Stonewater completes major homes transfer in Southport

An official handover has marked the transfer of 147 social rented homes in Southport.

Social housing provider Stonewater completed the switch to Places for People Homes, the property and neighbourhood management arm of placemaking group Places for People, based in Preston.

The transfer also includes estate management responsibilities for 72 privately owned properties in the town.

The 219 properties have been transferred due to their significant distance from Stonewater’s nearest office.

“We want to provide customers with the best housing service possible,” said Sue Shirt, Stonewater’s executive director, housing.

“These homes are around 60 miles away from our nearest office in Elland, West Yorkshire, and we believe our customers would benefit from a more locally-focused housing management team.

“Places for People Homes not only has a strong local presence and knowledge of the area, they share our passion for great customer service.”

She added: “We’re extremely confident that they will deliver a first-rate service which reflects and responds to customer needs.”

Stonewater, which manages 31,500 homes across England, consulted with tenants about the transfer and gained agreement from Homes England and Sefton Council before going ahead with the sale.

Places for People Homes owns or manages nearly 16,000 homes in the North West, and around 195,000 homes across the UK.

Pat Egan, group executive director affordable housing at Places for People, said: “Places for People Homes has a long history working across the North West, delivering homes and services to thousands of people.

“We are committed to delivering an excellent service and our customers will benefit from our local expertise backed by the wider Places for People offering, including our annual Good Neighbour Awards.”