Platform Housing Group have begun work on a site in Kirton where all dwellings will be constructed from modern methods of construction. Alongside developers Burmor, they will be producing 41 homes on the former brownfield site on London Road, making it their largest site of this kind to date. 35
A social landlord has created its first ever safe house in the Midlands. Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of Platform Housing Group, one of the UK’s largest social landlords – has reinforced a customer’s home after she ended an abusive relationship. The decision was taken to undertake the work so that the customer could remain in her home with her children, allowing
A property maintenance company has announced two senior promotions. Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of one of the UK’s largest social landlords, Platform Housing Group – has appointed Adam Rudge as Head of Service for Voids and Duncan Palmer as Head of Service for Responsive Repairs; both roles are newly created ones. Previously
Platform Housing Group, the largest housing association in the Midlands, has achieved a G1/V1 rating from the Regulator for Social Housing following its first indepth assessment – or IDA – in February of this year; this is the highest regulatory rating a housing association can achieve with a G1 governance and V1 for financial
Platform Housing Group, the largest housing association in the Midlands, has established a £1bn multi-currency, ESG enabled, Euro Medium Term Note – or EMTN – programme, supported by NatWest markets acting as Sole Arranger. Funding from the programme will be used to develop affordable housing across the Midlands and to improve the energy efficiency of its existing homes. The programme has been established
Platform Housing Group have begun work on a site in Kirton where all dwellings will be constructed from modern methods of construction. Alongside developers Burmor, they will be producing 41 homes on the former brownfield site on London Road, making it their largest site of this kind to date. 35 of the homes will be built using Green Square Accord’s Eco100 system, which is an off-site, timber framed panlised system. 6 of the dwellings will be built using a new material from Durisol UK, who use woodcrete insulated concrete framework blocks. Luke Boekestyn, director at Burmor Construction said, “We are very excited about the possibilities at this site. We have a long standing partnership with Green Square Accord and know they will be able to deliver everything we need in terms of materials and time scales. We also recognise the enthusiasm for other materials in the MMC space, so bringing in Durisol on the smaller site to build those dwellings is fantastic. Our Quantity Surveyor on the site has a real passion for MMC as do we as a company because of the sustainable benefits for residents.” Early indications show that all the homes built with have an EPC rating of B or even A in some cases. This aligns with Platforms ambitions to achieve ratings of C or above for all homes in its stock in the next few years. Platform was recently named as one of Homes England’s strategic partners, receiving the highest possible grant of £250m to build affordable homes across the midlands. Part of this commitment will see them increasing the percentage of homes they build using modern methods of construction to 25%. Gerraint Oakley, Director of Growth and Development at Platform said, “This is just one of many sites we are using modern methods of construction on and we’re really pleased with the plans Burmor have produced. We have huge sustainability goals in our development strategy and we’re confident this site will be a leading example of how well MMC can work in terms of scale and time frame.”
A social landlord has created its first ever safe house in the Midlands. Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of Platform Housing Group, one of the UK’s largest social landlords – has reinforced a customer’s home after she ended an abusive relationship. The decision was taken to undertake the work so that the customer could remain in her home with her children, allowing her to keep living in the local area where her support network is, and, crucially, to feel safe and secure. Glyn Howard, Lead Engineer at Platform Property Care and the initiative’s designer and project manager said : “Keeping our customers safe and ensuring they have the right level of home security to suit their circumstances is a vital part of the service we provide. We are absolutely delighted with the finished product and wish our customer and her family many safe and happy years in their home.” The work included : Iron gates and slatted wooden gates to the side of the property with secure latches; A dusk to dawn light above the front door; An outward opening 44mm solid core fire rated door on the main bedroom. The organisation currently supports customers who are victims of domestic abuse by listening, providing advice, signposting to other specialist agencies, operating safety checks in homes to ensure survivors feel safe as well as dealing directly with perpetrators. This latest project will be included in the company’s application to DAHA – or the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance; this year, will see the social landlord become accredited within best practice guidelines as set out by the government backed DAHA initiative. Having established the first accreditation for housing providers, as a member of DAHA, Platform Housing Group will aim to always deal with victims of domestic abuse in a fair, patient and consistent manner. It will also show its commitment to the issue as well as providing