Curo

Last updated

Curo Group is a not-for-profit housing association based in Bath, England. Curo's operating area is the West of England, with the majority of its homes located in Bath and North East Somerset where it is the largest housing provider. [1]

Contents

History

Prior to 2012, Curo traded as Somer Housing Group. Somer Housing Group's main housing association member was Somer Community Housing Trust, formed in 1999 with the transfer of Bath and North East Somerset Council's housing stock as part of a large-scale voluntary housing transfer. [2] The Group was joined in 2002 by Shape Housing Association and in 2005 by Redland Housing Association. Shape, formed in 1983 as Bath Self-Help, specialised in supported housing for people in the Bath area. Redland Housing was founded in 1973. [3]

A significant number of the council houses taken over by Curo were post-war pre-cast reinforced concrete houses, which began to suffer from corrosion problems which would lead to eventual structural failure, a known national problem. Since about 2005 Curo has been rebuilding or replacing these houses. [4] [5]

Until 2018, Curo Group (Albion) Limited was the group holding company for: [6]

In December 2018, Curo Group (Albion) Limited converted from a private company to a community benefit society. [8] [9]

Areas of activity

The Hub community centre on the Mulberry Park development on the former Foxhill MoD site. The community centre and adjacent Mulberry Park Educate Together Primary School cost PS10 million to build, and won the South West Community Benefit category at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Awards 2019. The Hub community centre, Mulberry Park, from south-west.jpg
The Hub community centre on the Mulberry Park development on the former Foxhill MoD site. The community centre and adjacent Mulberry Park Educate Together Primary School cost £10 million to build, and won the South West Community Benefit category at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Awards 2019.

In December 2018, when Curo Group (Albion) Limited converted from a private company to a community benefit society, the structure changed so Curo Places Limited was its only subsidiary, and the other companies became subsidiaries of Curo Places Limited which has charitable status: [9]

Curo manages over 13,000 homes mainly in Bath and Bristol, and had a turnover of £93.1 million and had 503 employees in the 2018–19 financial year. [9]

It is a housing association registered with Homes England. Curo provides homes at low-cost social and affordable rents through local authorities’ choice-based lettings schemes, and for sale through shared ownership. Curo also provides homes at market rents and for sale on the open market, cross-subsidising its charitable activities.

Curo provides support services to older and vulnerable people, including people affected by homelessness and people with disabilities. In 2018 Curo's Wellbeing House received the UK Housing Award for 'Outstanding approach to meeting specialist housing needs'. [11]

In 2013 Curo purchased a 48 acres (19 hectares) Ministry of Defence site, Foxhill in Combe Down, for £50 million, to build about 700 houses on the site in a development eventually called Mulberry Park. [12] [13] Curo also had originally planned to demolish a neighbouring housing estate of 542 homes, which it about 80% owns, and replace it with about 700 new houses supported by the government's Estate Regeneration Programme. This proved controversial with residents, who raised over 250 objections to the plans. [14] [15] [16] In February 2018, after residents commenced a legal action, Curo announced that it was no longer demolishing the estate and would instead focus on refurbishing the existing dwellings. [17] In June 2018 the High Court ruled in a judicial review that the grant of outline planning permission for the development was unlawful as the council "did not have due regard to the impact on the elderly and disabled persons" whose homes might have been demolished. [18]

Partnerships

Curo is represented on various local and regional groups including:

Finances

Curo Group recorded a turnover of £97.9m and an operating surplus of £22.2m in the 2016–17 financial year. [24] In 2013 the group secured £75m of funding with M&G Investments, £50m of which was to support its house building programme, with £25m for additional projects. [25]

Regulatory judgements

As of June 2017, Curo was assessed by its regulator, the Homes and Communities Agency, as having the highest (V1 and G1) ratings for governance and viability. [26]

The Properly Governed assessment was downgraded to G2 in 2016 due to a lack of assurance around the maintenance of clear roles and responsibilities for the board. [27] In August 2016 a new chair was appointed [28] and later the governance structure was changed. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South West England</span> Region of England

