GreenSquare gets green light

Pictured: Dave Ashmore, who will be Chief Executive, and James Williamson, who will be Chair of the new GreenSquare Group.

Plans by Westlea Housing and Oxford Citizens Housing Association (OCHA) to join together and form a new housing group have been given the final go-ahead by the Housing Corporation – the government regulator for housing associations.

This means that – from April this year – Westlea and OCHA will be part of a new group, called GreenSquare, in which both charitable housing associations will continue to operate under their own names and retain their local identities. Westlea is based in Chippenham, Wiltshire and OCHA in Oxford. Another existing company, called Oakus, will also be part of the group and will undertake the non-charitable business of GreenSquare – including acquiring and developing property for sale or commercial rent.

The new combined group will have over 350 employees, manage 9000 homes, and be growing at the rate of 400 homes a year.

The shareholders of both organisations had already given their strong support to the proposal in separate votes before Christmas, voting unanimously in favour of the rule changes required to set up the new group.

The current chair of OCHA's management Board, James Williamson, will chair the GreenSquare Board: "This is great news – and the beginning of an exciting new era for both organisations," he said. "Combining our strengths will mean we can provide better services to residents, build more new homes and reduce costs. Forming GreenSquare will mean we can achieve so much more together than we could alone."

Westlea's current chief executive, David Ashmore, has been appointed as GreenSquare chief executive from April: "We're delighted to have this endorsement from the Housing Corporation, which follows months of hard work by staff and board members at both organisations and extensive consultation with our residents and other key stakeholders.

"Both Westlea and OCHA have a proud track record of delivering high quality services, new homes and investment in neighbourhoods. We believe that coming together will put us in a really strong position to respond to the opportunities and needs in the communities we both serve."