Accord housing association launches own construction arm

Grant Prior 12 years ago
Share

West Midlands housing association the Accord Group is launching its own construction arm to build timber-frame homes.

Accord opened its LoCaL Homes  timber-frame factory in Walsall in November 2011.

The association is now forming a construction management team to build the homes with the first site in Wolverhampton set to contain 22 houses.

Accord said the move is expected to “generate significant savings by reducing the cost of using external agencies and contractors, with savings ploughed back into building more new homes.”

Mike Stockle, who has 33 years of experience in the construction industry, will head-up the new division.

Chris Handy, Group Chief Executive of the Accord Group, said: “We are delighted to launch our own construction team which will enable us to erect the timber-framed homes that we are manufacturing in our LoCaL Homes factory.

“The savings we make from doing this will also ensure that we stay ahead of increasing costs and meet the challenge of building higher-quality homes with less Government grant to do so.

“At a time when house-building in the UK has slumped to a 30-year low, it’s vital that we continue to build new homes and this will help us to do that by reducing costs.”

Councillor Peter Bilson, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Prosperity, said: “We want to see a range of new homes built in Wolverhampton and this exciting development helps achieve that.

“It is fantastic to see a developer such as Accord demonstrating its commitment and investing in our city.”

Stockle, Construction Manager for the Accord Group, said: “This is a ground-breaking step for Accord Group and one that I’m very pleased to be a part of.

“The Bushbury development will be the first of many sites in which homes will be designed, constructed and erected by ourselves and once complete it will provide high-quality, low-carbon homes for local people.”

Accord Group is one of the largest housing associations in the West Midlands and will build 1,500 new homes as part of the Matrix Housing Partnership by 2015.

 

Latest news

Comment: Gateway is acting like a barricade

Contractors left banging their heads on an (unbuilt) brick wall
2 days ago

Final phase of £1.5bn Elephant and Castle revamp hits planning

Get Living submits revised plan for 500 homes and 450-bed student block
3 days ago

Ealing backs final phase of £1.3bn estate rebuild

Friary Park estate rebuild in Acton reaches end stage
2 days ago

Green light for scaled-down Nottingham student tower

Glasshouse Street scheme will deliver 247 student rooms
2 days ago

Aston Villa to revamp North Stand

Club to reuse existing structure rather than complete rebuild
3 days ago

Mace signs ex-ISG director to lead Euro health and tech push

Gary Sweeney to head up healthcare and life sciences consultancy arm
2 days ago

Sir Robert McAlpine claws way back into profit

Firm says return to profit and strong cash balance validates new strategy
3 days ago

Severfield to cut staff by 6% amid pricing pressure

Steelwork contractor warns of extended tighter pricing due to project delays
3 days ago

JRL completes sale of 50% stake to Malaysian giant IJM

Deal boosts balance sheet and kicks starts growth plan
3 days ago

Green light for £100m Liverpool Baltic station build

Enabling highway works to start in the autumn
4 days ago

First live tests for flying construction robots

Drones can lay construction materials at height on site
3 days ago

Three firms land £170m Gentoo Sunderland housing deal

PHS Solutions, Esh and RE:GEN to deliver 10-year home upgrade plan
4 days ago

Gateway gridlock hits build-to-rent delivery as starts nosedive

Build to rent starts plunge 18% in the capital
4 days ago

Call to shift Gateway 2 checks to end building bottleneck

"The current system isn't working but we all want to see safe buildings"
4 days ago

GBN launches £600m bid race for SMR engineer roles

Owner engineers to provide technical and assurance services
4 days ago

Wates hires ex-Homes England chief to head public sector push

Robert Stone to spearhead its public sector and national frameworks strategy
4 days ago

Acheson Construction collapse costs suppliers £8.5m

One frustrated creditor seized a telehandler after contractor went into administration
5 days ago

Dominus wins go-ahead for 173-bed Glasgow scheme

Old Wynd Street job expected to cost around £25m to build
5 days ago

Safety Regulator misses deadline to clear Gateway 2 backlog

Investors pulling out of funding high rise buildings
5 days ago

CITB still sitting on £95m cash pile

Staff numbers jump from 666 to 763 as training body wage bill soars
5 days ago

£500m road surfacing framework market call

NEPO goes out to consultation on north east regional highways deal
5 days ago

Two share £220m Scottish rail repairs and minor works deal

AmcoGiffen and CPMS win civils and building repair deals
5 days ago

Builder wanted for £60m London leisure and flats job

Tower Hamlets aims to replace St George’s Leisure Centre in Shadwell
5 days ago

Contractor confirmed for business park expansion

Roe Developments to start on next phase of Castle Donington scheme
5 days ago

Driver escapes injury as scaffold collapses onto van

Major three-lift scaffold fall blocks north London high street
1 week ago

Gilbert Ash to be sold to staff

£267m turnover contractor to transition to an Employee Ownership Trust
2 weeks ago

M Group seals biggest-ever deal with Telent takeover

Digital infrastructure specialist deal lifts turnover to £3bn
2 weeks ago

Aggregates firm Ashville went down owing more than £3m

Debts revealed in Companies House update
1 week ago

Cardo saves 100 jobs at Breyer roofing arm

Private equity-backed Welsh maintenance group continues to expand
2 weeks ago

Excavator knocked off lorry going under bridge

Traffic Commissioner inquiry after accident in south London
1 week ago

Contractor services