19 March 2025 update

We are writing to provide you with an update on Greenside. The crossover works have been completed, and we are now looking at our position towards taking Practical Completion (PC), reviewing the paperwork which we have been compiling for some time.

There are still several outstanding items to resolve and because of this we have had to make the decision not to take PC of any of the blocks at this stage. This is because the overall risks are considered too great without certainty that we will achieve the paperwork that is required in a timely way from Mulalley.

We deeply value our social mission in delivering essential housing, but unlike private developers our longer-term investment in our residents and homes means we must consider all the risks carefully. A thorough high-level discussion about delaying PC included the impact of this decision when you had experienced significant delays already. This was not a decision that was taken lightly. We do not underestimate how this news will be taken, given the progress updates and the intentions to obtain PC this month.

The Building Safety Regulator has the authority to request a full building safety case of thousands of documents at any time, and we must ensure we have the evidence they require. Failure to do this could result in a heavy fine or the responsible named person being imprisoned. We had previously planned to take PC to allow for occupation of block C, but the overall risks are too great without certainty that we will receive the required paperwork for registration of block B.

We have appointed a document controller to review the O&M manual and all the documentation we have received. This exercise is expected to be completed early next week. As such, we will be able to provide you with another update and a timeline by Wednesday 26 March.

We are aware of the social significance of our work in providing affordable homes, particularly in this area with limited availability. The scheme offers multiple tenures, all of which are much needed in this locality. However, we are not immune to the realities of construction and development issues, which have been significant in this case.

Despite our social purpose there are contractual agreements in place, and when a scheme is delayed meaning we fail to meet the long-stop date, you are entitled to terminate the contract. We understand that for many of you this is not an option for several reasons, but we can never fully understand your individual and personal circumstances. This is a decision that only you can determine whether waiting for these homes is right for you given the ongoing delays and uncertainty.

We are very sorry that we continue to communicate delays. There are no benefits to us in delaying construction of this scheme. Our expectations were that sales would have completed, and rental income being generated over 12 months ago. As a non-profit organisation, that loss of income cannot be reinvested in the ways that we planned and can wider impact the provision of services we can offer residents.

We ask you to consider the full implications of whether waiting for these homes is right for you. Considering the delays you have experienced, should you wish to wait, we are offering a one-off payment of £2000 to all buyers. This is in addition to any costs we have already agreed to cover such as mortgage arrangement fees/valuation fees/storage costs. The payment will be made in the form of a deduction from your completion statement once completion is arranged.

We will provide another update and a clearer timeline by Wednesday 26 March.

Kind regards

Vikki Walker – Director of Sales & Marketing

Luke Chandler – Director of Delivery | Development