Two Rivers; Building with purpose and pride
6 May 2025
They are creating inclusive, small-scale communities that blend into the wider neighbourhoods they’re part of.
You may have noticed I’ve been on the road a lot lately, visiting housing associations across the country. Every trip offers a fresh perspective on place-shaping - and new ways to involve our members more meaningfully in the work we do.
I had a great day with Hayley Selway, Chief Executive of Two Rivers Housing. The sun was shining, the trains ran on time, and yes—a hard hat was indeed involved.
Two Rivers (named after the Wye and Severn, if you’re wondering) is based in the Forest of Dean and surrounding areas of Gloucestershire - a beautiful part of the country.
They have a clear ambition: to make homes more energy-efficient, affordable to run, and better for the environment, so it was great to see two of their new developments in progress, both being built to EPC A standards.
I am interested in how organisations think about how a place will work for the people who live there when they are designing and building new homes.
Catherine Ryder at Marian's Walk
The first scheme we visited, Marian's Walk in Coleford, has been years in the making and includes funding from a range of partners, including Homes England, the local council, and the NHS.
These homes are spacious, thoughtfully designed, with private outdoor space and play areas for children. The mix of flats, family homes, and Shared Ownership options means they’ll serve a wide range of people in housing need, including two homes that are fully wheelchair accessible. They are creating inclusive, small-scale communities that blend into the wider neighbourhoods they’re part of.
Everyone involved is rightly proud of this development. Two Rivers is working with local contractors - people who understand the area and the communities they’re helping to build. The site manager even confessed he’s trying to figure out how to reserve one of the homes for himself. This is testament to the quality and care going into the build.
The second scheme, Johnstone Close in Staunton, is being built on the site of demolished sheltered housing scheme, and again you can see that quality, design and creating a sense of community are integral to the scheme.
Building new homes gives us the opportunity to improve the overall quality of social housing, but it will take decades. Hayley and I talked about the contrast between new homes like these and the estates and communities that need significant regeneration and how that must feel to the people we let to. It's why making a compelling case for regeneration remains a key priority for PlaceShapers. This will include case-studies that speak directly to the government’s ambitions on growth and a decade of national renewal.
I know Two Rivers are committed to place-based regeneration and I look forward to talking about the support they need to do more for the long-term benefit of their communities.
Hayley brings a valuable perspective from her previous role in Cardiff, reminding us there’s much we can learn from our neighbours over the border - especially when it comes to letting homes to a higher standard, so residents don’t start off struggling with the basics.
My visit to Two Rivers showed what can happen when you build with purpose and pride – these are the kind of thoughtful developments we need more of if we’re serious about better housing for everyone.