Morgan Sindall Construction delivers new £8 million housing development in Brighton five weeks early

Morgan Sindall Construction has successfully delivered 30 new homes in Selsfield Drive, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, with careful planning enabling delivery five weeks ahead of programme.

The development of one and two bedroom flats, two of which are fully wheelchair accessible, was delivered for Brighton & Hove City Council as part of plans to build 64 new council homes by the end of 2020, and a wider four year plan to provide 800 new accommodation units within the city.

The development looks to provide people living locally with first-class affordable housing, with modern, well-planned living spaces set within an attractive location with green space and protected trees.

The Morgan Sindall Construction team engaged early with Brighton and Hove City Council’s design team and was able to implement a number of approaches, which helped to ensure the project was delivered ahead of time. These included utilising precast concrete columns which significantly reduced the programme period and the number of deliveries.

Morgan Sindall Construction was also able to mitigate any challenges brought about by the ramifications of COVID-19, with the project team working to extended rotas in order to offset the loss of production due to social distancing restrictions.

Due to the size of the development, a new electrical substation was needed, with works proposed to start when Covid-19 pandemic took hold. Morgan Sindall Construction’s team was able to work with supply chain partners and energy providers to ensure this project took priority and the works proceeded without delay.

Parking spaces and cycle storage facilities have been constructed, while a landscaped outdoor area provides residents with a beautiful green space at their doorstep.

Early engagement with local residents and proactive communication between the project team, sub-contractors, the council and the community meant that the impact of the project was minimised, and deliveries and traffic management systems were planned well in advance.

Guy Hannell, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Southern Home Counties area director, said: “We are delighted to be handing over this important scheme for the city, providing affordable, high-quality council housing for residents.
Despite working under challenging conditions, the whole project team has done a fantastic job and has worked strategically to plan ahead and ensure minimal disruption to the project – enabling the completed development to be handed over five weeks ahead of schedule.
Morgan Sindall Construction is committed to working with the communities at the heart of our projects to ensure minimal disruption to the lives of those neighbouring the site, and ensure the impact of social value is felt by local residents. We look forward to continuing our close working relationship with Brighton & Hove City Council, our subcontractors and supply chain.”

Councillor David Gibson, joint chair of the Housing Committee, said: “These high quality council-rented homes are part of our ambitious plans to provide 800 more council homes to help tackle the city’s shortage of affordable housing.
Despite Covid-19, since agreeing our joint programme with Labour, we have achieved 135 additional council owned homes over 18 months. The flats look very attractive on the outside and I can’t wait to see inside and hear from the new tenants what difference the flats will make to their lives.
We have over 8,000 people on the housing waiting list, these new homes mean we can house 30 more households needing a secure stable home.”

Councillor Gill Williams, the opposition lead for housing, said: “It’s great to see these lovely new council flats completed early. Council staff and contractors worked hard to keep the development on track and maintain safety on the construction site, in line with Covid-19 restrictions. Every new council home makes a vital difference in tackling the city’s housing crisis.”

The new development comes shortly after Morgan Sindall Construction successfully delivered 12 new homes in Hangleton for Brighton & Hove City Council’s New Homes for Neighbourhood programme.

Consisting of three, two-storey blocks, the new homes will be among the first tranche of properties advertised under Brighton & Hove City Council’s lettings scheme since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown.

• For more information about this news release please contact Ruth Cobban at Influential on 07814 556 567 or email cobban@thisisinfluential.com