Bellway has completed the purchase of land from Homes England in Milton Keynes, where it will adopt new building technology for the first time in the UK, speeding up the build process with some homes built on a factory production line. Bellway will build 160 homes using Modern Methods of
St. Modwen Homes announces £85m+ of investment across five sites St. Modwen Homes, one of the UK’s leading developers of new communities and high-quality homes, today announces five projects which will deliver over 1,100 new homes across England. The new sites will be situated in Lancashire, Kent, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and
20 new affordable homes will be constructed on land near to Earl Marshal Recreation Ground. Esh Construction has been named as construction partner on a £3 million scheme which will bring new affordable homes to Sheffield. Working on behalf of Great Places Housing Group, one of the fastest growing housing
Offsite construction specialist Rollalong is using its expertise to provide accommodation for homeless families near Wokingham, Berkshire. The Dorset-based company is due to deliver 23 modular two-bedroom homes at Grovelands Park in Winnersh, replacing existing outdated temporary accommodation for homeless families. The homes were manufactured in controlled factory conditions at
St. Modwen’s dedicated housebuilding business plans to double in size over the next five years as it brings together internal capabilities in land buying, planning, pre-construction, and customer delivery. Experts within its previously standalone strategic land business, Strategic Land & Regeneration, will be combining with St. Modwen Homes to accelerate
A local builder working for a housing association has shared his delight at seeing fresh talent coming through the ranks in the construction industry. T G Sowerby Developments, based in Scunthorpe, have been sharing the progress of their apprentices on a site on Bottesford Road over the last year. Ben
National housebuilder, Keepmoat Homes, has officially started work on site at Westwood Park, Glenrothes, which kicks off the eight-year building programme to deliver 420 much needed residential homes to the area. The range of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses have been designed to cater for a range of needs and
Sales of homes in the UK strengthened in February, thanks in part to renewed interest from new buyers despite the Bank of England’s decision to increase interest rates – this according to experts responding to the latest RICS Residential Market Survey. A net balance of +17% of respondents said they
Leading holiday homes manufacturer Victory Leisure Homes has announced a unique new partnership with market-leading systems, software, services and manufacturing equipment specialists Hilti. The partnership has seen Victory implement an advanced asset management system across the business that is bespoke to its exact needs. An innovative collaboration, Victory is the only holiday home
Once complete the North East Lands neighbourhood will provide over 2,000 homes in addition to the 4,780 already complete across Wembley Park. Planning permission has been secured for the first phase of this district, which will provide 769 new homes, 201 of which will be affordable within a range of
Bellway has completed the purchase of land from Homes England in Milton Keynes, where it will adopt new building technology for the first time in the UK, speeding up the build process with some homes built on a factory production line. Bellway will build 160 homes using Modern Methods of Construction on the 9.2-acre parcel of land at Tattenhoe Park. This will include 40 modular homes and 120 homes built using timber frame panels. The housebuilder was selected to develop the site at Tattenhoe Park as part of a Homes England pilot project to speed up the delivery of new homes. The build programme will be completed within two years of work starting. Paul Smits, Managing Director of Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “Bellway is committed to exploring innovative ways of delivering new homes more quickly and more sustainably. Tattenhoe Park is therefore a key project for the company, and for the community in Milton Keynes. “Using Modern Methods of Construction will offer benefits beyond speeding up construction. The modular homes, which are built off-site, and the timber frame panels, which replace traditional breeze blocks, are produced in a controlled factory environment. This ensures consistent quality and removes any negative impact from weather conditions. “Both methods improve energy efficiency by creating a more airtight home, and timber is a more sustainable material than brick. The modern processes also reduce the amount of waste produced in the build process. “We have worked with Homes England and with our partners to ensure we can build these homes to the highest standards, for which Bellway is known as a HBF Five Star Builder. “The end result will be a new community which looks comparable with Bellway’s other developments in the area, while delivering these additional benefits to the customer, the community and the environment.” The project is one of a series being led by Homes England with the ambition of delivering 1,800 new homes across the country using a variety of modern construction methods. Bellway’s 160 homes will form phase four of the wider Tattenhoe Park development. Bellway will partner with ilke Homes to deliver the 40 modular homes. Stewart Milne Timber Systems will supply the timber frame panels for the remaining 120 homes. The homes at Bellway’s Tattenhoe Park development will be a range of one and two-bedroom apartments, one and two-bedroom maisonettes and two to four-bedroom houses. The 48 affordable homes will be divided between rental and shared ownership, and there will be a selection of wheelchair accessible properties. Bellway secured planning consent for the development at the end of 2021 and expects to start work on site by the summer. Bellway’s Northern Home Counties division is based in Milton Keynes. The division is already building homes at Wavendon View and Wavendon Chase on the outskirts of Wavendon, and is set to launch a new development at Whitehouse Park in Milton Keynes later this year. For more information on homes at Tattenhoe Park see https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/northern-home-counties/tattenhoe-park.
