Accent has collapsed its group structure to form a single housing association.

The 21,500-home HA has amalgamated subsidiaries Accent Nene and Accent Peerless into a single association, Accent Housing.

It had previously completed a “virtual” consolidation – with the same board members sitting on all company boards – back in 2013/14. But the threat of lenders repricing loans, which would have cost Accent “several million pounds” according to its chief executive Gordon Perry, had prevented a full consolidation until agreement was reached this year.