ongoing employee training. The housing association is part of The Drive Partnership which is made up of Respect, SafeLives and Social Finance. It challenges perpetrators of domestic abuse aiming to fundamentally change perpetrator behaviour to make victims and families safe. Duncan Palmer, Head of Responsive Repairs at Platform Property Care concluded : “We firmly believe that all of our customers and employees should not live in fear of violence or abuse from a partner, former partner or any other member of their household. As a large provider of affordable housing we have a significant role to play in tackling and preventing domestic abuse. “Domestic abuse impacts upon all communities, creating a sense of fear and the potential for reprisals and criminal activity. It is a serious and widespread crime affecting all members of our society, including children.” Statistics surrounding domestic abuse in the UK make for sobering reading : 1 in 4 women will experience some form of domestic abuse within their lives; A staggering 2 women a week are killed by their partner or former partner; 1in 4 LGBT relationships is abusive; The average victim will suffer more than 50 incidents before reporting; Worryingly, the number one barrier preventing women from leaving abusive situations is housing. Platform Housing Group – which owns 46,000 homes in total – completed 1448 homes in 2019/20 (1,598 in 2018/19) at an investment of £258m (£228m in 2018/19). The Group also built more social rented homes – at a figure of 981 – during the past 2 years in England than any other provider, 523 in 2019/20, almost 33% of the total homes built. Platform Housing Group’s operating area is from Herefordshire in the West to the Lincolnshire coast in the East, and from the Derbyshire Dales in the North to the Cotswolds in the South. If you are a Platform Housing Group customer and is experiencing domestic abuse, please call 0333 200 7304. For further information please contact Duncan Palmer, Head of Responsive Repairs at Platform Property Care on Duncan.Palmer@Platformhg.com.
A property maintenance company has announced two senior promotions. Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of one of the UK’s largest social landlords, Platform Housing Group – has appointed Adam Rudge as Head of Service for Voids and Duncan Palmer as Head of Service for Responsive Repairs; both roles are newly created ones. Previously Operations Manager for Voids and Grounds, Adam’s new role will see him responsible for the operational and financial delivery of all Platform Property Care’s group void servicing teams. Adam – who has worked in social housing maintenance for more than 18 years – started his career as an apprentice plumber and gas engineer before qualifying as a gas engineer. Over the course of his career, Adam has studied horticulture and gained accreditation from The Royal Horticultural Society. He has also successfully completed an advanced level management apprenticeship as well as a qualification from The Institute of Leadership and Management. Adam said : “I am thrilled with my new role, which will, I hope, allow me to influence a sector I am passionate about. Delivering a consistently excellent service to all our customers is at the very heart of what we do and I am excited about my part in this as we move forward.” The promotions are part of a wider restructure within the business which has created five new service areas; the objective being to offer a designated service function for each area of the maintenance business as well as providing a consistent approach to how services are delivered group wide. Previously Operations Manager for Responsive Repairs, Duncan Palmer has been promoted to Head of Service for Responsive Repairs. This new role will see Duncan managing the delivery of the group’s responsive repairs service which aims to deliver more than 100,000 responsive repairs each year. Duncan – who has twenty years’ experience in social housing – originally started out as an electrician. Duncan explained : “This new role is an exciting step forward for my career. Platform Property Care is a great place to work and I feel very fortunate to have been given this opportunity. By supporting my team and providing a clear purpose, I hope to make a positive impact on PPC’s aim to become a sector leading repairs organisations that puts our customers and colleagues first.” Since the merger of Fortis Living and Waterloo Homes at the end of 2019 to become Platform Housing Group, changes and development within the property maintenance arm have been ongoing. Establishing Platform Property Care has included bringing gas servicing and breakdown in house to ensure a seamless service to customers; these, and other initiatives, have resulted in the organisation winning the coveted status. Dennis Evans, Executive Director at Platform Property Care said : “We are delighted to announce these two new roles and the promotions of both Adam and Duncan. Their new responsibilities are testimony to the hard work and dedication that they have shown throughout their careers within social housing. We wish them all the best as we continue on our journey to become a truly modern housing association.” Platform Property Care – launched in October 2018 – employs more than 300 people, including 27 apprentices. Its growth plans include a turnover of £50million by 2023. Recent improvements include better diagnostics, intelligent scheduling, assertive supply chain management and investment in new technologies. Results include 100 per cent of homes being both gas and electrically compliant. For further information about Platform Property Care please visit www.platformhg.com.
