Trio adopting ’sub-assemblies and components’ approach to speed up construction

Preston

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A joint venture between Trafford Housing Trust, L&Q and contractor Willmott Dixon using modern methods of construction is set to deliver 250 homes on a Homes England site in Preston.

The development vehicle Laurus Partnership Homes will buy the land in the Fulwood area of the Lancashire town from the government’s housing delivery agency and subject to planning consent begin building the homes later this year.

The £47m scheme on D’Urton Lane will result in a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes, with 127 being affordable through shared ownership and affordable rent. The remaining homes will be for private sale.

Larry Gold, chief executive at Sale-headquartered Trafford Housing Trust, called for the sector to take up his organisation’s business model which he said “sees us reinvest all profits into providing more new homes and supporting wider social purpose initiatives”.

Duncan Inglis, Homes England’s head of accelerated delivery, said modern methods of construction would be used on the Preston scheme to help increase the speed of the development.

The contractor would “adopt a sub-assemblies and components approach, which includes building techniques such as the installation of pre-cast ground floors, first floor cassettes, and installing pre-formed wiring looms”, Inglis added.