Vistry and Sanctuary expand partnership

Vistry, the UK’s leading specialist mixed-tenure housebuilder, and Sanctuary, one of the UK’s leading social
housing providers, have expanded their partnership through a joint venture that will help bring forward
Hopfields, a 2,204-home mixed-use community in south Worcester, providing a mix of open market, social
and affordable homes.
The partnership puts into action the strategy Vistry set out in September, which will see the Group become a
more focused business, concentrating on regions, sites and partnerships where its mixed-tenure model
performs best. The Midlands represents one of the Group’s priority regions, alongside the North and West,
while long-term relationships with housing associations such as Sanctuary remain at the centre of how Vistry
delivers its partnerships-based business model.
Located between St Peter’s and Kempsey, Hopfields has outline planning consent and will form a key part of
Worcester’s southern urban extension. The wider plans include a local centre, primary school, employment
space, sports and community facilities, a hotel, care provision, health facilities and new green infrastructure.
At least 20% of the homes will be social and affordable, in line with the development’s planning obligations,
with flexibility to deliver additional homes as affordable housing. The site will be brought forward through a
range of routes, including Vistry’s partnership-led model, open market homes, and opportunities for
additional delivery partners to develop parcels across the site.
Many of the homes will be built using timber frames manufactured by Vistry Works, the Group’s in-house
manufacturing operation, which sits at the core of its operational and sustainability strategy. Timber-frame
construction is around six weeks faster than traditional brick and block and reduces embodied carbon by
around 30% over a 60-year period, while supporting consistent quality on site.
Hopfields is part of Sanctuary’s ambitious programme to deliver more social and affordable homes and
invest in sustainable communities. Through partnerships with organisations such as Vistry, Sanctuary is
helping to increase housing supply, broaden housing choice and create places where people can thrive.

left to right James Warrington, Executive Chair, North, South Midlands and East divisions

Adam Daniels, Chief Executive of Vistry, said: “When we set out the findings of our CEO Review in
September, we were clear that Vistry would become a more focused business, concentrating on the regions,
sites and partnerships where our mixed-tenure model performs best. Hopfields serves as a strong example
of our renewed focus in practice. The Midlands is one of our priority regions, the site already benefits from
planning consent, and it is being delivered through the long-term partnership approach on which our model
is built. Our aim now is to replicate this disciplined approach across the Group, and we expect Hopfields to
be one of many schemes that reflect the way we will operate in the years ahead.”
James Warrington, Executive Chair, North, South Midlands and East Division at Vistry, said: “Hopfields is a
major investment in Worcester’s future and shows what can be achieved when land, housing and
infrastructure are brought together through a partnership-led approach.
“Working with Sanctuary, we can deliver homes for a range of needs while creating the facilities, green
spaces and connections that make a new community thrive. With our established housebuilding brands and
the manufacturing capability of Vistry Works, we have the scale and expertise to deliver high-quality homes
efficiently over the lifetime of the development.”

Press release
November 2026

Craig Moule, Group Chief Executive at Sanctuary, said: “Hopfields represents a significant opportunity to
create a thriving new community and provide much-needed homes for people across Worcester. Building on
our long-standing partnership with Vistry, this development will deliver new homes, supported by the
infrastructure, services and green spaces that help communities flourish.
“At Sanctuary, we are committed to playing our part in increasing the supply of new, high-quality social and
affordable housing, and investing in places where people want to live. Hopfields reflects that ambition and
demonstrates what can be achieved through strong partnerships, focused on long-term community benefit.”