Platform Housing Group, the largest housing association in the Midlands, has achieved a G1/V1 rating from the Regulator for Social Housing following its first indepth assessment – or IDA – in February of this year; this is the highest regulatory rating a housing association can achieve with a G1 governance and V1 for financial viability. The IDA outcome confirms that the regulator is fully assured that the social landlord’s financial plans supports its financial strategy and has confidence in the way it manages and governs the business. This is the first IDA that the housing association has had since its creation in 2019. Elizabeth Froude, the group’s Chief Executive said: “It is really positive news that the Regulator has recognised the focused way in which we have restructured both our Board and our Executive team, providing strong skills and expertise aligned to our new corporate strategy. We are absolutely delighted with the result. It demonstrates that Platform is in great shape to deliver our ambitious strategic plans as well as maximising any additional forthcoming opportunities and challenges for the benefit of our customers. “The increase in our house building programme, whilst maintaining a clear commitment to high levels of affordable homes, reduction in our operating costs and the funding we’ve attracted – including our Homes England strategic partnership and the £350million raised through the bond market – have all helped to achieve this. We continue to drive forward on delivering all the aims of our merger and can clearly demonstrate that we are making good progress.” Over the next five years, Platform Housing Group aims to build around 12,000 high quality new homes, improve the energy efficiency of many more homes to alleviate the fuel poverty burden on our residents and deliver services which support the health and well being of its customers. Elizabeth concluded : “Platform Housing Group is highly committed to continuous improvement in all the services we deliver. However, we can’t do this alone, hence why we value the calibre and professionalism of our people, the strength of our stakeholder partnerships and the unwavering commitment of our involved customers, to achieve all that we do.” Platform Housing Group – which owns 46,000 homes in total – completed 1,448 homes in 2019/20 (1,598 in 2018/19) at an investment of £258m (£228m in 2018/19). The Group also built more social rented homes – at a figure of 981 – during the past 2 years in England than any other provider, 523 in 2019/20, almost 33% of the total homes built. Platform Housing Group’s operating area is from Herefordshire in the West to the Lincolnshire coast in the East, and from the Derbyshire Dales in the North to the Cotswolds in the South.
Platform Housing Group, the largest housing association in the Midlands, has established a £1bn multi-currency, ESG enabled, Euro Medium Term Note – or EMTN – programme, supported by NatWest markets acting as Sole Arranger. Funding from the programme will be used to develop affordable housing across the Midlands and to improve the energy efficiency of its existing homes. The programme has been established to allow future issuances to be both in foreign currency and sustainability linked. The programme demonstrates Platform’s commitment to fund raising through the debt capital markets following its £350m bond issued in July at a record breaking yield of 1.71%. Elizabeth Froude, Chief Executive at Platform Housing Group said: “We are delighted to have established an EMTN programme which will play a key part in our Treasury Strategy for the coming years. The program signals that Platform is committed to fund raising from the capital markets and its A+ ratings demonstrate we remain a sound investment. It will help us access the funding that we need to invest in our homes and our communities as we continue to help alleviate the Midlands housing shortage and provide enhanced life prospects for more people.” Platform Housing Group – which owns 46,000 homes in total – completed 1,448 homes in 2019/20 (1,598 in 2018/19) at an investment of £258m (£228m in 2018/19). The Group also built more social rented homes – at a figure of 981 – during the past 2 years in England than any other provider, 523 in 2019/20, almost 33% of the total homes built. Platform Housing Group’s operating area is from Herefordshire in the West to the Lincolnshire coast in the East, and from the Derbyshire Dales in the North to the Cotswolds in the South. NatWest Markets acted as Sole Arranger on the Programme Establishment, with Addelshaw Goddard LLP appointed as legal counsel to the joint dealers and Devonshires Solicitors LLP appointed as legal counsel to Platform Housing Group. George Flynn, Debt & Financing Solutions at NatWest Markets commented: “We are delighted to have supported Platform as sole arranger in the establishment of its £1bn EMTN programme. This follows on from our support during its inaugural £350m Public Bond executed in 2020 and provides a flexible and versatile framework to maximise Platform’s funding agility. This will provide swift access to the capital markets for funding to support Platform’s core social purpose to expand the availability of affordable homes across the Midlands.” For further information please contact Ben Colyer, Corporate Treasury Director at Platform Housing Group on 07918 16099 or email him at ben.colyer@platformhg.com.
