Housing duo in talks over potential merger

Longhurst Group and Grand Union Housing Group are in discussions about a potential merger.

The two groups, which together own and manage over 37,000 homes and employ more than 1,400 colleagues across the Midlands and the East of England, are considering a proposal to merge by the end of the year.

The boards of both organisations have approved a business case that would allow for investment in existing homes and neighbourhoods, as well as the delivery of 5,000 new homes over the next five years.

Longhurst Group’s chief executive Julie Doyle said: “We have a strong existing relationship with Grand Union Housing Group, with whom we share similar visions and values as well as geographic footprints and growth aspirations. We feel that both organisations have to complement strengths as well as areas that can be further improved by coming together, which would allow us to learn from each other and, ultimately, deliver the best possible service for our customers.

“There is still a lot of work to be done, however, both organisations believe there is a strong case for coming together and we are excited by the potential that this move would represent.”

Grand Union CEO, Aileen Evans, said: “Both ourselves and Longhurst Group are well governed and built on solid financial foundations and we believe that we’d be even stronger together as a larger organisation and have more resilience to respond to a challenging operating environment.

“We are exploring this from a position of strength and this presents an exciting opportunity for both organisations to take proactive steps in ensuring we’re well placed for the future. As one organisation, we could better realise our aims for the future; specifically, to speed up improvements in our homes, provide enhanced services and build more homes.”

The two organisations will now undergo a period of due diligence and consult with customers about the potential merger.