Large Welsh landlord secures £100m sustainability-linked loan

The landlord is aiming for 95% of the new homes it develops over this period to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of Band B or above, while delivering close to 1,000 homes that meet EPC A standards.

The association has plans for development all along the South Wales M4 corridor, from Newport and Monmouthshire in the east to Swansea and Pembrokeshire in the east.

James O’Connor, director of corporate finance at Pobl, said: “As Wales’s largest social housing provider, our latest high-efficiency homes represent a change to how housing is built and managed on a really significant scale.

“Integrating solar panels and smart batteries, leveraging heat networks, improving insulation and providing electric-vehicle charging are just some of the raft of measures our team is reviewing and delivering as part of our sustainable development plans.

“This work is supported by the finance provided by Lloyds Bank, which helps us to make a major difference to South Wales’s current and future housing needs.”

The chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group, Charlie Nunn, visited one of Pobl’s flagship developments at Loftus Garden Village in Newport earlier this year to see and learn more about its development plans first-hand.

Jatinder Dhaliwal, regional housing director at Lloyds, said: “Pobl shows a palpable sense of responsibility to the climate and its customers, which are central to its ambitious development plans that will enhance the lives of thousands of families across South Wales. 

“We’re proud to back pioneers like Pobl, as they have quickly understood and responded to the opportunities and challenges that net zero presents for UK housing.”