ASK THE EXPERT
STEVE COFFEY, CEO OF TORUS The head of Torus, a transformation and regeneration Group - and Chair of Homes for the North, Steve discusses what regeneration means for the organisation and how housing associations are delivering sustainable, long-term placebased regeneration. ‘Regeneration’ covers so many things – what does it mean for Torus? At Torus, we work on the basis that a host of interconnected elements contribute to successful regeneration. Fundamentally, at the core of every thriving place are great homes and strong communities. People make up the fabric of communities and our operating model exists to ensure people and places benefit from consistent, targeted investment. Our approach is all about interventions that together enable positive change, with each part of Torus providing services that regenerate places. Torus is a social landlord, with a portfolio of 40,000 properties; the Group supports customers to maintain their tenancies, live independently and manage their homes. HMS – Torus’ construction and contracting arm – provides repair, maintenance and compliance services to keep our homes safe. Working to address the shortage of affordable homes, Torus Developments has committed over £1 billion into the creation of new build properties across the Liverpool City Region which will see over 5,000 properties built in the next 5 years. Torus Foundation, our charitable arm, offers social support to communities through increasing access to employment and training opportunities, assisting people with money and benefits and hosting health and wellbeing activities. As a Group, we work to regenerate neighbourhoods by unlocking the potential that is already there. Our aims are to provide quality homes and housing solutions where they are most needed, to break down economic and social barriers,
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and work with local partners to improve lives and life chances in line with our mission to ‘grow stronger communities’. Levelling up will be critical to regenerating the North West; how will Torus support this? Organisations like Torus will be vital to regenerating communities and to meet national and regional ambitions to level up those communities and stimulate inclusive growth. As a local anchor institution, Torus already has a proven track record of bringing about real, positive change to areas and our experience of placeshaping, transformation and community empowerment will enable us to continue making a real difference. Having seen the benefits of housing-led investment, I passionately believe that continuing to collaborate with out-ofsector organisations and communities is how sustainable, tangible regeneration will take place. This sentiment is echoed by the public, with 70% saying that housing will be the most effective way to level up the country (PWC, 2022) which is no surprise to me given the positive transformations I have seen. Housing-led developments that have regeneration at their core include the full refurbishment of the Grade II listed Ogden’s Tobacco Factory in Everton. This affordable housing scheme has been commended for creating a modern residential scheme that met local demand and respected a key local landmark. Since Ogden’s, Torus has pressed ahead with other signature developments in Liverpool, including the regeneration of the former Allerton Fire and Police Station and the former industrial site at Lightbody Street on Stanley Docks.
Another housing-led scheme completed by Torus is the £20 million 145-unit development at Edge Lane – The Approach. This scheme has transformed a difficult disused brownfield site in partnership with Liverpool City Council and other stakeholders. Its regeneration credentials are clear: we’ve seen strong demand for these aspirational homes from the start; initial information from people who have moved in suggest there’s a clear link to the adjacent Knowledge Quarter and wider Edge Lane regeneration area. This confirms just how integral highquality housing is to social and economic transformation. What challenges do you think will impact Torus’ regeneration aspirations? It’s no secret that the whole country is facing a number of challenges caused by the rising cost of living and this is impacting Torus too. We have experienced a number of issues with material availability and the uncertainty this has caused in the local, national and even global supply chain. Alongside the practical challenges we are experiencing, there is a clear skills gap in the construction industry that not just impacts traditional build methods, but will also heavily impact the future technologies used as we transition to a net zero carbon organisation. As a people-focused organisation, we also have to ensure our tenants and communities are on the regeneration journey with us and are active contributors to our activities. Regeneration cannot happen to people; communities provide integral input that shapes places. However challenging these issues are, they highlight the importance of collaboration with a spectrum of partners. Torus has been working across sectors for years now with Local Authorities, Government bodies, service providers, contractors and colleges to galvanise regeneration at all levels and we will continue operating as a connector to facilitate the regeneration of Liverpool. www.torus.co.uk | @Steve_Torus
