Chair appointed for JV North
John Bowker, executive director of operations at Stockport Homes Group, will lead the North West social housebuilding consortium starting in April.
Bowker takes on the role from Wayne Gales, chief executive of Weaver Vale Housing Trust. Gales had been the chair of JV North since 2018.
JV North is a not-for-profit organisation comprising 12 housing associations and local authorities, who work together to build social homes to address the housing crisis. The consortium was formed in 2007 and has invested £600m in the North West.
Bowker said he was proud to be named chair of JV North, but acknowledged he had “big shoes to fill”. Bowker praised Gales leadership through the pandemic and how he had guided the creation of the group’s £560m framework.
Bowker said: “The consortium is in a very good place in terms of having a strong development pipeline of [around] 4,000 homes to deliver in the current Affordable Homes Programme and procedural systems encouraging the sharing of knowledge and mitigating risk.
“I’m now looking forward to the challenges ahead and JV North will continue working closely with Homes England to explore ways we can do more together to help address the housing crisis.”
In addition to Bowker’s appointment to chair, Andrew Lowman has been named vice chair of JV North. Lowman is also the executive director of development at Wythenshawe Community Housing Group.
Gales thanked his fellow JV North members and stakeholders for their work while he was chair. He also praised the new leadership team.
“JV North is in very safe hands with John and Andrea taking over,” Gales said. “As a founding member, we at Weaver Vale will continue supporting the consortium to help us, and other members, deliver high-quality affordable homes across the North West.”
JV North members include:
- Bury Council
- Johnnie Johnson Housing
- Muir Group Housing Association
- One Manchester
- Peaks & Plains Housing Trust
- Plus Dane Housing
- The Sovini Group
- Stockport Homes
- Torus
- Trafford Housing Trust
- Weaver Vale Housing Trust
- Wythenshawe Community Housing Group
