Onward Homes increases portfolio with deal for 62 Cheshire properties

Onward Homes, the Liverpool-based housing association, has bought 62 properties in Macclesfield, for an undisclosed sum.

It will own and manage the affordable homes in Bollin Grange after acquiring them from mixed-tenure developer, Countryside Partnerships.

Onward Homes said 26 of the houses will be made available for affordable rent, while the remaining 36 will be made available for shared ownership.

The affordable homes will include 12 one- and two-bed apartments and a mixture of two-, three- and four-bed houses. Notably, all these residences will be equipped with PV solar panels.

Countryside Partnerships anticipates the first handovers to Onward to be in March 2024.

The 62 homes are part of a wider scheme on Gaw End Lane that will eventually see Countryside’s parent, the Vistry Group, deliver 306 homes on the site. The site will also contain a new community building and substantial public open space that would include retained and new wildlife habitats, a children’s play area, allotments and the Protected Open Space designated in the Local Plan, all of which will be connected by a new network of footpaths and cycleways.

Joe Turner, managing director of Countryside Partnerships Manchester and Cheshire East, said: “Bollin Grange is a strategically important development, not only for us but also for the broader Vistry Group, as we strive to establish a sustainable community in Macclesfield. The partnership with Onward will ensure a diverse range of homes that will help address local housing demand.”

Onward has secured funding for the homes through its strategic partnership with Homes England, which is enabling the social landlord to deliver 5,000 new homes by 2030.

Stephen Heverin, growth and regeneration director at Onward, said: “These modern homes will meet an identified need for affordable housing in the Macclesfield area, as well as helping local people to put down roots through our shared ownership tenure.

“We are excited to be working with Countryside and Vistry for the first time, improving the quality and choice of affordable housing in our North West communities, and look forward to seeing the new homes take shape.”