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{"id":1229,"date":"2023-11-15T10:06:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T10:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.placefirst.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1229"},"modified":"2023-11-20T16:11:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T16:11:00","slug":"1229","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.placefirst.co.uk\/blog\/2023\/11\/15\/1229\/","title":{"rendered":"Independent Report Praises Placefirst For Far-reaching Social Impact of Rental Homes and Firm\u2019s Commitment to ESG"},"content":{"rendered":"

Independent Report Praises Placefirst For Far-reaching Social Impact of Rental Homes and Firm’s Commitment to ESG
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\u25cf <\/span><\/span>Placefirst, the Award-winning build-to-rent specialist has invested more than £134m into neighbourhoods<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf <\/span><\/span>The Good Economy praises Placefirst for refurbishing homes that other developers deemed unviable <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf <\/span><\/span>Its report reveals that £5.2m is spent annually by Placefirst residents in local economies<\/span><\/span>
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\nAn independent report has praised award-winning build-to-rent specialist Placefirst for the far-reaching social impact of its schemes and commitment to ESG.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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According to independent social impact advisory firm The Good Economy, the build-to-rent regeneration specialist has invested more than £134 million in total into the development, regeneration, refurbishment and upkeep of its neighbourhoods since launching in 2010.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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In addition, The Good Economy estimated that residents at Placefirst’s homes across the UK spent an estimated £5.2 million last year in their neighbourhoods across multiple local authority areas, boosting local economies. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Some 42% of residents were found to have relocated from outside the local authority, “bringing new skills and income to the area”, helping to level up places in need of investment. A fifth were working for the NHS and a further third worked in hospitality, retail, technology, and education.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The investment in Welsh Streets – Placefirst’s 283-home flagship Liverpool scheme – created a “ripple effect”, according to The Good Economy, which subsequently saw a nearby housing association invest more than £17 million in the local area. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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It added that Placefirst inspired additional “small investments, such as local landlords and businesses refurbishing their properties and an increase in small businesses”.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Placefirst’s retrofitting of existing housing stock where possible was also praised by the report, as refurbishment emits 36% less carbon than demolishing and constructing new assets. Five out of its 11 neighbourhoods (58%) are comprised of mostly refurbished homes. [1]<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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One local authority told The Good Economy that it is likely several derelict properties in its area would have been demolished had Placefirst not rescued and refurbished them.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Placefirst’s portfolio also scored highly on energy efficiency, with 96% of its homes receiving an EPC rating of C or higher and a third (32%) receiving either B or A ratings. It added that 92% of homes which already had EPC ratings but were later refurbished by Placefirst saw those ratings increase.<\/p>\n

Sarah Forster, CEO and co-Founder of The Good Economy, said: <\/b>“Our findings show that since its inception in 2010, Placefirst has made a real difference to the communities where it operates. In particular, when it invests in derelict locations in need of regeneration, the benefits to the wider area are significant.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The report stated: “Properties were mostly long-term vacant prior to acquisition by Placefirst and in a state of serious disrepair. They were often not attractive to or deliverable by other developers due to their complexity, which resulted in an association with a higher level of risk and therefore lack of financial viability.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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David Mawson, CEO at Placefirst, commented: <\/b>“It’s fantastic to have an independent report spotlight the genuine impact our developments are having on communities up and down the country. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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“Our aim is to create thriving communities across the UK through high-quality sustainable housing –and this research confirms we’re doing just that.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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“The UK is home to the oldest housing stock in Europe, so it is little wonder, then, that so many renters are today living in poor-quality housing. <\/span><\/span><\/span>
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“That’s why we are so proud of everything we do at Placefirst – not only are we delivering thousands of desperately-needed new homes, we are also breathing new life and prosperity into communities.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
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“Our schemes have also delivered significant benefits to the local authority partners that we have worked with successfully over many years, providing council tax income and delivering high-quality homes for long-term rental.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Independent Report Praises Placefirst For Far-reaching Social Impact of Rental Homes and Firm’s Commitment to ESG   \u25cf Placefirst, the Award-winning build-to-rent specialist has invested more than £134m into neighbourhoods \u25cf The Good Economy praises Placefirst for refurbishing homes that other developers deemed unviable \u25cf Its report reveals that £5.2m is spent annually by Placefirst… <\/p>\n

Read More <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":1253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-placefirst-news","category-press-releases"],"metadata":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":["Independent Report Praises Placefirst For Far-reaching Social Impact of Rental Homes and Firm\u2019s Commitment to ESG"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["An independent report has praised award-winning build-to-rent specialist Placefirst for the far-reaching social impact of its schemes and commitment to ESG."],"_thumbnail_id":["1253"]},"yoast_head":"\n