Housing trust to build new homes in Tameside

A housing trust will expand into Tameside as it aims to take its property portfolio to 10,000 homes over the next five years.

Southway already owns and manages more than 6,500 houses – mostly in south Manchester – and plans to acquire another 2,000 by the end of the decade. 

It has also said it wants to build 1,300 new homes “for social and affordable rent, shared ownership and outright sale”. 

The trust received 1,000 responses to surveys, events and workshops from customers and staff, which it says informed their plans. 

John Bowker, Southway’s CEO, said: “I’m delighted that our new corporate plan has been shaped by customers and colleagues.  

“The fantastic amount of feedback enabled us to focus on what matters most to our communities and this has resulted in a plan that we believe will have a positive and long-lasting impact.  

“We held a range of activities including home visits to make sure as many people as possible could have their say, and improving how we listen to customers and create more opportunities for them to get involved remains a key priority.  

“Our new plan strives for continuous improvement, builds resilience to overcome challenges and puts us in a strong position to address the housing crisis.” 

The trust has also committed to investing £5m in local communities to help support its clients.