We’ve been accepted as the latest member on a key regional forum which influences housing in one of our key areas.

We’ve become the fourth housing association to be accepted onto the West of England Combined Authority’s Housing Delivery Board. The board plays a strategic role in ensuring the best use of land for housing across the region, and supports the delivery the West of England Spatial Development Strategy which sets out how people will live, work and play in the region over the next 20 years.

Between 2020 and 2024 we plan to invest £90m in building new homes across the WECA area, providing 600 high quality new homes to customers. We’re already building new homes in South Gloucestershire in Wickwar, Thornbury and Emersons Green and last year completed our regeneration scheme in Filton.

Partnerships director Clare Crawford said: “We’re delighted to have been accepted as the latest member of the West of England Combined Authority’s housing delivery board and to be able to play a role in influencing housing strategy in the four local authority areas, but especially in South Gloucestershire where we already own more than 8,000 homes.

“We’re looking forward to playing a role in shaping housing strategy for the region alongside the combined authority, local councils, fellow housing associations and developers to create successful and sustainable communities. Working together we have greater opportunities to do more to improve and rejuvenate the region in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and help everyone living there to thrive.”

In 2019 we were also selected to be one of Homes England’s strategic partners and received £66m to invest in new social rented, affordable rented and shared ownership homes across the West of England and West Midlands.