Housing association has one eye on the future with Smartbuild pilot

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing

Claire Griffiths, Plus Dane Group's MD for Regeneration and Commercial Development, explains how the housing association's new Smartbuild pilot project could shape its long-term development plans.

In the midst of a double-dip recession, it seems clear that Britain needs to get building again.

Housing associations committed to development can play their part in that revival, the problem we face is the expensive and exhaustive processes involved in getting homes built.

One solution is to build wherever we can, on small parcels of land which are unsuitable for development partners because of the economics involved.

Plus Dane Group already has plans to develop more than 1,000 new homes in Cheshire and Merseyside through its existing framework contractors by 2015 to suit a variety of needs across our Cheshire and Merseyside neighbourhoods and we are currently looking at other funding options, including bonds, to build even more homes.

In the meantime we have launched a pilot project called Smartbuild, which is aimed at small scale schemes.

The project is an attempt to see if we can build homes cheaper and more efficiently than outside contractors by using our in-house trades team. With control of process, cost and quality, we aim to cut out the waste associated with developing, with a long term aim of saving up to £20,000 per unit – cash that can be ploughed into building projects elsewhere.

Although the recession has brought building costs down, we are looking strategically to what the situation will be like in five years time when we anticipate costs will be rising. We also see that there are may be many “in-fill” sites that can be usefully developed without attracting the inevitable objections large schemes attract.

The Smartbuild project will start with a three-home site in Runcorn, using eight members of our trades, repairs and maintenance team who will expand their skills with on-the-job training.

The lessons learned will be used at other pilot sites and, as the team develops, new members will be brought in to build on their skills. We feel this is a logical step for us. We have a large, highly-skilled trades team, hungry to learn new skills and make a difference to the neighbourhoods them serve.

Another important part of this involves creating work – good jobs for people in our neighbourhoods. Unlike other construction firms – where employment is often on a build by build basis – these jobs will be permanent and sustainable.

It also gives us the chance to consult with the people in our neighbourhoods about the types of houses they need and the design of those homes.

Our pilot project may seem a small step when nationally there is an urgent need to get building on the hundreds of thousands of homes of extra homes we need each year.

But it is a step in the right direction and something which will change the lives of the people and families who are crying out for decent places to live.