OREANDA-NEWS. The proposed merger between Affinity Sutton Group and Circle Housing Group has received conditional regulatory approval from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), subject to the passing of a resolution for a transfer of engagements and to obtaining all necessary lenders' consents. Legal completion will now take place as soon as practicably possible.

The name of the new merged organisation will be Clarion Group, and will include a newly formed commercial company - Latimer, which will lead on the Group's housebuilding programme. The individual housing associations will continue to operate until a later date.