The new developments will use brownfield sites across the North West

Housing provider Great Places has entered a partnership with housebuilder Stonebond.

The agreement will see the two partners initially deliver over 600 affordable homes. The agreement, however, provides a long-term strategic framework giving the partnership the potential to deliver further homes in the future.

The new homes will be delivered on multiple brownfield sites across Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

Great Places will provide the homes for affordable rent, social rent and shared ownership.

Great Places Housing Group has 24,000 homes across the North West and Yorkshire. The group encompasses: Great Places Housing Association, Plumlife – an affordable home ownership company with Help to Buy and Shared Ownership schemes and Cube – providing new homes for market sale and private rent.

The framework is a first for Stonebond’s recently-opened Manchester operation. The branch is set to deliver up to 200 homes per annum by 2025 – a significant contribution to the group’s target of 1,000 homes per annum by the same year.

Commenting on the agreement, Nick Gornall, Great Places’ director of development, said: “Partnership working is at the heart of Great Places and we’re excited to be working alongside Stonebond to deliver much needed affordable homes with a focus on brownfield sites within Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

“The values of our businesses align and early collaboration has seen the teams create a shared vision of how our developments will look and feel which in turn has led to us securing a strong pipeline of sites.

“600 affordable homes under this partnership is just the start as we continue to deliver our Homes England Strategic Partnership programme.”

Andrew Cornelius, group chief executive of Stonebond, added: “This partnership is a major milestone for not just our Manchester operation, but for Stonebond’s overall growth plans.

“Our professional relationship with Great Places has been built over 15 years thanks to our founders Richard and Graham Cherry. Our two businesses share the same ethos and approach to affordable housing delivery, as well as build quality, and together we can make a major and long-term contribution to the North West’s affordable housing provision.”