Housing associations Bromford and Flagship complete merger
Bromford Housing Group and Flagship Housing Group have completed their merger.
Tewkesbury-based Bromford Housing Group is one of the UK's biggest housing associations which has more than 47,000 homes spread across central and south west England. Norwich-based Flagship Housing Group has more than 32,000 homes.
This merger into the newly-named Bromford Flagship is a key milestone in the housing provider’s strategic aim of unlocking additional capacity to deliver more affordable homes. Completion follows extensive due diligence, regulatory approvals, and engagement with key stakeholders.
The newly formed Board of directors and executive team has been confirmed. Peter Hawes, former Chair of Flagship Group, will chair the Board, while Bromford’s Robert Nettleton has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer for the entire group. Paul Walsh has been appointed as Chief Finance Officer of the new organisation, continuing in the same role he previously held at Bromford.
This leadership structure ensures continuity, strong governance, and a blend of expertise from both organisations.
Mr Nettleton said: “The need for affordable homes, the quality of service we provide to customers, and an absolute focus on place has never been more important. The need to unlock additional capacity that enables housing associations to deliver at scale has also never been greater.
“We’re excited about the huge potential this opportunity offers and ultimately the ability to enable more people to thrive.”
Due to the merger, Bromford Housing Group Limited has been renamed Bromford Flagship Limited and now serves as the group parent. Flagship Housing Group Limited has been renamed Flagship Housing Limited and is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Bromford Flagship Limited. The new structure also includes Bromford Housing Association Limited, Merlin Housing Society Limited, and other existing entities from both organisations. Together, the organisation now owns and manages approximately 80,000 homes.
The merger unlocks significant financial capacity beyond what either organisation could achieve alone. This could allow Bromford Flagship to deliver 2,000 homes per year for the next 30 years, with an ambition for 50% to be at social rent. The organisation will also introduce new and innovative investment through the creation of a Place Standard, which will focus on transforming streets into thriving communities, and places where people want to live.
In addition, Bromford Flagship is launching two major initiatives: a Learning Academy to provide training opportunities for colleagues and customers, and a Research and Development Team to focus on customers’ priorities and service improvements.
