2023 Affordable Housing Awards: Best housing and council partnership shortlisted
Mount Green and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council have been announced as finalists in the best partnership category at the annual event.
The overarching subject of housing has negatively hit headlines since 2020. The global pandemic and rising costs of living have caused properties to become unaffordable and limited, meaning a vast number of individuals have been robbed of the opportunity to secure a safe place to live.
However, one local authority and housing provider have recently been praised for their efforts involved in successfully delivering social homes in Redhill.
Located at Wheatley Court on Cromwell Road, last year Mount Green and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council transformed an abandoned site into a hub of affordable social homes and commercial space.
At the development, the council and Mount Green created 32 one and two-bedroom flats in the four-storey block which were allocated to households on the local authority’s housing register – including families previously living in temporary accommodation.
Wheatley Court is Mount green’s first managing agreement. It is also the first time Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has developed new build flats for social housing and needed managing agents. The council is historically a non-stock holding authority with no housing revenue account.
‘Managing Wheatley Court has been an exciting opportunity for our organisation, as it demonstrates how housing providers with a focused geographical footprint like Mount Green can work in partnership to enable more people to thrive and have a place to call home,’ said Sarah Crabb, assistant director of housing services at Mount Green. ‘Getting residents moved into Wheatley Court within such a tight timescale so seamlessly was a huge achievement for our team and only possible because of our close collaboration with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council.’
Cllr Caroline Neame, executive member for housing and support at Reigate & Barnstead Borough Council, also commented on the shortlist announcement. She said: ‘Mount Green has been an excellent partner – we have been really impressed with its team.
‘They have been incredible collaborative and really proactive in terms of identifying any issues and working with us to resolve them, so we have good outcomes for our tenants.’
In addition to being shortlisted at this year’s Affordable Housing Awards, which will take place on 17th November, Wheatley Court was also named the region’s best large social housing development in the LABC Building Excellence Awards in 2022.
Image: Mount Green, Reigate & Barnstead Borough Council
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