Partnership sealed to deliver more than 600 affordable homes across North West

Partnership sealed to deliver more than 600 affordable homes across North WestA Manchester housing provider has struck a partnership deal that plans to deliver more than 600 affordable homes.Great Places has signed up with Essex-based land-led partnerships developer Stonebond.The deal is an open-ended agreement which provides a long term strategic framework between the two parties, with the potential to deliver further homes in the future.The homes will be delivered on multiple brownfield sites across Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Great Places will provide the homes for affordable rent, social rent and shared ownership to meet growing affordable housing demand.The framework is a first for Stonebond’s recently opened Manchester operation. Stonebond Manchester is set to deliver up to 200 homes per annum by 2025, contributing significantly to the group’s wider target of delivering 1,000 homes per annum by the same year.In the past 18 months Stonebond has grown quickly to become an established partnerships developer. The business reported £100m of revenue for the 2021 financial year, with more than 130 colleagues working across six regional operations.Staff numbers are expected to double by 2025, in line with the group’s long term strategy to list the business.Stonebond group chief executive, Andrew Cornelius, said: “This partnership is a major milestone for not just our Manchester operation, but for Stonebond’s overall growth plans.“Our professional relationship with Great Places has been built over 15 years thanks to our founders, Richard and Graham Cherry.“Our two businesses share the same ethos and approach to affordable housing delivery, as well as build quality, and together we can make a major and long term contribution to the North West’s affordable housing provision.”Nick Gornall, director of development, from Great Places Housing Group, said: “Partnership working is at the heart of Great Places and we’re excited to be working alongside Stonebond to deliver much needed affordable homes with a focus on brownfield sites within Greater Manchester and Cheshire.“The values of our businesses align and early collaboration has seen the teams create a shared vision of how our developments will look and feel which, in turn, has led to us securing a strong pipeline of sites.“Six hundred affordable homes under this partnership is just the start as we continue to deliver our Homes England Strategic Partnership programme.”