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June 6th 2007
PARTNERSHIP REAPS REWARDS FOR HOUSING IN THE NORTH

The Spirit development partnership is celebrating a successful year of activity in which it exceeded its projected activity by 20 per cent.

Spirit was launched in 2005 as a partnership between Tees Valley Housing Group and Three Rivers Housing Group in the North East and Yorkshire, and Two Castles Housing Association in the North West.

Since then, Erimus Housing, Coast and Country Housing and Housing Hartlepool, three Tees Valley locally sponsored agencies which were formed when housing stock was transferred from local authority ownership, have joined the partnership.

A total of 313 family homes were built in the 2006/7 year, equal to the output of a large house builder, compared to the target of 261, which had been set for that period. The majority of these homes received the financial backing of the Government’s Housing Corporation, which contributed over £11.5 million of public funding.

Among the highlights of the year were the first development projects to be started by Coast & Country Housing and Housing Hartlepool, as well as the first homes to be handed over by Erimus Housing.

During the year, all of the partners have worked hard to exceed their targets of new homes, handing over a total of 52 extra homes over the original target

Martin Hawthorne, director or development and regeneration, said: “Spirit is all about working together to draw funding to the North to build new homes in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber. By exceeding our target by 20 per cent, we feel we have had an excellent year.”

Lynda Peacock, director of development and regeneration, Three Rivers Housing Group, said: “Spirit this year has really met its challenges and proved what an effective and strong partnership it is, but there are still big issues to tackle such as fuel poverty and how to lessen the running costs of new homes for the benefit of our residents, along with our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our developments in the future.”

Anna Gibson, director of regeneration and development, Coast & Country Housing, said: “Our first newbuild scheme with Housing Corporation grant is on target and we now have the resources in place, including land, to develop more new housing. We have identified over 200 sites already in our ownership which have the potential for the creation of 1500 new homes. We also have exciting plans for the regeneration of our estates and many of these will come on stream over the next five years. As part of Spirit Partnership, we are leading on the OJEU process to procure a framework of consultants, contractors and developers to deliver future projects, which due to economies of scale expected will deliver value for money.”

Chris Smith, director of regeneration at Erimus Housing, said: ‘We are delighted that we have successfully delivered our first new build scheme and are now on site with our first project funded by the Housing Corporation.”

Colin Wilson, director of regeneration at Housing Hartlepool, said: “Work began on 14 new bungalows in Hartlepool in March, our first new properties since our foundation three years ago. Most will be for older residents but two of the bungalows will be specially adapted for wheelchair users and will be offered on the basis of need, regardless of age. Other sites will be coming on stream in the near future.”

ENDS
Editor’s notes: Tees Valley Housing Group is one of the country’s leading independent registered social landlords.
While retaining its independence, it is a member of the Spirit partnership, set up to raise the level of social housing standards by providing more and better quality homes at less cost to the public purse, and the Northern Edge consortium, formed to meet the challenge set by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to build homes for less than £60,000.
In 2005, TVHG won two prestigious industry accolades at the iNbiz Awards, held by the National Housing Federation. Not only did the Group’s young mothers’ units in Darlington, Hartlepool and Sunderland take the Griffiths Independent Living Award, it also took the event’s overall inBiz National Housing Federation Award for the best schemes across all categories.
In 2003, the Group also won the UK Housing Awards overall prize for its innovative Corporate Change programme.

Three Rivers Housing Group is recognised in the North East for its innovative approach and environmentally friendly sustainable housing developments , it is also part of Northern Edge LLP which was one of the overall nine winners at stage two of the Design for Manufacture Competition through English Partnerships in 2005. The association is also this years winner of the North East Constructing Excellence Award for Innovation in the Built Product 2007 , which the association also won in 2006.
This years winning scheme which is going forward to the national awards was designed and built in the village of West Rainton just outside Durham, in the a Beco Wallform System . These flexible homes, truly tackle both affordable warmth issues , and in reducing fuel use substantially. They are constructed to lifetime homes standards and can convert from a two bed roomed home into a three bed roomed home through the clever use of a cassette roof construction.
TRHG were also this years winner of The Journals 21 Century Living Award 2007, Special Award , for a cutting edge design in Supported Housing for people who otherwise would still be living in long stay hospital.

Coast & Country Housing was set up in 2001 to take over the ownership and management of the housing stock and ancillary housing assets from Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council under a Large Scale Voluntary Transfer Initiative (LSVT.)
The Company is the largest provider of affordable housing in Redcar and Cleveland and owns and manage 10,500 homes, as well as garages, shops and community centres. The Company also employs 600 staff and has invested a total of £125million – equivalent to £500k a week - in its existing stock since the transfer from the local authority.
Coast & Country Housing’s programme of mixed tenure developments include over 200 new homes at Blayberry Burnmoor estate in Redcar and the replacement of former wartime prefabs at East Meadows in Marske with 25 two-bedroom bungalows and 30 high quality modern new homes for sale in partnership with Yuill Homes.
Twelve homes for rent and six for shared ownership are being built at Allendale Road, Spencerbeck. The scheme is part-funded by a £500,000 Affordable Housing Grant from the Housing Corporation and will be built by Southdale Homes.
The Company has identified over 200 potential development sites with capacity for1,500 new homes.
Coast & Country Housing also offers a Homecall service linked to Telecare, providing 24/7 monitoring through its Customer Contact Centre. Sophisticated sensors in the homes of older or vulnerable tenants can alert staff to emergency situations such as sickness, accidents and unexpected callers. This service can be offered to private residents in any location in the country, and allows people in need and their families to lead more independent lives.

Housing Hartlepool is the largest housing association in Hartlepool.
It was set up in March 2004 to take over the ownership and management of the Council's rented housing stock following a positive ballot by tenants. It is a "not for profit" charitable organisation.
Housing Hartlepool is run by a voluntary board that consists of four tenant members, four council nominees and four independent people.
The company manages 7,000 properties throughout the Hartlepool area and surrounding villages. These range from five-bedroom family houses to flats for single people. In addition there is a wide range of bungalows and sheltered housing complexes for the elderly.
The housing service is provided from three neighbourhood-based offices.
Since its formation it is continuing its promise to invest over £100million in its housing stock.
For more information, go to: www.housinghartlepool.org.uk

Erimus Housing is Middlesbrough’s largest landlord, owning more than 11,000 homes and employing more than 500 people.
The organisation began business in November 2004, following the transfer of Middlesbrough Council’s housing stock.
The company recently won a Constructing Excellence award, received the judge’s special award at the Journal’s 21st Century Living Awards and has just scooped a Big Tick award from Business in the Community for its work with youngsters in Middlesbrough.

The Housing Corporation is the Government agency responsible for investing in new affordable homes and regulating over 1,500 housing associations in England. Its biggest ever investment programme of £3.9 billion, for 2006-08, will fund 84,000 homes. 49,000 of these will be for affordable rent and 35,000 will be for affordable sale through the Government's new HomeBuy initiative, helping people to get a foot on the property ladder.

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