Housing provider Abri has delivered 16 new affordable homes for the local community at Warbler Park, on Beech Lane in Normandy, Guildford. The new one- two- and three-bedroom houses, which are a mix of 11 social rent and five shared ownership, provide much-needed affordable, high-quality places to live for local families.
The new homes were built by Abri partner Rollalong, who built 90% of the new homes in their Dorset factory, not on a traditional, brick and mortar building site. This innovative method of building new homes can help reduce weather delays, construction time and save the community from having to deal with the disruption a busy building site can bring. With over 2,000 households on Guildford’s social housing waiting list, using newer, more efficient methods of construction will play an important role in meeting the UK’s high demand for affordable housing.
Elliot Prior, Senior Development Manager at Abri, said:
“Warbler Park shows how modern methods of construction can help us deliver the much-needed sustainable, affordable homes for local people, while minimising the disruption of building them.
“By building the majority of each home off site, we have been able to improve efficiency, minimise disruption for neighbours and prioritise quality and sustainability. The energy-efficiency features will also help customers keep their homes warm and reduce running costs.”
The new homes were not only built more efficiently but also designed with quality and sustainability in mind. Features such as high-performance insulation and air source heat pumps help reduce carbon emissions, keep the homes warm in winter and lower residents’ energy bills. With the UK experiencing a record number of heatwaves this year, there is a real need for warmer homes that also stay cool in the Summer. The insulation in the homes at Warblers Park does just that, making sure they are fit for the future.
Elliot was recently joined by Howard Smith, Councillor for Westborough Ward at Guildford Borough Council, Dasos Christou, Abri’s Regional Managing Director for its south east region, Stuart Hensby, Sales and Marketing Director at Abri, Jamie Turpin, Divisional Chief Executive at Newship Group and Ashley Beckett, Construction Director at Rollalong on a tour of Warbler’s Park to view the new homes now at people have begun to move in.
Councillor Howard Smith said:
“I’ve seen first-hand the need for more genuinely affordable homes for local families in Guildford, so it’s fantastic to see developments like Warbler’s Park exactly where they’re needed. It was great to join Abri and Rollalong on a tour of the new homes now they’ve been finished. This is the first time I’ve seen a development built like this and I was very impressed- I’d love to see more developments around Guildford using it.”
Warbler Park contributes to Abri’s target to build 20,000 new homes by 2036, guided by its Home & Place Standard so that safety, affordability, quality and sustainability are considered from the start. As a long-term partner in Guildford, where Abri already provides over 350 affordable homes, the housing provider is committed to delivering more sustainable, affordable homes where they’re needed most.