Watford Community Housing has received planning permission to deliver 18 homes for affordable rent on the site of the former Northcotts complex in Abbots Langley.
Demolition of the existing building began in late 2021, with 18 two-bedroom flats scheduled for completion by 2023.
Northcotts was originally constructed in 1981 and, after a recent assessment of the property, the community gateway housing association has decided to rebuild in a “more modern, efficient” fashion.
The assessment concluded that to comply with the latest building regulations and to provide a better quality of living, it would be prudent to rebuild, rather than adapt the existing structure.
Specialist construction provider Elements Europe has been appointed to deliver the project, utilising offsite manufacturing techniques to create the homes.
The process will involve the design, planning, manufacture and pre-assembly of modular construction elements and components in an offsite factory environment.
Around 50 pre-assembled steel frame modules will be delivered to the site, where they can be bolted together.
It is estimated that this method of construction reduces construction time by around 30-50% – as it requires less on-site labour and is not affected by weather conditions – and it eliminates almost all on-site waste, which is a by-product of traditional construction.
In addition to the quicker build times and numerous environmental benefits, offsite manufactured homes are shown to be approximately 37% more thermally efficient than the current regulatory standards require, ensuring easy-to-heat homes for future residents.
Commenting on the upcoming development, Tina Barnard, chief executive of Watford Community Housing, said: “We want all our customers to live in a safe, energy-efficient home that they can be proud of.
“Sustainability and affordability are at the heart of what we do, which is what makes this such an exciting development.
“Our utilisation of OSM should reduce both the time taken to construct, and minimise the environmental impact, allowing us to build quickly and meet the rapidly growing demand for affordable homes.”
Watford Community Housing is a not-for-profit housing association that owns and manages more than 6,800 homes in south-west Hertfordshire.
Image: Watford Community’ Homes Northcotts housing development
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