PEMBROKESHIRE HOUSING MILL BAY HOMES WEST WALES CARE & REPAIR Annual Report 16 -1 7 1 Board of Management Mrs Christina Hirst FRICS BSc Registered Office Details Chair Pembrokeshire Housing Association Limited Chartered Surveyor and practicing Meyler House, St Thomas Green, management and training consultant for Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. SA61 1QP the property and housing sector Tel: (01437) 763688 Mr Peter Hughes resigned May 2016 Fax: (01437) 763997 Vice Chair Email: [email protected] Retired Management Consultant and Chair www.pembs-ha.co.uk of Tenants Panel Registered with Welsh Assembly Government No. PO72 Mr Martin Bell BA, DipTP, MRTP (retired) Financial Conduct Authority No. 23308-R Retired Principal Planning Officer, South Pembrokeshire Housing is a charitable organisation. Pembrokeshire District Council Mrs Dean Campbell Retired Head Occupational Therapist Chair of Personnel Panel Mr Brian Charles OBE, IPFA Former Executive Chairman of Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water Mr Chris Jones resigned September 2016 Retired Businessman and CAB Advisor Mr Edward Lewis Retired Senior Partner Solicitor Chair of Audit Committee Mr Mark Lewis Retired Finance Director Mrs Sue Rogers resigned May 2016 Member of the Tenants Panel Councillor David Simpson Retired Managing Director and Magistrate Mr Ron Butler appointed June 2016 Chartered Quantity Surveyor (retired) Co-opted Members Mr Michael Westerman appointed June 2016 Partner in Fundraising/Marketing Consultancy Mr Hugh Watchman appointed June 2016 Buyer Observer Councillor Alison Lee Cabinet Spokesperson for Housing Management Team Nick Hampshire commenced January 2017 Group Chief Executive Adrian Williams Group Finance Director Nigel Sinnett Group Property Services Director Elin Brock Housing Director 1 Fir Tree Close, Merlins Bridge. 2 Chair’s Statement This year’s Annual review shows another We continue to see the definition of positive year for the Pembrokeshire housing need widening as pressures on Housing Group with all three companies, housing supply in the private housing Pembrokeshire Housing, Mill Bay Homes sector increase. Mill Bay Homes addresses and West Wales Care & Repair producing two needs, the need for new open market higher than expected surpluses whilst homes and the need for additional funds delivering high levels of service to the to help provide more affordable housing customers and communities we serve. to combat growing waiting lists. The 48 In uncertain economic operating new homes sold and the £1.077m conditions it was essential that the Group covenanted by Mill Bay Homes to the Pembrokeshire Housing, with maintained its corporate strength so that it Group parent to use for new affordable housing shows that Mill Bay Homes the support of its Local could continue to invest in existing services and develop to meet growing demand. continues to fulfil its envisaged purpose. Authority Partners, was able to The Group’s operating margin of 28% There is no doubt that we are operating in secure £4.1m Social Housing remains one of the best in our sector, our uncertain times which will place higher reserves have increased from £19.6m to levels of demand on our governance and Grant that helped us complete £22.9m over the last year, and our financial corporate systems. Our Group is adapting 136 new properties. covenant performance has comfortably and evolving to meet this challenge; to exceeded our targets. This financial make sure it enjoys continued success and performance provides a high level of is therefore making a difference to the lives assurance to our customers, partners and of the people and communities we serve. regulators that our Group will continue to In December we wished a happy retirement have the ability to evolve and grow. to our Group Chief Executive of 20 years, Pembrokeshire Housing, with the support Peter Maggs and welcomed our new Group of its Local Authority Partners, was able to Chief Executive, Nick Hampshire. I wish to secure £4.1m Social Housing Grant that express mine and the Board’s appreciation helped us complete 136 new properties. of Peter’s committed service to the Group Its letting and repairs services continued to and the many achievements he led. perform well, a number of successful This will be my last Annual Review as your community and tenant led events including Chair, having completed 3 years office. the ‘Big Day Out’ were held; and we May I thank my fellow Board Members, continued to work closely with our customers Directors and the senior and wider teams to ensure they received good benefit for their constant support and I will look advice and help to maintain their tenancies. forward to seeing the exciting With an aging population, the relevance of developments planned for the Group West Wales Care & Repair has never been coming to fruition over the coming years. stronger. They dealt with in excess of 2800 The Delphi, South Parade, Tenby. enquiries for help from older or vulnerable private home owners or renters who without their support may not have been able to