A new direction for Tunstall Street in housing association acquisition

THE Pine Court Housing Association have acquired 23 homes on Tunstall Street, Liverpool, in £3.2 million deal with Liverpool City Council. The street in Picton will soon see a new lease of life, with 20 homes being offered to local people through the housing association's Rent to Buy scheme. 3 of the terraced houses will also be used for children's social care services. Rent to Buy is a UK Government scheme designed to help people transition from renting a property, to buying a home. Customers of the scheme will commit to renting a property for a set length of time (normally 5 years) and will have the opportunity to purchase it before their tenancy ends. With more affordable rent (around 20% less than the market price) customers will be able to save towards a deposit and buy the home through Shared Ownership or in some circumstances, an outright purchase. Pine Court Housing Association, part of The Sovini Group, was established in 1986 as a registered social landlord, with a mission to provide quality homes and inclusive housing services for those in need.

As 1 of the Liverpool City Region's leading registered social landlords, Pine Court has a customer satisfaction rating of 99% across its diverse communities which are made up of 56% minority ethnic customers. David Brown, Director of Operations, at Pine Court, said:- "The acquisition of Tunstall Street is delivering on our 'The Sovini' Group's vision of a better future, as we create opportunities and change lives by helping local people to get onto the property ladder. We look forward to welcoming customers into their new homes and seeing them thrive within our communities for years to come."

Discussions are underway between the registered social landlord and Local Authority regarding the development of 5 additional homes on a plot of brownfield land, after several houses were previously demolished due to structural issues. The development of additional homes would be delivered as part of The Sovini Group's development framework which aims to combat high housing costs, through the creation of over 1,000 high quality, affordable homes within the next 5 years.

The Group are a construction, property and facilities services company delivering a unique end to end supply chain as they strive to build a better future for their communities. Registrations are now open to apply for 1 of the refurbished properties. To apply, please visit:- PineCourt-Housing.Org.UK.
 

UK Brewery numbers relatively stable despite industry challenges, with some regions seeing growth

THE total number of breweries in the UK has remained:- 'relatively stable' in the 1st quarter of 2023 according to figures released today from the SIBA UK Brewery Tracker; which tracks new brewery openings and closures across the UK to give net numbers both regionally and Nationally.

Covering the period from the start of January 2023 to the end of March 2023, the SIBA UK Brewery Tracker shows some regions increasing their net brewery number, and overall the UK figure being down by just -4 on the start of 2023; just a 0.22% change and a much better picture then many in the industry would have predicted given the mounting pressures on small independent breweries.

Andy Slee, SIBA Chief Executive said:- "It is very positive to see some areas of the UK now in growth and a National figure which has beaten the odds to remain relatively stable, despite the challenges faced by brewers. With rising raw material and utility costs, alongside existing market access issues, far too many small breweries are closing but the figures paint a much better picture than many predicted. Small breweries have a hugely positive impact on their local community, providing:- jobs, raising money for charity, supporting local initiatives, and providing access to the freshly brewed local beers that are now in such demand across the UK. All small independent breweries deserve your support."

Recent consumer polling showed:- 8 out of 10 people believe a well run independent brewery has a positive effect on its local community, and that community spirit is a sentiment shared by brewers, with a whopping:- 98% of SIBA brewers saying they consider their local community to be important to them. Andy added:- "It is clear that demand is there from drinkers for great quality beer from local breweries, but getting those beers onto bars and into the hands of consumers can be tough in a competitive market. It's the reason why so many breweries are now opening community taprooms where they can serve brewery fresh beer direct to local people."

The SIBA Craft Beer Report launched last month showed 40% of independent craft breweries now have a taproom (up 10% on 2022) and that on average 27% of an independent brewery's income now comes from sales direct to consumers via their taprooms, brewery shop or webshop; a huge increase for an industry historically heavily reliant on pub sales.

According to the SIBA UK Brewery Tracker figures released show that Wales leads the UK in terms of brewery growth, with their net number rising by an impressive +5 overall, whilst just over the border the West of England saw the needle swing in the opposite direction, with figures falling by -4 overall. Surprisingly this was mirrored in the South East, an area which has seen a huge growth in breweries in recent years, who also registered -4 overall in the 1st 3 months of 2023.

South West and North East England each had a decline in their overall brewery numbers of -2, with Scotland seeing a smaller decline, now with -1 brewery less overall.

It was a more positive picture elsewhere though, with the East and Midlands regions each seeing a +2 growth. The North West of England and Northern Ireland have finished the 1st quarter of 2023 on the same number as they started it, with any closures counteracted by new openings.

The SIBA UK Brewery Tracker is compiled by full time professional staff employed by the Society of Independent Brewers and is cross referenced by SIBA Regional Directors in each of the 8 SIBA Regions across the UK. The organisation considers a number of factors and data-sources alongside its own data analysis and extensive research, including, but not limited to, HMRC registrations.