St. Modwen Homes announces £85m+ of investment across five sites St. Modwen Homes, one of the UK’s leading developers of new communities and high-quality homes, today announces five projects which will deliver over 1,100 new homes across England. The new sites will be situated in Lancashire, Kent, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and London and will total over £85m of investment from St. Modwen Homes. The new developments include 28.6 acres of land in Ditton Edge, Kent, which has permission for 300 homes, as well as 116 homes in Coalville, Leicestershire. In West London, St. Modwen’s joint venture with Vinci has secured permission for 267 units in Uxbridge on the former RAF Uxbridge site while a further 300 homes will be delivered in Newark, Nottinghamshire. An additional 128 homes are due to exchange in Chorley, Lancashire. The announcement follows news this week that St. Modwen Homes plans to double in size over the next five years. St. Modwen Homes built almost 1200 new homes in 2021 and has been recognised as a five-star housebuilder with a Home Builder Federation customer satisfaction rating of over 90%. In September 2021, St. Modwen was named by Homes England as a preferred partner in its new Delivery Partner dynamic purchasing scheme. Dave Smith, Managing Director, St. Modwen Homes, said: “There is an urgent need for new homes in the UK, but the homes that are delivered need to be high quality, and communities must be created in the right places. St. Modwen has a proud record of delivering homes of the highest standard and thriving communities for people to live. Today’s announcement expands our footprint into new areas across the UK and builds on our continued, sustainable growth.”
20 new affordable homes will be constructed on land near to Earl Marshal Recreation Ground. Esh Construction has been named as construction partner on a £3 million scheme which will bring new affordable homes to Sheffield. Working on behalf of Great Places Housing Group, one of the fastest growing housing associations in the North of England, Esh will build 20 new properties on a vacant piece of land off Osgathorpe Drive, near to the Earl Marshal Recreation Ground. Named Fir View Gardens, the two and three-bedroom homes will be available for affordable rent and will include associated parking and landscaping. Great Places Housing Group selected Esh Construction as the chosen contractor after the scheme was procured through the Innovation Chain North framework. Esh Operations Director, Simon Woodward, said: “We are delighted to secure our first contract award via Innovation Chain North and to be working in partnership with Great Places Housing Group. “Throughout this scheme we are committed to delivering a raft of initiatives which will provide social and economic benefits within the local area, including school engagement, work placement opportunities, volunteering and community funding.” The development was given the go ahead by planners in August last year and forms part of the housing association’s plans to develop 11,000 homes by 2030. Executive Director of Growth at Great Places, Helen Spencer, said “This scheme is within the heart of an existing Great Places community, and its completion will deliver high quality new homes to complement the existing neighbourhood. We are looking forward to working with Esh to deliver these homes and excellent social value outcomes for our community.” Esh will work in partnership with Poole Dick Associates, Bowker Sadler Architects and Sutcliffe to deliver the scheme which is expected to get underway in March this year. To find out more about Esh Construction, visit www.eshgroup.co.uk
Offsite construction specialist Rollalong is using its expertise to provide accommodation for homeless families near Wokingham, Berkshire. The Dorset-based company is due to deliver 23 modular two-bedroom homes at Grovelands Park in Winnersh, replacing existing outdated temporary accommodation for homeless families. The homes were manufactured in controlled factory conditions at Rollalong’s headquarters near Bournemouth. Phase one has now been transported to the site and work to complete the installation of all 23 homes is expected to be completed by August 2022. The project will double the number of homes on the Wokingham Borough Council site, and they will be far more energy efficient than the old units. The modular homes will allow more families to be accommodated safely and comfortably while they wait for somewhere permanent to live, and they have their own toilet and bathroom as well as an open-plan lounge, dining room and kitchen. One will be specially adapted for households with people who have disabilities. Laurie Garside, Projects Manager at Rollalong, said: “We are delighted to be working with Wokingham Borough Council’s housing team. The accommodation we have installed for the initial phase of the project is of a very high standard and will provide the local area with a much needed boost for temporary housing.” Councillor John Kaiser, Executive Member for Finance and Housing at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “Homelessness is a fast-growing issue across the country and, sadly, Wokingham borough is no different. We’ve seen an increase during the coronavirus pandemic and coupled with the rising cost of living, this trend is likely to continue. “Improving and increasing the amount of temporary accommodation at Grovelands Park will ensure that we have a safe, suitable supply to meet future need while helping people to live in comfort and dignity at a distressing, uncertain and vulnerable period in their lives. “The new homes will also reduce our reliance on bed and breakfasts, which are expensive, generally have shared facilities and are always outside of the borough, which can increase the sense of isolation for those facing homelessness.” All councils are required to provide temporary emergency housing for homeless families with children or families and individuals who are vulnerable until they find a settled home. At Grovelands Park the old prefabricated units had to be replaced as they were originally built as holiday homes and not intended for long-term occupation. The new timber-clad homes have modern and reliable heating systems and are highly insulated which will prevent pipes from freezing in winter, reduce heating costs and limit their carbon footprint. They also feature the latest fire safety and sustainability measures such as sprinkler systems, double glazing and solar panels, and they are fully furnished with internet access. Some homes are also trialling the latest air source heat pump technologies, an environmentally friendly system that draws heat from outside into the home.
