Nationwide urges others to follow its housebuilding lead

The Nationwide building society hopes other organisations across the UK will follow its decision to build more than 200 homes in Swindon as part of a strategy to strengthen community ties and put a roof over people’s heads.

The group said it hoped to have started work on ambitious scheme to build 239 homes on a site at Oakfield campus (pictured), near its headquarters in Swindon by the end of this year.

The new homes will be for sale or rent, including affordable housing, and would promote what Nationwide called “intergenerational living”.

Joe Garner, Nationwide’s chief executive, said his group was making a direct contribution to help Swindon at a time of shortages in new housing.

“We continue to work closely with the local community and Swindon Borough Council to develop quality homes that people want and need.

“Our approach encourages a greater sense of community, over and above the homes we build, and is one of our most tangible demonstrations of the difference of being a building society.

“If successful, we hope our approach encourages other organisations to consider similar measures.”

Nationwide announced in November 2017 it wanted to build the homes and said it had since been in regular talks with local residents and businesses to ensure its plans would meet local needs.

A planning application was submitted to Swindon borough council at the end of January this year and Nationwide said it hoped to receive a decision on the scheme, designed by architect PRP and others, “in due course”.

The building society is funding the £50m scheme from the fund which pays for its corporate responsibility activity, which represents 1% of its annual turnover.

It says it doesn’t need to make a profit from the development, and so can plough more time and effort into community engagement and make more of the scheme affordable.