SSH and Mansell building affordable homes in Chard

22 May 2007

South Somerset Homes and their building partner Mansell are on site at Beckington Crescent in Chard to build 22 new homes. The homes will be ready for occupation in March 2008.

Twelve Cornish PRC flats have been demolished to make way for the 22 new homes, which means that 10 extra homes will be provided. They will be a mixture of one and two-bedroom apartments and two and three-bedroom houses, which will be offered for rent, shared ownership and for outright sale.

The homes will be built using a precision engineered off-site manufactured timber frame, supplied by frame supplier, Space4 with Mansell completing the internal fitting out and cladding. This is the first project on which South Somerset Homes and Mansell are working together. Guy Hayward, Director for Mansell Partnership Housing in the South commented, “This is a great opportunity to partner with South Somerset Homes and to build much needed affordable housing with a design agenda that will create sustainable and energy efficient living.”

All of the properties will be fitted with energy efficient Worcester Bosch condensing boilers and UPVC double glazed windows. The bathrooms will have a heated towel rail, shaver point and demisting mirror. The bedrooms in some houses will have an en-suite bathroom and all homes will have TV and Internet points plus ample double plug sockets.

Graham Cook, Head of Property Management at South Somerset Homes, explains about the efficient build technique, “Using these modern methods of construction helps to improve quality and reduce the amount of time on site which means that we can house people much more quickly than if the homes were built traditionally.”

Chloe Deacon, Lettings and Sales Manager at South Somerset Homes said, “I think this is a fantastic new housing prospect for Chard. This scheme presents a great opportunity for people who have not previously been able to live in Chard, and will allow young couples who are renting, a chance to purchase affordable housing in this lovely historic town.”