Mike Perry, sales director at Stewart Milne Timber Systems, and Ian Millard, operations director, Counties Region at L&Q
L&Q and Stewart Milne Timber Systems have signed a deal that will see the offsite timber frame manufacturer deliver more than 1,500 homes for the housing association.
Stewart Milne, which has three manufacturing centres in the UK, will also support L&Q on bids for standalone contracts in the open market.
The deal comes after L&Q announced its Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) strategy, which will see all of its new build homes delivered with some form of MMC by 2025, with an entirely off-site manufactured home completed by 2028. L&Q plans to build 100,000 homes over the next ten years.
The closed-panel timber frame structures will initially be used in the construction of L&Q’s new Counties developments at Birnam Mews, Tiddington and Saxon Reach, Milton Keynes, with the first deliveries in spring 2019. L&Q’s £5 million-per-year Academy will invest in training apprentices and staff in MMC techniques in preparation for the deal.
Alex Goodfellow, group managing director of Stewart Milne Timber Systems, which can supply and erect residential units up to six storeys tall, said: “This is an ambitious and innovative partnership which lays down a significant marker for how new homes can be built at pace and to exacting design standards. This strategic alliance and collaboration will allow L&Q to deliver on a number of fronts and we believe they are setting the standard for how we should approach the housing shortfall across the UK.”
Fiona Fletcher-Smith, group director of development and sales at L&Q, said: “We are excited to be collaborating with Stewart Milne Timber Systems on our modern methods of construction programme. Offsite manufacturing offers a range of exciting opportunities, speeding up the delivery and build quality of our developments whilst reducing the costs of projects.”
