Lincs housing association merger to create £160m firm
A Lincolnshire housing association that employs 900 people is set to merge with a Peterborough rival to form a group that will own and manage over 20,000 homes across the East Midlands and East of England.
The deal will see Longhurst Group, which includes Longhurst and Havelock Homes (L&H Homes), merge with Peterborough-based Axiom Housing Association.
Longhurst Group currently owns and manages over 19,000 properties across the Midlands and East of England, while Axiom has more than 2,200 homes across Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire and provides housing and services to over 5,500 people.
Longhurst Group chief executive Julie Doyle said: “The most satisfying aspect of this partnership is that it will help us to deliver exactly what the country needs. We believe that it is integral for housing associations to not only build more homes, but to ensure that people have access to the best quality care.
“There is a greater pressure for the sector to do more for our customers and we feel that by working together, with stronger finances, greater resources and shared knowledge, we can provide even better services.
“We have already established a successful working relationship with Axiom and our partnership as part of the Blue Skies development consortium has seen us deliver 293 new homes together.
“Axiom have an excellent reputation for providing first-class care and supported housing services and this approach is aligned with the Group’s vision. We will use this expertise to ensure we remain a leading provider of housing, care and support services and continue to make a positive difference to our communities”.
The agreement was formally signed off by shareholders last week and will see Axiom join the Group on 3 July 2017.
The partnership is expected to grow the Group’s turnover to over £160m within five years.
After Axiom joins the Group, its current chief executive, Alan Lewin, has chosen to step down from his role and leave the organisation after eight years at the helm.