enjoy the full use of their homes. Mrs Christina Hirst FRICS BSc Chair Group Chief Executive I am delighted to have joined Pembrokeshire We remain committed to evolving our Housing Group at such an exciting time in Board’s vision of creating a customer its evolution. During the year, our Group centred, growing and dynamic group of has developed clear plans to make sure we companies that is able to collaborate with a continue to find solutions to housing need wide range of stakeholders in West Wales and greater community empowerment. to provide a range of living solutions. Together, with our customers and partners, we will continue to aim to deliver better services, more efficiently, with greater customer experience. Nick Hampshire MRICS MBA BSc (hons) Group Chief Executive 3 Business Development Investing in new homes and communities Improving our homes Pembrokeshire Housing is the leading The Association achieved compliance with provider of new affordable housing in West the Welsh Housing Quality Standard back Wales. Working closely with our local in 2012 and, as part of our 30 year asset We remain committed to authority partners and the Welsh management plan, we continue to invest in Government, we take care to build safe and maintaining our properties to the high providing new quality stable communities. that support the local standards we have set. affordable homes for people economy and sustain communities through During the year we invested in the initiatives ranging from local lettings following major improvements: who cannot afford to rent or policies to supporting rural communities. buy in the open market and Demand for affordable homes continues to be high with over 3000 applicants on we are well placed to support the joint housing waiting list in 118 104 144 164 new replacement properties properties outcomes and targets set by Pembrokeshire alone. We remain kitchens boilers received received committed to providing new quality replacement replacement Welsh Government and our affordable homes for people who doors windows Local Authority partners. cannot afford to rent or buy in the open market and we are well placed to support outcomes and targets set by 36 81 129 386 Welsh Government and our Local new properties new sheds properties bathrooms received were We built our new homes at Authority partners. replacement repainted fencing externally Location New Homes During the year, 136 new homes were completed, land was acquired to support We completed our three year programme South Parade Tenby 12 the future development of 156 homes and of installing carbon monoxide detectors in Fir Tree Close Merlins Bridge 16 work started on 52 new homes. Over £4 all of our properties, and during the year Howells Close Monkton 30 million of Social Housing Grant was we installed detectors to 400 homes. This Town Meadow Marloes 8 received from the Welsh Government work supplemented our usual rolling Imble Lane Pembroke Dock Phases 2 & 3 48 against an original target of £1.5 million. programme of statutory compliance works Working in partnership with Pembrokeshire to all our homes County Council and the Welsh All boilers were replaced with the most We acquired new homes at Government we completed our smaller energy efficient systems currently on Location New Homes properties grant programme. This funding the market. Martello Park Pembroke 9 mechanism enabled a further 25 properties Adapting our homes to be brought into management. Ashford Park Crundale - acquired from We worked closely with health and social our Mill Bay Homes subsidiary 11 We continued to maintain a healthy land services professionals and Welsh Tenby – existing properties 3 bank to underpin our future development Government to help our residents with plans and the needs of the local physical or other difficulties by providing community for affordable housing. adaptations to their homes to provide We are proud to say that over the last 4 the stability for them to enjoy living there years we have delivered over £40 million of for longer. investment providing over 400 affordable 71 applications were processed during the quality homes for people in housing need year and work amounting to £217k was and helping to maintain and support jobs carried out. and growth for local businesses. Finance and Kitchen Fitting Apprentices. 4 Service Provision We have continued to provide a full range The Association continues to maintain a of repair, rent, advice and support and healthy performance on managing rent engagement services for our customers, arrears and continues to offer support and partners and communities throughout the advice to customers affected by welfare year and started some significant changes reform. The number of tenants applying for that will see further improvements in our Universal Credit is growing and services over the coming years. In approximately 750 tenants were supported particular, we undertook a review of our during the year to maximise their income Pembrokeshire Housing was repairs service to establish how we could and access money advice and support.