Why we are engaging with Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association Ltd (CRE)
We are engaging with CRE about its service quality, development plans and because it is a systemically important landlord.
Registered as Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association Ltd, CRE is trading as Places for People Scotland. CRE is part of the Places for People Group.
We refer to a small number of RSLs as systemically important because of their stock size, turnover or level of debt or because of their significance within their area of operation. We need to maintain a comprehensive understanding of how their business models operate, and how they manage the risks they face and the impact these may have. So we seek some additional assurance each year through our engagement plans. Given a combination of CRE’s size, turnover and level of debt we consider it to be systemically important.
To assess the risk to social landlords we have reviewed and compared the 2024/25 service quality performance of all social landlords. We will engage with CRE because its emergency repair times are one of the highest of all social landlords.
CRE is one of the largest developers of new affordable housing in Scotland and has plans to grow through a considerable programme of new homes for social rent and mid-market rent. CRE will receive significant public subsidy to help achieve this.
What CRE must do
CRE must:
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send us copies of its Board and audit committee minutes as they become available;
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improve its emergency repairs performance and tell us when it has delivered the necessary improvements;
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send us an update on its development programme by 31 October 2026. This will include its latest report to the governing body/appropriate committee about development and details of the scale and tenure mix, timescales for delivery and any material delays or changes to the programme; and
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tell us if there are any material adverse changes to its development plans which might affect its financial position or reputation, in line with our notifiable events guidance.
What we will do
We will:
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review the minutes of the Board and audit committee meetings and liaise as necessary;
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observe CRE’s Board;
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meet with CRE’s senior staff and Chair to discuss its business plan and any risks to the organisation;
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review the information that CRE provides about its improvements to its emergency repairs performance and engage as necessary;
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review the development update and engage as necessary; and
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update our published engagement plan in the light of any material change to our planned engagement with CRE.
Regulatory Returns
CRE must provide us with the following annual regulatory returns and alerts us to notifiable events as appropriate:
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Annual Assurance Statement;
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audited financial statements and external auditor’s management letter;
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loan portfolio return;
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five year financial projections; and
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Annual Return on the Charter.
It should also notify us of any material changes to its Annual Assurance Statement, and any tenant and resident safety matter which has been reported to or is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive or reports from regulatory or statutory authorities or insurance providers, relating to safety concerns.