The secrets of successful partnerships: how local authorities, housing associations and private sector can come together to deliver much needed homes
MIPIM UK, the report outlines the different models and structures that different partners could adopt and identifies the 11 key ingredients that are essential to establishing a successful partnership. These are:
- Choosing the right form of partnership
- Sharing similar objectives and values
- Establishing firm foundations legally and financially
- Building mutual trust and understanding
- Incentivising partners to achieve desired outcomes
- Risk sharing
- Enshrining key parameters as well as flexibility
- Dealing with issues in a collaborative way
- Ensuring all parties can play to their strengths
- Creating an end product that is fit for purpose
- Focusing on efficiency with the procurement process
Sara Bailey, Trowers & Hamlins, Head of Real Estate, said:
“Partnerships between the private sector, housing associations and public sector organisations with the aim of increasing the supply of new homes of all types are a vital part of the effort to tackle the housing crisis. But establishing such partnerships can seem daunting and organisations that are considering embarking on the journey may decide instead on a different route.
“That is partly due to a lack of knowledge and a perception that housing delivery partnerships are time consuming and overly complex to establish. This report explores how partners have gone about building these strong relationships, offers a guide to the pitfalls partners might experience and how they can be avoided and describes the different kinds of structures that partners could adopt.
“But most of all it gives those who are thinking of setting up a partnership to deliver homes a sense of the questions they need to be asking right from the outset. Only by asking the right questions will you come to the right answers and form an approach that is best suited to your circumstance and thereby delivering much needed homes in your local area.”
Sir Edward Lister, Homes and Communities Agency chair, said:
“We are looking for enterprising partners – and willing partners and that will require leadership at the local level. Too many local authorities still do not have a local plan, but in parts of the country we are seeing a mood change.
There is growing recognition in some local authorities that they need to be leaders – and more are. If we gravitate towards the willing and bypass the others then the number of those willing will increase.
One form of leadership we are seeing are the different kinds of partnerships between the private and public sector, which have a hugely important role to play in delivering the homes we need. We want to see more of these coming forward around the country so learning from those that have been delivering successfully is critical. Bringing the public and private sectors together, creating partnerships that deliver homes around the country and sharing skills, knowledge and learning in the process – it is that kind of willingness that the country needs.”
The case studies examined in the report include Homes for Cornwall (Cornwall Council, Galliford Try Partnerships and DCH); Homes for Brighton and Hove (Brighton and Hove City Council and Hyde Housing Association); Sheffield Hosing Company (Sheffield City Council, Keepmoat and Great Places Hosing Group); 243 Ealing Road, Brent (Network Homes and Hill);Ponton Road, Nine Elms (L&Q and Bellway); and Halsville Quarter, Canning Town (London Borough of Newham and Linkcity).
