Housing group exceeds target for new homes
WALES’ largest housing association Pobl Group has exceeded its target of creating 3,000 new homes in the five years to 2021.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the goal, set at the time of the group’s formation in 2016 though the merger of Seren and Gwalia, has been exceeded with 3,368 new homes.
By the end of March this year 2,233 of the homes were completed, with the remainder still under construction.
Pobl’s new target is to create another 10,000 homes by 2031, while becoming a carbon-neutral business by 2050.
Developments undertaken include the Loftus Garden Village (Newport) and Parc Eirin (Tonyrefail). Future developments include Biophilic Living (Swansea) and Gwynfaen (Penyrheol).
Headquartered in Newport, Pobl manages more than 17,500 homes across south Wales and employs over 2,000 people.
It’s chief executive Amanda Davies said: “Pobl Group was formed in 2016 from a merger between Seren and Gwalia.
“We wanted to be able to demonstrate that what we could deliver as Pobl Group would be so much more than what the two organisations could have done on their own. What better way to do this than to set ourselves a target to double our home development programme?
“We’re delighted to have delivered such a large number of new homes, but it’s much more than just a numbers game. At Pobl, our approach has placemaking at its heart, and we have created high-quality homes where people are proud to live in vibrant mixed-tenure communities. The numbers speak for themselves, but the legacy of what we have achieved is the most important thing for us as an organisation.”
Neil Barber, executive director, commercial, with Pobl, said: “Setting this target was a huge statement of intent.
“It felt really important that the development of new homes to help to tackle the housing crisis was being seen as such a key part of the group coming together, and we had confidence in our ability to deliver placemaking at scale.”
“I’m proud of the impact that we have had, not just in providing homes for those that need them, but also in helping to transform areas, and that our investment has had such a positive benefit for the Welsh economy, as we have tried wherever possible to use local trades and suppliers.”
On its new 2031 target, Ms Davies said: “We’ve learnt a lot over the last five years and know more now about what our customers value.
“I’m really confident that we have the skills and the talent that we need within Pobl to take this next step on our journey, and that our collaborative approach to working in partnership with the Welsh Government, local authorities and commercial developers will help us get there.”