HCA annual spend tops £500m in North West
The Homes & Communities Agency, created in December 2008 by the merger of English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation, said its investments helped deliver 4,100 affordable new homes for rent and sale with a further 3,500 now started on site, a record for a UK region in the past financial year.
In addition the agency completed over 1m sq ft of new employment floorspace and reclaimed 76 acres of brownfield land.
NW regional director, Deborah McLaughlin, said: "We are being approached to tackle some of the most complex and challenging regeneration projects in the country. We are doing this through working closely with our partners to create innovative solutions that are now successfully delivering across the North West. We are at the forefront of housing and regeneration work in the region, providing real help for communities through the provision of much needed affordable housing and the rejuvenation of run down neighbourhoods."
Examples of HCA work in the past year included:
- Broughton, Salford, with Manchester Salford Pathfinder, Countryside Properties and other partners, HCA invested a further £7m to build 200 affordable family homes
- New Islington, Manchester, with Urban Splash, HCA supported the delivery of CHIPS, a Will Alsop-designed residential scheme. All 142 units have now been completed. A partnership with Great Places has been set-up to offer homes under the Rent to Home Buy scheme.
- Lime Street Gateway, Liverpool, work started on site on public realm at front of main train station in March 2009, due for completion in 2010
- Upton Dene, Cheshire, a former hospital site being developed to provide 200 new homes. HCA provided £3.884m to secure 80 affordable homes to maintained the momentum of the development.
- Tannery, Bootle, HCA committed £3m towardsfunding the remediation of the long derelict siteto accelerate remediation works and build 57 homes
McLaughlin added: "Our ability to work with a wide range of public and private sector partners to find solutions has allowed us to unlock potential throughout the region, benefiting both industry and communities."