South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall, Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities and large towns in the region include Bath, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cheltenham, Exeter, Gloucester, Plymouth and Swindon. It is geographically the largest of the nine regions of England covering 9,200 square miles (23,800 km2), but the third-least populous, with approximately five million residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avon (county)</span> Former non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in England

Avon was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in the west of England that existed between 1974 and 1996. The county was named after the River Avon, which flows through the area. It was formed from the county boroughs of Bristol and Bath, together with parts of the administrative counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradley Stoke</span> Human settlement in England

Bradley Stoke is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated 6 miles northeast of Bristol, It is near the Severn Estuary of the Bristol Channel, which is an extension of the North Atlantic Ocean, separating South Wales from South West England. Bradley Stoke is bordered by three motorways; the M5 to the north, the M4 to the east and the M32 to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keynsham</span> Town and civil parish in Somerset, England

Keynsham is a town and civil parish located between Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. It has a population of 19,000. It was listed in the Domesday Book as Cainesham, which is believed to mean the home of Saint Keyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midsomer Norton</span> Town in Somerset, England

Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Bath and North East Somerset, England, 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Bath, 10 miles (16 km) north-east of Wells, 10 miles (16 km) north-west of Frome, 12 miles (19 km) west of Trowbridge and 16 miles (26 km) south-east of Bristol. It has a population of around 13,000. Along with Radstock and Westfield it used to be part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton Radstock, but is now a town council in its own right. It is also part of the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combe Down</span> Human settlement in England

Combe Down is a village on the outskirts of Bath, England in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Somerset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chilcompton</span> Human settlement in England

Chilcompton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated in the Mendip Hills two miles south of Midsomer Norton and 3.0 miles south-west of Westfield. It is situated on the B3139 road between Radstock and Wells, close to the A37.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twerton</span> Human settlement in England

Twerton is a suburb of the city of Bath, Somerset, England, situated to the west of the city, and home to the city's football club, Bath City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newton St Loe</span> Human settlement in England

Newton St Loe is a small Somerset village and civil parish located close to the villages of Corston and Stanton Prior, between Bath and Bristol in England. The majority of the village is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. The parish has a population of 681.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West of England</span> Combined authority area of England

West of England is a combined authority area in South West England. It is made up of the Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset unitary authorities. The combined authority is led by the Mayor of the West of England Dan Norris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bath and North East Somerset Council</span> English local government council

Bath and North East Somerset Council is the local council for the district of Bath and North East Somerset in Somerset, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recreation Ground, Bath</span>

The Recreation Ground is a large open space in the centre of Bath, England, next to the River Avon, which is available to be used by permission from the Recreation Ground Trust for recreational purposes by the public at large but particularly the people of Bath and surrounding areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockwood</span> Human settlement in England

Stockwood is a residential area and council ward in south Bristol, between Whitchurch and Brislington, and west of the Somerset town of Keynsham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MetroWest (Bristol)</span> Project to improve the rail services in Bristol

MetroWest, formerly known as the Greater Bristol Metro, is a project to improve the rail services in Bristol, England, and the surrounding region. It was first proposed at First Great Western's Stakeholder Event in March 2008. The aim of the project is to develop half-hourly services through central Bristol which will also serve the surrounding West of England region. Transport campaigning groups Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FoSBR) and Transport for Greater Bristol are actively supporting the proposal, as are the three unitary authorities under the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council.

Healthcare in Somerset, England was the responsibility of three clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) until July 2022. These covered the ceremonial county of Somerset, which comprises the areas governed by Somerset County Council and the unitary authorities of North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset.

Healthcare in Wiltshire, England, is the responsibility of the integrated care board (ICB) for Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West of England Combined Authority</span> Local government body for the West of England

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is a combined authority within the West of England area, consisting of the local authorities of Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset. The body has its headquarters in the Redcliffe area of Bristol, and is led by the Mayor of the West of England. The most recent election for this post took place on 6 May 2021, when the Labour candidate Dan Norris was elected on a turnout of 36%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 West of England mayoral election</span>

The 2021 West of England mayoral election was held on 6 May 2021 to elect the mayor of the West of England, on the same day as other local elections across the country. It was the second election for the role. The mayor was elected by the supplementary vote system.

