Accord Group, one of the largest housing associations in the west Midlands, used Ecobuild as “a springboard” for its new closed panel timber frame manufacturing facility, LoCaL Homes.
Accord owns more than 11,000 homes and manages a development programme worth £180m. It imported timber frame homes from Norway but 18 months ago decided to manufacture its own houses. Walsall council located a derelict factory for LoCaL Homes to take over and the company recruited and trained 30 unemployed people and opened the factory last November.
“It started manufacturing proper in December and is now producing one house a day and erecting one house a day with its own site erection team,” said Claire Barratt, Accord Group director of communications.
The factory has a capacity of 200-300 houses per year and is on site with its first development – 56 houses in Darliston, Walsall.
LoCaL has plans to double its shifts and open a second factory.
“We came to Ecobuild to offer solutions for housing associations and councils,” said Ms Barratt. “It’s been tremendous and we’ve made some very useful contacts. The need and demand for this [LoCaL Homes] has been a real eye-opener.”
