Delivering positive impact
We're fully committed to delivering positive impact for our customers and communities and a key element of this is building as many new homes as possible.
In fact, as we closed the year we proudly stood on the brink of a milestone achievement: delivering 10,000 new homes since VIVID was formed in 2017. This achievement means that around 23,000 more people have a place to call home; we're transforming lives and communities.
While there’s been greater and welcomed support for new housing nationally, our country still faces a big gap between demand for affordable housing and available supply. In our region, this shortage is clear with many local councils having long housing waiting lists.
The need to build more new affordable homes at scale and pace remains a pressing challenge as a result. The strength of our partnerships, expertise and business plan has meant we've continued our ambitious development programme at a time when it's all hands to the housing pump.
"We know the real value that a safe, secure place to call home offers someone over the long-term as well as the broader positive societal and economic benefits also created.
Given the continued and growing pressures people are facing in securing an affordable home in our region, our development activity this last year has delivered significant positive impact. We’re proud that for a second year running, we’ve delivered over 1,500 new homes providing a valuable roof over the heads of many more local people – and who’ll benefit from being VIVID customers in future.”
- Tristan Samuels, Group Development and New Business Director
More new affordable homes
We're a leading developer
Our strength in developing new homes right across our region providing bright futures for many who’ve struggled to secure their own home is demonstrated with the completion of 1,505 new affordable homes this year. This performance makes us the 6th largest builder of new homes among English housing associations, reflecting the benefits of our land-led approach which in simple terms means we purchase the land and manage the whole project from design to completion, working closely with regional contractors and developers.
Why more homes are so important
With average rents remaining above £1,000 a month across our region and with ownership of open market homes needing significant salary multipliers, providing housing that's readily affordable for many on low and middle incomes has remained essential. We’ve continued to focus our development efforts on the types of homes we build and where we build them by the need that we see in our region. We're pleased to have built 335 homes for social rent, 526 homes for affordable rent and 459 shared ownership homes in the last 12 months, which equates to 88% of our new homes.
This year's development activity shown by local authority and tenure type in the table below, clearly highlights our efforts to deliver against two of our leading social objectives from our environmental, social and governance framework.
A few of our key developments
The following examples highlight some of our key new schemes across the area in which we operate.
Former Odeon Cinema site, Portsmouth
The former Odeon cinema site is on the doorstep of our Portsmouth head office. Working in partnership with local developer, Imperial Homes, we've repurposed what is a well known space from somewhere people previously visited to somewhere people will now live.
The scheme, which features road names reflecting the site's heritage, includes a valuable mix of 18 new affordable homes. 15 of these will be available for social rent, with 3 being offered as shared ownership.
Oxlease House, Romsey
Together with a locally based development partner, we're effectively and sensitively redeveloping this site - previously featuring a single house - with 35 new affordable homes.
21 of the homes here will be for social rent with the remaining 14 designed for shared ownership.
Shirley Road
With Homes England funding, we have worked with Hampshire Homes to build this intimate development of 3 houses and 11 flats, all of which are for social rent. Completion was in December 2024.
North Town, Aldershot
North Town is one of our flagship, long-term regeneration projects which has seen us work collaboratively with Rushmoor Borough Council since 2009 to plan and deliver 697 new homes while bringing out the best in this part of Aldershot.
This last year has seen us reach a major milestone; starting work on the fifth phase of the scheme, which includes the final 30 new affordable homes together with a community centre.
Golf Course, Basingstoke
Working in partnership with national housebuilder, Bloor Homes, this site is a multi-phase housing development, close to the second of our two offices.
In total, we'll be acquiring 382 homes. So far, we've taken handover of 165 homes for both affordable rent and shared ownership. We're now working with Bloor on the second and third phases of the development, which will see us take control of a further 217 homes in the coming months.
Rivercross, Warsash
A development that's being created by our award-winning subsidiary housebuilder, Bargate Homes, Rivercross will feature 352 new homes. 40% of the homes here will be affordable, which we'll manage in future.
Care and attention has been placed on the design of the homes, so they properly reflect the character of the area.
The quality and attractiveness of the development that's being created here has been demonstrated by the fact all the homes on the first phase have now been sold.
Kings Barton, Winchester
In Winchester, where there's high affordable housing need and the local authority’s waiting list continues to grow, we’ve been working with CALA Homes on its Kings Barton development. We’re taking on 102 new affordable homes at this edge of city centre site, which have been made available for a mix of both affordable rent and shared ownership. As a result of our involvement in this development, it takes our total number of homes across the Winchester local authority area to more than 1,000 homes.
New homes at a glance 2024-25
new homes built
homes built for social and affordable rent and shared ownership
investment into developing new homes
of investment programme delivered through joint ventures or land-led
homes in the pipeline
contracts entered into for new homes
new sites secured
new customers welcomed
A top 10 trusted and influential housing provider
Through the creation of our customer influence strategy and building on the strong foundations already in place, we’ve been working to strengthen our trust with customers this year. As outlined, our new strategy is at the centre here with a commitment to listen, understand, learn, and act on customers' voices. This approach is already bringing positive change from shaping our improved repairs service through to informing estate improvements. By working in proper partnership and with trust at the heart of every conversation and contact, we’ll be even better placed to deliver the homes, services and experience our customers need and deserve in future.
We’ve also been working to strengthen our relationships locally and nationally, engaging with councillors and council officers, Members of Parliament and peers as well as leading industry bodies. Our positive engagement has helped engender improved understanding about our work, our areas of focus and our challenges while all the time supporting our efforts in becoming a trusted and respected voice.
Through our public and political advocacy, we’ve been on the front foot calling for changes in policy and regulation, so we’re better able to help existing and future customers. For instance, we’ve shared our thinking around the steps the government could take to support increased levels of retrofit activity, helping see more customers able to benefit from warmer homes and reduced bills. Regionally, we’ve also played a leading role in shaping a report that’s highlighted the impacts the housing crisis is having across the central south, the barriers associated with delivering more homes coupled with a series of high-level policy recommendations.
Our wider constructive contribution nationally to formal consultations, roundtable events and more across all areas of housing, from town planning to rent policy, only further demonstrates that we’ve been working hard to become an increasingly influential housing provider.
Bargate
Our ownership of Bargate has also continued to prove invaluable this year, helping create further development opportunities. The year has seen Bargate start work on its 100th development in the region. This significant milestone highlights its reputation for successfully securing land and planning permissions and for designing and building quality new homes.
In line with our own focus over the last 12 months on transforming the customer experience, Bargate has also been working hard on delivering a quality service to its customers. In its first year of taking part in the Home Builders Federation Customer Satisfaction Survey, Bargate achieved a five star rating. This followed feedback from an independent survey sent to customers to understand satisfaction levels around both the buying experience and the quality of the home bought. The five star rating means that 90% or more of its customers would recommend them to a friend; a significant achievement. As a further part of its commitment to customer service, Bargate also joined the Register of Developers created by the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) which is working to champion quality new homes and better customer outcomes. In fact, Bargate is one of the first SME homebuilders to join the NHQB’s register.
