Swan appointed to 1,600-home regeneration project

Swan Housing Association has signed contracts with an Essex council for a joint venture to build 1,600 homes through a major regeneration project.The 11,000-home landlord and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council have now formed Porters Place Southend LLP to deliver the regeneration of the Queensway Estate.Swan was given full council approval as the Conservative-run authority’s preferred bidder for the scheme in February, following a 10-month procurement process.The association has promised to build at least 500 affordable homes on the regenerated estate, which currently has 441 council rent homes.Queensway is now Swan’s third major regeneration project, along with Robin Hood Gardens in Tower Hamlets and the Purfleet-on-Thames scheme in Thurrock which gained outline planning permission last week.Porters Place Southend will now start work on creating a full masterplan for the site, with a target to submit a planning application in 2020.The company is a 30-year 50-50 partnership between the council and Swan.Some opposition councillors are understood to be angry about the agreement being reached so shortly before next month’s local elections.The Queensway Estate is currently managed by the council’s ALMO, South Essex Homes, but will be managed by Porters Place Southend post-regeneration.