St. Modwen’s dedicated housebuilding business plans to double in size over the next five years as it brings together internal capabilities in land buying, planning, pre-construction, and customer delivery. Experts within its previously standalone strategic land business, Strategic Land & Regeneration, will be combining with St. Modwen Homes to accelerate growth. St. Modwen’s residential and community focus will continue through St. Modwen Homes which last year delivered almost 1200 new homes. It has one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings for a housebuilder of its size in the UK (HBF), an award-winning track record in health and safety, and a progressive and sustainable approach to housebuilding. Acquired by Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, in August 2021, St. Modwen’s strategic focus on the high growth sectors of logistics and housebuilding has attracted ongoing support and investment. St. Modwen Homes is selling homes across 24 sites and is making significant land acquisitions to support its ambitious growth plans. Meanwhile, St. Modwen Logistics delivered 1.4m sq ft of new warehouse space during 2021, with high levels of growth planned in 2022, backed by one of the UK’s largest pipelines at c. 19m sq ft. Sarwjit Sambhi, CEO of St. Modwen, commented: “Over recent years, St. Modwen has become one of the UK’s leading developers of new communities and high-quality homes. Bringing together our land capabilities is natural progression for St. Modwen Homes and we hope a catalyst to double the size of this business.”
A local builder working for a housing association has shared his delight at seeing fresh talent coming through the ranks in the construction industry. T G Sowerby Developments, based in Scunthorpe, have been sharing the progress of their apprentices on a site on Bottesford Road over the last year. Ben McCormack, Jack Gaynor and James Green have been working on the development, with Ben and Jack on joinery apprenticeships and James working in plumbing. Director Steve Sowerby said “All our apprentices are offered full time positions with us once they’ve completed their studies and it will be no exception for these three. That then gives us the opportunity to offer other students the same chance of an apprenticeship once the current apprentices have moved on to full time positions, we already have a bricklayer on trial.” For Ben and Jack, the project represents part of their journey, having worked on the popular Coal Yard at Royston-Under-Dinmore before moving on after this to work on site at the White Swan in Barton. All three projects are being done for Platform Housing Group, who themselves have also said how pleased they are with seeing their local contractors giving young people the opportunity to learn their vital trades. Project manager for Platform Housing Group Christine Storr said, “When looking for small and medium sized enterprises to partner with, the use of apprenticeship schemes is high on the criteria for awarding the work. As a large provider of affordable homes, we’re seeing how the sector is struggling with the skills gap. Allowing young people to learn on the job from the experienced tradespeople we work with is good for both the housing sector and the local economy and is just one of the ways we feel we can best contribute to the communities we build in.” Working with 1,200 colleagues and 45,000 homes, Platform Housing Group works to deliver quality homes and customer services that bring tangible differences to local homes and lives across the Midlands. For more information about Platform Housing Group, visit – https://www.platformhg.com/
National housebuilder, Keepmoat Homes, has officially started work on site at Westwood Park, Glenrothes, which kicks off the eight-year building programme to deliver 420 much needed residential homes to the area. The range of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses have been designed to cater for a range of needs and lifestyles, along with access links for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles within the development and to the wider area. The site will feature useable amenity space and children’s play areas, delivering a safe, pleasant and user-friendly public realm, encouraging active lifestyles and a community feel. Councillor Altany Craik, Convener – Economy, Tourism, Strategic Planning & Transportation Committee, attended Keepmoat Homes’ ground-breaking ceremony. He said: “Today officially marks the beginning of Keepmoat Homes’ significant house building programme in Glenrothes; a milestone to initiate the start of works on a development of 420 residential homes, of which 42 homes will be affordable housing and serviced land for business use. “This is a tremendous