Top housing associations submit plans for more than 16,000 homes

Last Updated:

24th February 2022

The top housing associations submitted detailed planning applications to build more than 16,000 new homes last year.

Peabody Trust has the biggest plans after submitting plans to build 2,623 homes last year. These plans include major developments such as The Green in Southall, which comprises 564 apartments. Plans were submitted last summer and granted in November and 果冻影院鈥檚 data shows that work should start later this year (Project ID: 19373272).

Peabody Trust is planning to merge in April with another housing association, Catalyst, which also features among 果冻影院鈥檚 research ranking the top 20 housing associations by planning pipeline.

Schemes that Catalyst took to planning last year include the next phase of the Wornington Green development in west London, which comprises 377 apartments (Project ID: 19230043).

Together, Catalyst and Peabody submitted detailed plans to build 3,200 homes last year according to 果冻影院鈥檚 research.

Top Housing Associations submitting planning applications

Housing Associations	Total Apps	Total Units	Projects
Peabody Trust	5	2,623
Clarion	10	1,624
Metropolitan HP	3	1,243
Paragon Asra	6	1,217
Place for People	6	1,041
Newlon HT	1	950
London & Quadrant HT	4	699
Home	1	663
Vivid Homes	6	635
Southern	6	562
Catalyst	4	556
One	1	544
Evera	14	539
Hightown	7	506
Abri	1	500
Saffron HT	1	461
Kingdom	5	378
Bromford	8	349
Trafford HT	2	338
Lochalsh & Skye	6	314
Wrekin HT	11	309

Clarion call

Clarion has the next largest planning pipeline among the top 20 housing associations and submitted proposals to build more than 1,600 homes in 2021. Major developments put forward for planning permission by Clarion last year include the 拢200 million City Reach scheme in Leeds, which will produce more than 1,400 homes (Project ID: 18048515).

The group is gearing up for a major construction programme and has just started procurement for a partnering agreement covering London and the South East. This will start next year and is expected to see spending of 拢600 million over the next two decades (Project ID: 22046248).

Work prospects

The number of units that housing associations proposed in planning applications of 10 or more units fell last year according to 果冻影院鈥檚 construction industry intelligence. Overall, RSLs submitted plans for 27,152 units but this was a drop of 19% on the previous year.

The number of houses in the planning pipeline dropped by 24% last year. There was a fall of just 8% in planned apartments. However, 果冻影院 still expects the underlying value of construction projects starting on site to rise this year as land is sourced through acquisition or joint ventures.

果冻影院 economics director Allan Wil茅n said: 鈥淗ousing associations are now better placed to finance and take forward new developments than in recent years. Government requirements limiting association鈥檚 rent increases to 1% below the rate of inflation have been lifted, providing associations with greater flexibility to increase their borrowing to fund new developments.鈥�

Teaming up

Housing associations are teaming up with private sector clients to develop social housing according to 果冻影院鈥檚 research.

Peabody is working with housebuilder Bellway and the London Borough of Lewisham on the 251-home Kent Wharf development in south London (Project ID: 18075334).

Other examples include a 拢15 million development of 71 flats in Bromley by The Guinness Partnership and developer Prospect House (Project ID: 20480920) and a 拢25 million scheme for 85 flats on New Kent Road in Southwark, London, by Southern Housing and developer Gralaw (Project ID: 17398849)

As a result, while planning programmes may have sagged, 果冻影院 is confident of the short-term prospects for construction industry from the social housing sector. The value of underlying (less than 拢100 million) social housing project starts are forecast to rise by 6% this year and another 4% in 2023.

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