Housing association seeks offsite partner for Basingstoke development

Vivid Homes, the south coast-based housing association, is looking to team up with a modular housing manufacturer to help it build nearly 80 homes on a site in Basingstoke.

The association, which manages 30,000 homes in Hampshire and the South-east, said it recognised that industry input would be “invaluable at this stage of the development so that the requirements, constraints and advantages of a modular approach can be understood” before any planning commitment was underway.

It said the use of modular technology was a key factor in the proposed mixed-tenure scheme, which aimed to deliver six maisonettes and 73 one- and two-bedroom flats spread across two blocks.

Julie Porter, Vivid’s head of development, said the housing association had identified the Basingstoke site as a potential opportunity for modular construction, since it owned the land and the site was at pre-planning stage.

“We’re able to influence the design to suit a modular solution. Modular housing can enable us to determine quality whilst also building at scale, so we’re interested in exploring this option for our site in Basingstoke.

“In addition to modular housing we’re also looking at ways we can address sustainability issues facing the industry, including the government’s desire to move away from gas boilers in new homes by 2025,” Porter added.

Vivid said it hoped to announce details of a contracted partner in January next year.