step forward in the redevelopment of this vacant site to the south of Glenrothes, which was sold to Keepmoat Homes as part of a joint venture between Fife Council and Scottish Enterprise, together with adjoining landowner Land Team Scotland (Glenrothes) Limited. “I welcome the development of new homes; the vision to create a new thriving community and the benefits that it will bring; as well as the support to local businesses from the proposed land for business use retained by the joint venture partners. This will provide opportunities for businesses to locate in Glenrothes and invest and create jobs in the local economy.” Derek Wilson, Regional Managing Director of Keepmoat Homes said: “We are thrilled to have started work on the site at Westwood Park and we are looking forward to bringing a thriving new community to the area. We have designed the development to respond to the local surroundings, while also holding a strong character and sense of place.”“We will seek to employ local labour as we see this as an opportunity support local businesses, as well as delivering much-needed new homes. We build family homes that are energy efficient and are designed to provide a breadth of house styles that will suit a wide range of prospective homeowners, from first-time buyers to those looking to up-or-downsize and we are confident that the development will help many achieve their dream of owning a new home.”
Sales of homes in the UK strengthened in February, thanks in part to renewed interest from new buyers despite the Bank of England’s decision to increase interest rates – this according to experts responding to the latest RICS Residential Market Survey. A net balance of +17% of respondents said they had seen a jump in new buyer enquiries – the sixth time in a row an increase has been reported and the strongest it has been over this period. At the same time the number of agreed sales improved, with a net balance of +9% saying sales of homes were increasing and strongest reading since May 2021. Looking to the next three months, sales are predicted to increase, albeit at a more modest pace – with a net balance of +11% (down from +20% in January). Looking further ahead respondents remained positive with sales expected to remain on a upward trajectory over the coming year. Declining new sales instructions coming onto the market also appeared to stabilise in February, with only -4% of respondents saying they had seen a fall (less than -7% in January). Stock levels remain close to historic lows however and are still a major factor in sustaining house price inflation. The pace of house price growth has again accelerated according to respondents. A net balance of +78% said prices had increased on a national level, while Wales, Yorkshire and the Humber, the Northwest of England and Northern Ireland showed especially elevated readings. Unsurprisingly, respondents said they see national house prices rising further across the next three and twelve months. These expectations climbed slightly higher despite recent rate hikes from the Bank of England. All parts of the country are anticipated to see continued strong growth in house prices over the next twelve months. On the lettings front, demand from tenants seeking rental housing grew at a solid rate with a net balance of +55% of contributors noting an increase in February. The continuing drought of new homes listed by landlords however showed the supply side remained challenging – with -21% of respondents citing a fall (down further from the -13% in January). As a result, rental growth expectations continued to be driven higher, reaching +66% nationally – the highest figure on record since December 2012. Twelve-month rental growth projections now stand at 4.5%, while respondents anticipate rents increasing by an average of 5% per annum over the next five years (close to a series high). Simon Rubinsohn, RICS Chief Economist, said: “Huge clouds of uncertainty hang over the economic prospects as energy prices continue to surge and the Bank of England grapples with how to manage monetary policy in this challenging environment. “Despite all of this, there is little evidence yet that the mood music regarding the expectations for house prices or rents is shifting. Indeed, the medium-term projections from respondents to the RICS survey are continuing to gain momentum. “It may well be that these trends ease as the deteriorating macro environment begins to bite but the message that keeps recurring, both for sales and lettings, is there are in aggregate many more prospective purchasers and renters than properties available. The risk is that these imbalances exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis and the challenges particularly for those on lower incomes.”
