Northern Features

Working for North East communities

As a procurement consortium for social housing formed by social landlords, NEP is dedicated to getting the best deal it can for its members – and for their tenants. “Collaboration is not rocket science; you just need to make that leap of faith,” says Ian Brimer, talking to Northern Housing about the organisation he leads

Opting for a better future

As a stock-retaining local authority finding the cash to invest in homes has sometimes been tricky for West Lancashire Borough Council but if plans to become self-financing are successful that could all soon be about to change

Generating a buzz in Bury

The future is looking somewhat green for tenants in Bury if the ambitions of its social landlord come to fruition

Small is beautiful at Dale & Valley Homes

Size is certainly not everything and Dale & Valley Homes believes that being one of the smallest ALMOs works in its favour, helping it to provide better, more reactive, services for customers more efficiently

Halton heading ever onwards

Just as the organisation has spent the last four years transforming the homes of its customers, so Halton Housing Trust has worked hard on changing its own culture. The result is an organisation that is working with its customers to take its services to the next level

First class

When Gateshead Council set up its ALMO a scaled-down housing department could have been on the cards but instead of stepping back it has continued to offer a first-class service and has even expanded its team

Crossing the threshold to independence

Threshold specialises in helping people at risk of homelessness overcome the many issues that might prevent them maintaining their independence

Follow the leader

As the first local authority in Wales to get started on bringing its housing stock up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) Denbighshire County Council could be described as a leader in the improvements field

Home in the hillside

So, how do you turn a country cottage into a large family house without overreaching the bijou footprint or harming the green belt? Easy, just dig deep and build underground. Northern Housing takes a look at a ‘futuristic’ subterranean retreat in leafy Cheshire

Keeping regeneration close to home

Thornton Contractors is a medium-sized family business that has specialised in working with social housing clients and is committed to the local community