The sector鈥檚 housing association heavyweights are jostling to secure a partnership agreement with the Millennium Dome site developer to provide up to 2500 affordable homes.
Genesis Housing Group and Moat are among the RSLs which last week were keen to ensure their involvement in what some believe could be a 10-year project.

John Barker, chief executive of Moat, said: 鈥淲e are keen to be involved as a continuation of our work already on Greenwich peninsula [at the Millennium Village]. We are in discussions with Greenwich, Meridian Delta and English Partnerships.鈥�

He added that it was crucial the developers ensured the planning process delivered the 鈥渉uge amount of subsidy鈥� necessary to provide the large numbers of affordable housing on the site.

Sonny Karanjia, group director of development and technical services at Genesis, said: 鈥淚t is certainly a major project and it鈥檚 vital that housing specialists are involved 鈥� from a consultation, development and management angle.鈥�

He hinted that Genesis was looking for a role in the massive scheme, saying that its 鈥済eographic area of operation鈥� was consistently growing.

Meridian Delta, which last week signed an agreement with English Partnerships to redevelop the Dome and the surrounding 190 acres, has said that it aims to make 鈥渂etween 30% and 35%鈥� of 7000 new homes into affordable housing.

A spokesman for the developer, which is a partnership between an Australian company Lend Lease and British-based Quintain, said that the 鈥渇ull range of housing would be provided鈥� and housing association partners would be announced 鈥渋n due course鈥�.

It will return 拢550m to the government over the 25 years of the agreement with English Partnerships.

Source

Housing Today