West Wiltshire Housing Society has opened its first timber frame development, saying that the decision to use wood was an economic one for both the company and its customers.
The £1.2m Chestnut Corner site, in Bratton near Westbury, features two bungalows and four three-bedroom and six two-bedroom houses, and is designed to be an affordable housing development.
Timber frame was used to cut construction costs and save tenants money in the long term, according to West Wiltshire Housing Society, with the thermal properties and build quality of wood highlighted as key factors.
“Principally, the decision [to use timber frame] was to improve our value for money and our build process,” said Rebecca O’Neil, communications manager at the housing group. “We also believe that timber frame saves our tenants money on bills. Everyone wins.”
West Wiltshire Housing Society chairman John Alford said that timber frame was the best way for the group to attain “high environmental standards while keeping homes affordable for tenants”.
The Chestnut Corner development is the first in a number of timber frame projects that are in the pipeline for West Wiltshire Housing Society, with further builds under way in Melksham and Warminster. Ms O’Neil said that the majority of the group’s builds were now in timber and that “we are fully embracing timber frame”.