Leading holiday homes manufacturer Victory Leisure Homes has announced a unique new partnership with market-leading systems, software, services and manufacturing equipment specialists Hilti. The partnership has seen Victory implement an advanced asset management system across the business that is bespoke to its exact needs. An innovative collaboration, Victory is the only holiday home manufacturer to use Hilti’s management system in this way. Enabling Victory to manage vital components across its Hull and East Yorkshire sites, Hilti’s ON!Track asset management system uses data matrix codes and Bluetooth technology to track and manage tools, equipment and materials via a cloud software platform. The unique collaboration significantly reduces timescales across all aspects of the manufacturing process, with ON!Track saving Victory up to 6,000 hours per year. As part of the partnership Victory also benefits from Hilti’s all-inclusive fleet contract, which gives access to unlimited manufacturing support and maintenance, and significantly shorter lead times to receive new tools, alongside the option to upgrade Hilti’s top-of-the-range fleet every three years. Mark Hewitt, director of operations at Victory Leisure Homes, said: “As a company that prides itself on challenging the norm and turning traditional processes on their head, we were eager to make the most of Hilti’s market-leading ON!Track technology to create the most efficient and productive system possible for our team. “As well as providing workers with the very best tools for the job, the partnership streamlines the manufacturing process and allows the team to have complete visibility on everything they need with one touch of a button. “Our decision to partner with Hilti came after trialling its system for six months. We place a great deal of value on the views of our workforce and their feedback on the trial was extremely positive.” The new system also allows Victory to help efficiently support its 45001:2018 accreditation in Occupational Health and Safety and ensure its sites remain compliant, safe, and productive. In addition, management can run automated reports on the status of all units within seconds, reducing downtime and substantially decreasing paperwork. Sebastiaan Groenhuijsen, head of product management for Northern Europe at Hilti, added: “It’s always great when businesses use our ON!Track asset management system in new and innovative ways. By tagging its large catalogue of holiday homes, Victory has used out-of-the-box thinking to tailor ON!Track to the business – which we hope will inspire others to do the same. We look forward to continuing this partnership with Victory and our future collaborations.” Other benefits of the partnership include regular tools servicing to ensure all tools are fit for use and remain within the vibration levels for the user.
Once complete the North East Lands neighbourhood will provide over 2,000 homes in addition to the 4,780 already complete across Wembley Park. Planning permission has been secured for the first phase of this district, which will provide 769 new homes, 201 of which will be affordable within a range of tenures including Shared Ownership, Affordable Rent and Discount Market Rent. Union Park, Wembley’s first new park in 150 years, will be a major part of this new development, providing seven acres of new green space for the community 3.5 of which are already complete. The construction contract for the first two plots will be the largest ever awarded in Quintain’s 30-year history – approximately £220 million. Quintain has recently announced it has broken ground on the next major phase of the 85-acre neighbourhood being created at Wembley Park. Named North East Lands, this 12-acre site will deliver over 2,000 new homes with 769 to be built in its first phase. The first two developments at North East Lands comprise of two buildings with blocks ranging from 10 to 27 storeys, centred around communal gardens, a public park and each block includes a roof terrace. North East Lands will provide almost a quarter of the 8,500 homes within Quintain’s Wembley Park overall masterplan and has been designed with high levels of sustainability in both construction and operation, in line with Quintain’s sustainability priorities. The majority of the new Haworth Tompkins’ designed homes in this first phase will be for rent and managed by the award-winning Quintain Living team that already operates over 3,250 homes across Wembley Park within nine diverse Build-to-Rent communities. North East Lands will feature furnished apartments with best-in-class interior design and the lifestyle amenities that Quintain Living is famous for. The buildings will be designed and operated to recognised industry sustainability standards such as the WELL Building Standard. James Saunders, Chief Executive of Quintain said: “As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, it is fantastic to start work on this new significant phase of Wembley Park, a neighbourhood that we are extraordinarily proud to say is one of the most exciting new districts in London. Over the last 20 years, Quintain has built Wembley Park from the ground up and North East Lands will not only add to our flourishing Build-to-Rent portfolio, it will also bring a new seven-acre park and a home for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, who are relocating to this area. Union Park will open up new green space for all the residents of Brent and we are very proud to be able to deliver what will be the first new park in the area for 150 years.” All the buildings in North Eastern Lands have been designed around the new seven-acre Union Park, with local retail in mind, including new space for a community hall, corner shop and café on the park creating a relaxed place to live, work and visit. The first three acres are complete and open for the community to enjoy. Demolition and enabling works started in January 2022 and are being undertaken by John Sisk & Son, they mark the closure of the last of the surface carparks that historically surrounded the National Stadium. These historic car parks have been replaced by state-of-the -art car and coach facilities, delivered in 2020 and 2021. In addition, the development will embrace Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) helping to dramatically reduce vehicle and labour movements as well as improving the on site environment. To deliver North Eastern Lands, Quintain are in advanced discussions with John Sisk & Son over the largest construction contract ever to be awarded at Wembley Park at approximately £220m. Sisk have been a key delivery partner for Quintain for 17 years working on residential developments, the Hilton hotel and the refurbishment of the Grade 2 listed, OVO Arena Wembley.
