The opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at housing development with one of the country's largest housing associations - Clarion - was one I couldn't turn down, so earlier this week I joined several of their team to visit a selection of sites and hear what their staff had to say. We visited a variety of sites, from the Boddington's which is currently surrounded by hoardings, through to the Lumina development by the Old Trafford Cricket Ground, where we took in the views from the roof. We also visited their properties at Furness Quay before finishing at one of their established community sites.
It was a great opportunity to not only see the development and housing work that Clarion is carrying out within Manchester, but also get the chance to talk to them about their challenges and opportunities, as well as speaking to the local teams. Making development happen, particularly in challenging areas, takes real dedication, and especially in the context of supported housing. I felt that I came away with a much better understanding of how housing associations work, as well as some insight into their future plans.
