Why are you considering this merger?
Both CHP and Estuary have recognised the growing challenges across the housing sector and the importance of continuing to invest in customer service, the quality of our existing homes, and meeting housing need across Essex with more new affordable homes.
Through detailed discussions, it has become clear that the proposed merger between CHP and Estuary represents an exciting opportunity to bring together two locally focused, forward-thinking, and well-respected organisations to achieve positive outcomes for the customers we serve.
By exploring coming together, we could create something new built on the best of both organisations. One that's stronger and more resilient, shares similar values and goals, and is better equipped to serve the people of Essex now and in the future.
Why now?
The current operating environment for housing associations is very challenging. There are increased demands on the social housing sector, and our proximity to London heightens some of the issues.
Both organisations have recently reviewed their Corporate Strategies, and exploring the merger is part of how we could deliver our new strategies.
Merging as one organisation has the potential to bring us the financial capacity to achieve our shared ambitions faster, more effectively, and with greater resilience than either organisation could do alone, benefiting both current and future customers.
What are the main benefits of the merger?
CHP and Estuary are strong independently, but we believe we’d be even stronger together. Our initial analysis has shown that coming together could bring increased financial capacity to help us do more than either organisation could do alone.
We have very similar ambitions for the future, values, and culture. We also share a similar geographic footprint, with most of our homes in the same areas. We’re both strongly connected to our local communities and focused on customers. As a single, bigger organisation, this wouldn’t change, and we hope that coming together will help us do things better and faster.
As one organisation, we’d have greater capacity to improve services and maintain homes. We’re both committed to tackling the housing crisis, and joining together will also help us better address housing needs. We’d be able to build more new homes, increase investment in our existing homes, and provide better service to our customers.
Are there any disadvantages to the merger?
From the work we’ve done in exploring the merger so far, we don’t think there are any disadvantages to our proposal in the long term.
It would take some time and resources to bring the people, services and systems of both organisations together. Therefore, we recognise that in the short term, there might be a small risk of disruption to the level of service you receive from us as we do this. In the longer term, we believe that a merged organisation would help us improve services and result in an even better customer experience.
Over the past few months, we’ve been looking at the benefits and downsides of merging in more detail through a process called ‘due diligence’. The results of this due diligence, along with what you tell us in this consultation, will help us make our final decision about whether to merge.
How would customers be able to influence the way any new merged organisation operates?
We're committed to providing ways for you to get involved and help us improve our services. We're keen to hear what you think, what’s important to you and how we can improve our services. This would remain the same if the merger proposal goes ahead, and our commitment to hearing our customers’ voices and giving you opportunities to influence how we design and deliver our services remains a priority. We'll work with our current customer groups to make sure that your voice will continue to be heard on issues relating to local, regional and nationwide matters.
A bigger organisation doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better
No, it doesn’t, but being bigger would give us opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be available. We’d have greater financial capacity to invest in homes and services, as well as access to a larger, more experienced workforce from both CHP and Estuary.
I’m worried that with a bigger organisation, the service and communication I currently get won’t be as personal and friendly as it currently is.
One of the reasons we think merging is a good idea is that CHP and Estuary are very similar in lots of ways. We have a shared culture in that both organisations prioritise customers, communities and colleagues, and this wouldn’t change. We operate in similar geographical areas, and while merging would mean we’d have more customers and homes to serve, we’d also have the combined experience and expertise of employees from CHP and Estuary.
What happens if the majority of customers say they have concerns about the merger and would prefer CHP to remain as it is?
Your feedback will help us to make the appropriate recommendation to the Board as it enables us to understand how you feel about our proposals and why you might have concerns. More importantly, your feedback, like all the other customer engagement we do, will also help us look at our future priorities and actions. Our Boards have the responsibility to take your feedback – as well as lots of other factors – into consideration when deciding whether to go ahead with the merger.
Surely, this is costing a lot of money – wouldn’t it be better spent on improving our homes and services?
Throughout this process, we’ve been looking at and learning from other housing associations that have been through similar mergers, and they’ve found that they’ve made savings in the longer term. As you’d expect, we’ve been looking at finances during our work exploring the merger so far. If we merge, we’d have more capacity and money to invest in services, the quality of our existing homes, and in building new affordable homes to meet housing need across Essex. We need to invest in order to improve our services.
Is the merger a way to save money and cut back on services and staff?
No. The proposed merger has not been planned as a cost-saving exercise. As we’ve said in other answers, if we merge, we’d actually have more capacity and money to invest, and we need to invest in order to improve our services. Through merging, we’d have more customers and homes to serve, so the combined number of employees from CHP and Estuary would be advantageous.
How will I know when things change?
It’s still business as usual. We’ll let you know of any changes in advance. If the merger is approved by the Boards of CHP and Estuary, it’s anticipated that the merger will occur in spring 2026.