AN amalgamation of housing group Torus with Liverpool Mutual Homes has been completed.

The merger took place on January 1 and the formal notification of tenants and stakeholders is underway.

With around 40,000 homes, the new group is one of the North West’s largest housing groups, employing 1,500 staff and with an annual turnover in excess of £180m.

The new Torus group says it will "maintain a strong presence" in each of its three heartland areas: St Helens, Warrington and Liverpool, where local services will continue to be delivered by Helena Homes, Golden Gates Housing Trust and LMH.

The group adds that plans for 2019 prioritise the delivery of wider housing solutions, meaning greater choice for people needing homes. These plans will see the group build 5,300 new homes by 2024.

It also says community regeneration is a key priority and the group has pledged £5m each year into meaningful projects to improve wellbeing, skills and quality of life. Torus says this social dividend will be generated through commercial activity and invested into initiatives across St Helens, Warrington and Liverpool.

Steve Coffey, chief executive for the new group and former CEO of LMH, said: “The vision for new Torus is driven by a shared commitment to the communities we serve and by a determination to build positive futures across our heartland areas.

“This is more than a joining together of landlords. As a larger, more diverse organisation – simultaneously landlord, property developer, commercial contractor and social entrepreneur – we’ll deliver our vision on a larger scale.”

Torus says it will be engaging with tenants and residents later in the year with a view to defining the priorities of the new group and shaping future services.

A spokeswoman said that no jobs have been lost due to the amalgamation.