Work is progressing well on the site of a £3.9m low-rise affordable housing development in Scotland, being delivered by Morris + Spottiswood for Midlothian Council. Situated in Bonnyrigg, the Hopefield Yard scheme brings a brownfield site back into use while bridging some of the shortage of affordable housing.
Morris & Spottiswood was awarded the work via our Medium Works Framework, stepping up the plate when negotiations with a previous contractor were unable to progress. Through our procurement route, Midlothian Council was able to have a new team in place swiftly, minimising delays to the delivery of the new homes, which are set to complete in March 2023.
Via our direct appointment route, Morris & Spottiswood was able to immediately implement a revised soil and levels exercise to evaluate the contaminated soils and develop a cost-effective remediation strategy with the council’s team. Morris + Spottiswood also carried out a value engineering exercise to get the contract value to within the client’s budget, whilst ensuring all quality standards were met.
Due to the swift work of the team, the site was deemed able to support development, and we’ve now seen the first timber frame structures completed using the benefits of offsite manufacturing methods.
Brian Pettigrew, director at Morris & Spottiswood, said: “We’re really pleased that Pagabo’s procurement route enabled Midlothian Council to get us in place on this scheme quickly, getting work underway to provide new homes for local residents.
“Progress on site is fantastic, with the offsite manufacturing approach to the timber frames really making a big difference in delivery. The approach means that the structures for two whole semi-detached properties were able to be raised in a single day, whereas the traditional methods of brick and block would have taken around four weeks longer.”
The development is set to be in line with Midlothian Council’s net zero carbon agenda through use of solar panels, triple glazing, and air source heat pumps. To further push this agenda and ensure resident access to outdoor space for wellbeing, all 16 homes have front and rear gardens, and a communal EV charge point has been included, which local residents are able to use for a nominal charge.
Karen Carter, our regional relationships manager for Scotland and the north of England, said: “This is a prime example of where a compliant procurement route really serves a client. With a previous contractor pulling out of the job, we were very pleased to support Midlothian Council in appointing Morris & Spottiswood as swiftly as possible, secure in the knowledge that all compliance and due diligence was carried out.
“It’s fantastic to see work continuing to progress to create these much-needed new homes – and particularly impressive to see the speed at which the offsite construction approach allowed structures to be built – showcasing why modern methods of construction are the way forward.”
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