Over the past 25 years, Grand Union Housing Group has grown by combining the assets, resources and skills of previously separate, smaller housing associations across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire to become one of the largest housing providers in the area.
With deep roots in our communities, we’re a partner to many local councils in the provision of housing.
Now with over 12,000 homes and 27,000 customers, we remain passionate about building more homes, stronger communities and better lives.
While our core focus is building truly affordable housing, we offer a range of housing options, from supported housing for adults with learning disabilities and extra care schemes for older people to shared ownership and outright sale.
The profits from these new homes for sale is then reinvested in more much needed affordable housing. They also allow us to continue to provide our customers with personal support, while also helping them to learn, work and be healthy.
The application, which is a resubmission made in light of the changed planning framework, provides for a similar form of development as promoted in the earlier, 2017 application. It does, however, provide for a higher level of affordable housing and facilities on site and for a different housing mix and would materially contribute to the deficit in the five year supply of housing which has recently been established in other planning appeals.
The site lies adjacent to the boundary of the urban area as defined in the Local Plan but adjoins established housing development and is in an area generally regarded as being a sustainable location. The site also, other than its notional location in the open countryside, in planning policy terms, is relatively unconstrained and the scale and level of development reflects what is accepted by MK Council on other sites and provides the required facilities and infrastructure.
So far as access and movement is concerned the application addresses the reasons for refusal provided in the previous application, there having been an agreement with technical officers of the Council on the form of access and the wider benefits of this. These are outlined in the Transport assessment submitted with the application, which was scoped with consultants acting for the Council.
We consider this site to be sustainable and are providing a balanced mix of housing to reflect a range of needs.
You can find further information about how we make a difference to our communities on our website, including a number of success stories from customers: https://www.guhg.co.uk/about-us/success-stories/