Vistry agrees £29m deal with North West landlord

The design of the centre, which will be operated by Sefton Council, will be shaped by Riverside and people with experience of autism and learning disabilities.

The 76,000-home Riverside is developing the scheme as part of its £80.7m strategic partnership with Homes England.

Work is due to start early this year and expected to complete by early 2026.

Nick Jones, director of development and growth at Riverside, said: “We pride ourselves in being one of the country’s largest providers of housing and care services, and this scheme.”

These plans are being delivered in partnership with Sefton Council and Homes England.

Mr Jones added: “This will enable us to provide an inclusive community that not only supports local people to step onto the property ladder through a choice of quality homes, but offers individuals options to continue living independently.”

Since Vistry acquired rival builder Countryside in a £1.25bn deal in 2022, the group has increased its focus on affordable housing delivery. The firm is merging its housebuilding arm with its partnerships business to focus on mixed-tenure affordable housing.

Gemma Hardy, managing director of Vistry Merseyside and Cheshire West, said: “This new development is another great example of the strengths of our business model – where we can operate as both a developer and a contractor – and we’re looking forward to work getting under way early this year.”

Vistry also revealed this week that it had struck an increasing number of deals with for-profit providers as traditional housing associations cut back on their development plans.