Southern Housing Group announces appointments to new constructors’ framework worth over £630m

Southern Housing Group is launching its first contractors’ framework to manage key construction contractor relationships, worth over £630m over the next five years.

In a move designed to provide a stable platform to support the delivery of over 450 new homes every year until 2025, the Group has developed a comprehensive contractors’ framework and appointed 13 leading contractors. The contractors, which include Durkan and United Living, underwent a rigorous selection process which included considering how partners on the framework would contribute to delivering the Group’s social objectives and ensuring positive outcomes for the Group’s customers.

Southern Housing Group’s Development Strategy has already delivered 393 homes in 2016/17 of which 75% were affordable. The expected number of new homes for the current year is 479 and more than 65% of these will be affordable.

Launching in early October, the new framework will see the Group embedding a partnership approach with delivery partners providing new homes through joint venture style arrangements. The contractors’ framework is part of a larger network of refreshed and new frameworks for the Group’s architects, employers’ agents, structural engineers, services engineers and principal designers. Together all these framework partners will work alongside t the Group’s new inhouse building company, Southern Housing Construction Ltd, to deliver the Group’s development ambitions.

Andy Berridge, Director of Development at Southern Housing Group said, “This framework is the culmination of a huge amount of work and is a vital next step in realising the Group’s development plans. I am delighted to welcome our contractor partners. I am looking forward to the new frameworks making a real difference to delivering the Group’s Development Strategy over the next few years. The next steps now will be to develop KPIs and agree ways of working and best practice.”

This is new initiative for Southern Housing Group. Alan Townshend, Group Development Director said, “As the Group progresses its plans to increase the output of new homes there is a growing need to marshal the Group’s resources effectively.  With over £630m worth of contracts up for appointment over the next few years we have to ensure we are delivering value for money. This framework will help us to achieve this whilst remaining true to our social objectives. We remain committed to delivering a high proportion of affordable good quality homes for people in need.”

This is the beginning of renewed partnerships for some contractors appointed to the Group’s framework.

Daren Nathan, Development Director at Durkan said, “We are delighted to have secured a place on Southern Housing Group’s first contractor framework. We have a track record of working with the Group on developments including the successful £50m upgrade to historic Lisgar Terrace in London and as a contractor on the framework we will continue to build on our strong relationship whilst exploring opportunities for joint ventures.  We look forward to working in partnership over the coming years to deliver affordable, quality homes and provide investment in the communities around them.”

Ian Burnett, Managing Director of United Living said, "United Living is looking forward to working with Southern Housing Group on a framework which has the real aspiration to reward contractors with repeat business through excellent KPI performance. Too often frameworks are priced based but we get a very strong sense that time, quality and value will be measured together with the true local impact that we create whilst carrying out the works. Both our team and I are sure the other successful Contractors look forward to delivering under such a performance driven framework."The new framework will be officially launched at an event on 5 October 2017 at the Group’s London headquarters in Clerkenwell.

Southern Housing Group Contractors’ Framework appointments:

1. Ardmore Construction Ltd
2. Bouyges UK
3. Durkan Ltd
4. Galliford Try Partnerships Ltd
5. Guildmore Ltd
6. Hill Partnerships Ltd
7. Keepmoat Regeneration Ltd
8. Mullaley & Company
9. Osborne Ltd
10. Rydon Group Ltd
11. Stoneham Construction Ltd
12. United Living (South) Ltd
13. Wates Construction Ltd