Sefton, Sovini partner up for 1,000 affordable homes
A strategic partnership is due to be signed between the local authority and the community benefit society next week, with a first phase lined up to deliver up to 400 residences.
Sefton Council’s cabinet will discuss the proposed partnership with Sovini Group at its cabinet meeting on 6 November. Under the agreement, the council would provide land for Sovini to deliver social and affordable housing – thereby speeding up the delivery process for in-demand tenures.
To illustrate the need, a cabinet report noted that Sefton needs to deliver 391 new affordable homes a year to meet demand. At present, it has managed to build an average of 241 a year.
The local authority is optimistic that by partnering with Sovini it will be able to see 1,000 social and affordable homes delivered by 2030.
“This partnership focus will be on high-quality, truly affordable homes and homes for social rent,” said Sefton Council Leader Cllr Marion Atkinson.
“But it is about more than just building homes – it’s about building futures for people across Sefton.”
She continued: “There is a huge need for social and affordable housing in Sefton and by addressing that problem it will get people out of temporary accommodation and into safe, healthy homes.
“That will improve their quality of life and at the same time, it will help reduce the costs to the council for expensive temporary accommodation”.
Atkinson added that the housing projects would create jobs for local people as well through the Sefton@Work system. Apprenticeships and other training opportunities would be provided with partners such as Hugh Baird College and Southport College. All of the waste from the projects would also be recycled.
Sovini Group chief executive Roy Williams said: “We’re proud to work alongside Sefton Council to deliver homes through the Group’s end-to-end supply chain. Collaboratively we can ensure value for money, local opportunities, and the sustainability of Sefton.
“The Sovini Group’s unique model which provides a robust housing solution, enables us to reinvest all commercial profits throughout the partnership back in Sefton – focusing on Sefton Council’s priorities and the development of more affordable homes locally.”
The first phase of sites include plots in Southport, Netherton, Seaforth, Formby, and Waterloo. The Bootle High School site, which Sefton moved to sell to Sovini’s registered provider One Vision Housing back in May, is one of the sites on the list.
Hopefully any housing, whether multi-storey or houses, will be of modern, quality design and not suburban semis.
By Anonymous
I think you need to look in detail at the criteria for affordable housing, previous affordable housing has stated the household cannot earn more than £50k per annum, however the mortgage on such properties would not be affordable unless the households combined income was above £50k.
By Anonymous
How were Sovini procured as the development partner I wonder?
By Anonymous