South Bristol is the part of Bristol, England south of the Bristol Avon. It is almost entirely made up of the areas of the city historically in Somerset, and since the abolition of the county Avon, consists of the southern suburbs in the county of Bristol. Definitions sometimes also include areas of North Somerset, including Long Ashton, Nailsea and Backwell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avon Green Belt</span>

The Avon Green Belt, also known as the Bristol and Bath Green Belt, is a non-statutory green belt environmental and planning policy that regulates urban expansion and development in the countryside surrounding the cities of Bristol and Bath in the South West region of England. It covers areas in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, Mendip, and Wiltshire. Essentially, the function of the green belt is to limit urban sprawl and maintain the open character of areas around the Bristol and Bath built up areas, and nearby towns and villages. The policy is implemented by local planning authorities on the basis of guidance from central government.

References

  1. ↑ Homes and Communities Agency. "Statistical Data Return 2013.". Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  2. ↑ Bath & North East Somerset Council. "Strategy and Performance."
  3. ↑ Curo. "Our Big Plan for the Future." Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "Lovell to build £7.8 million scheme for Somer Community Housing Trust". The Construction Index. 24 September 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "Somer Community Housing Trust - Bristol & Bath" (PDF). Structherm. 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  6. 1 2 HCA Regulatory Judgement on Curo Group (Albion) Limited – LH4336 (PDF) (Report). Homes and Communities Agency. June 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  7. ↑ "Mutuals Public Register – Society Name: Curo Places Limited". Financial Conduct Authority. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  8. ↑ "CURO GROUP (ALBION) LIMITED". Companies House. Company No. 04302179. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 Curo Group (Albion) Ltd. - Financial Statements Year ended31 March 2019 (PDF) (Report). Curo. 2019. p. 9,27. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  10. ↑ "The Hub at Mulberry Park wins prestigious award". Curo. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  11. ↑ "Curo's Wellbeing House wins national award recognition – Curo Group". curo-group.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "Ministry of Defence site is knocked down for new estate". ITV News. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  13. ↑ The Foxhill MOD site on Combe Down (PDF) (Report). B&NES Council. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Residents anger at plans to demolish hundreds of homes". ITV News. 25 July 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  15. ↑ Turner, Alex (25 July 2017). "Consultant criticises association for 'misrepresenting' regeneration report". Inside Housing. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  16. ↑ Cameron, Amanda (24 July 2017). "Foxhill residents 'disgusted' that Curo's plans for the social housing estate have been tipped for approval". Bath Chronicle. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "Foxhill redevelopment plans abandoned by Curo in favour of refurbishment". Bath Echo. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  18. ↑ Cameron, Amanda (20 June 2018). "Victory for Foxhill residents as judge quashes approval of Curo's plans for demolition – live updates". Bath Chronicle. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  19. ↑ "Homes for the South West of England". Homes for the South West. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  20. ↑ West of England Partnership. "Guide to the West of England Housing Delivery Panel". Archived 18 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 29 January 2014.
  21. ↑ Bath & North East Somerset Council. "Bath and North East Somerset Public Services Board."
  22. ↑ Bristol City Council. "Housing in Partnership.". Retrieved 29 January 2014
  23. ↑ Bath & North East Somerset Council. "Homelessness Partnership."
  24. ↑ Curo Group. "Financial Statements 2016/2017." [ permanent dead link ]
  25. ↑ Inside Housing. "Curo inks £75m deal for new funding." Archived 22 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ↑ "HCA assessment of Curo" (PDF).
  27. ↑ HCA Regulatory Judgement on Curo Group (Albion) Limited – LH4336 (PDF) (Report). Homes and Communities Agency. May 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  28. ↑ Tim MacFarlan (29 August 2016). "Housing association Curo appoint Liz Potter as non-executive director and chair designate". Bath Chronicle. Retrieved 20 February 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.