Nationwide Building Society has today announced the appointment of Lovell Partnerships Ltd as their main construction partner on the mutual’s ambitious energy-efficient community of 239 homes.
Lovell will lead on the remaining construction of Oakfield, working with a range of local subcontractors to deliver one of the country’s largest ‘off-gas’ communities.
Work was paused earlier this year when Nationwide’s previous construction partner, Mi-space, went into administration. However, construction is set to resume later this summer, as subcontractors return throughout August.
With fantastic progress having been made on the construction of Oakfield prior to Mi-space going into administration, Nationwide anticipates the show home will be opening later this year, alongside the first homes going on sale.
Built in the Society’s hometown of Swindon, the community development will see all 239 homes reach EPC-A standard, with a wide variety of homes available, from two to four-bed terraced houses to smaller apartments. Each home will be fitted with solar panels and powered by air source heat pumps. 30 per cent of the development has been allocated for affordable housing.
Rachael Sinclair, Managing Director, Homes and Dreams at Nationwide Building Society, said: “We’re delighted to announce the appointment of Lovell as our construction partner and we cannot wait for work to resume on Oakfield next month. Lovell share our commitment to building a community-focused, energy-efficient development and we hope Oakfield will provide the inspiration for housebuilders across the UK to improve the environmental standards of new homes. With the show home opening later this year, I’m excited for prospective buyers to see how the development has been shaped in collaboration with the local community and introduce them to high-quality, sustainable Oakfield homes.”
James Duffett, Regional Managing Director at Lovell, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Nationwide Building Society for the first time to deliver this exciting development in Swindon. Oakfield forms an integral part of our ambitious growth plans at Lovell, as we continue our investment in the South West region, and we are thrilled to have been awarded this project to breathe new life into the brownfield site. The eco-friendly scheme will provide high-quality, much-needed new homes for local people, and create a sustainable community for them to live and work in. We are very much looking forward to working with Nationwide Building Society, and to strengthening our partnership as this development progresses.”
The Society hopes this new approach to creating community-focused, more environmentally-friendly homes will be the start of a blueprint for new build homes across the UK.
Oakfield has already scooped a coveted Housing Design Award in recognition of its community-centric design and commitment to creating homes that are better for people and the planet.
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