed of the construction process. The reusage of materials, in combination with less waste and fewer emissions, enables the shift towards a more circular economy. Jan Snel specialises in innovative, industrialised solutions for the residential, healthcare, office, educational and industrial sectors. The Dutch company (based in Montfoort) has been making international progress and is already active in Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. Harry van Zandwijk, CEO of Jan Snel, explains: “The signing of this agreement is a reflection of our growth ambition. Daiwa House will add further expertise in industrial building to Jan Snel’s existing knowledge. With this, we want to become the clear market leader in Europe. In comparison to traditional construction methods, our modular construction method is smarter, faster and more sustainable. By combining our solutions and expertise with the strength of Daiwa House, we are laying a strong foundation for the future.”
