MANCHESTER: A housing association has received a £15m fillip to help pay for new developments and maintain existing stock over the next three years.

The 'Johnnie' Johnson Housing Trust, based in Poynton, Cheshire, manages a £105m portfolio of 4700 properties across the North.

The trust has received a funding package from the Co-operative Bank. Harvey Norton, the trust's finance and business services director, said: "This new partnership will help us to continue to invest in providing quality homes for social housing investment, particularly during the difficult economic times ahead."