Bovis Homes is
on schedule to deliver the first affordable homes to
be completed nationally through The Housing
Corporation’s groundbreaking New Partnerships in
Affordable Housing (NPiAH) Programme.
In advance of schedule, Bovis Homes expects to
hand-over early next year, 39 apartments for older
people to ‘Lifetime Homes’ standard to Walsall
Housing Group (whg) as the first part of the
high-profile Pleck Regeneration, Walsall.
Back in 2005 The Housing Corporation launched NPiAH,
a pilot programme which sought to encourage private
sector organisations to bid for Social Housing Grant
(SHG) to build affordable homes. Bovis Homes was one
of only four companies approved by The Housing
Corporation to receive grant funding through this
programme. Bovis Homes is on target to be the very
first of these companies to achieve affordable
completions delivered through this revolutionary new
funding route.
Recently, The Housing Corporation has massively
expanded this mixed economy of affordable housing
development partners. The Corporation has recently
announced that its number of private sector partners
will increase to 31 organisations.
Stephen Baines, Director, Partnership Housing for
Bovis Homes Central Region explains: “This is an
important first for Bovis Homes, The Housing
Corporation and the sector as a whole. It represents
a brand new way of delivering affordable housing
through partnership working – and the support of whg
and Walsall Council has been instrumental in
achieving this transformation.”
At the Pleck Regeneration launch event Steve
Douglas, Acting Chief Executive of the Housing
Corporation, praised the project partners for
producing a first-class scheme that could act as ‘a
beacon’ for others to follow. He said “This is an
excellent example of a regeneration project in which
all the partners are working together for the same
goal.”
“The fact that planning permission for the whole
regeneration – 223 homes - was granted in less than
nine weeks is a tribute to Walsall Council and all
the partners involved in the planning and design.
This is a regeneration scheme that others can
emulate across the country and I would like to
congratulate everyone involved and I look forward to
returning in 18 months time to see the progress and
transformation.”
Liz Walford, Group Chief Executive of whg said: “I
am delighted that Bovis Homes and whg have used this
innovative funding stream to secure regeneration for
the people of Pleck.”
Bovis Homes has already achieved high standards for
its work at the site, including ‘Ecohomes
Excellent’, ‘Lifetime Homes’ and ‘Secured by
Design’. In addition, Bovis Homes, together with whg,
is promoting a training and employment programme to
enable local people to benefit from the
regeneration.
The homes are scheduled to be ready for occupation
in January 2008.
Email:
anna@beacon-pr.co.uk