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Bristol housing associations open merger talks
Two Bristol-based housing associations have opened discussions over a possible merger to create a new 3,000-home association.
The boards of Solon South West and United Communities are in the early stages of talks about the plans, which they say will improve services to their residents.
If given the go-ahead, the merger could see the formation of one of Bristol’s largest housing associations with a combined housing stock of more than 3,300 homes.
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James Taylor, chair of United Communities, said: “Although talks are at a very early stage, we have found that there is a shared ambition between us to do the very best we can for our communities, and a recognition that we could achieve more together than as separate organisations.
“That is why we have started these discussions to explore the combined strengths that both organisations have, and the benefits that working together could bring to our communities and the people who work for Solon and United Communities.
“We look forward to working with Solon to see how we can achieve these ambitions together.”
As part of the talks the two organisations will set up a project board involving chairs and board members, to progress with a detailed due diligence process over the next three months.
Graham Oliver, chair of Solon South West, added: “We welcome the opportunity to discuss with United Communities how we can combine our resources and expertise to do more for communities across Bristol.
“We want to deliver the best services and high-quality homes for people across Bristol and the West of England.
“There is a lot of work to do before any decision can be made, and the project board will play a key role in exploring the case for working closely together.”
Any proposal for future partnership working between the organisations is expected to be presented to both boards before the end of February 2020.
