McCarthy Stone has announced that it will develop 40 new retirement community sites that will be built using modern methods of construction (MMC)
The first sites in Broadstairs, Stratford-on-Avon, Warminster and West Bridgford will be under construction this year, and a further 10 will be delivered in 2023, followed by 25 in 2024.
The MMC solution will be provided in partnership with Sigmat using its eco-friendly and dynamic Light Gauge Steel Framing (LGSF) off-site structural solution. The partnership recently received an NHBC Accepts Accreditation for their unique apartment system using LGSF.
The use of MMC will enable McCarthy Stone to fast-track the delivery of high-quality, energy-efficient, and affordable retirement homes for elderly people.
The scheme also aids the Government's Heat and Building Strategy to reduce carbon emissions as each retirement community built using MMC will see an improved building performance in comparison to those built using traditional methods.
One of the first retirement community developers to deliver offsite housing
The company is one of the first retirement community developers to begin the delivery of housing built offsite, and the only one to be delivering it nationally at scale.
McCarthy Stone recently opened its first MMC retirement community in Hexham, Northumberland which reduced typical build times by 15%. Future schemes are expected to reduce by 25%.
John Tonkiss, CEO of McCarthy Stone, said: "MMC is game-changing. Sigmat's unique solution will further increase our build quality, control our costs, and most importantly, build more energy-efficient and greener communities.
Aim to build 50% of all new retirement communities using MMC
"This announcement paves the way to a more cost-efficient and sustainable future, and our long term aim is now to build 50% of all our new retirement communities in this way. The new NHBC accreditation also adds further assurance and certainty."
Construction minister Lee Rowley MP said: "I am pleased to see McCarthy Stone will be expanding their commitment to deliver more retirement housing using modern methods of construction.
"Their cleaner and cheaper construction method is helping the UK meet its net zero targets while also providing high-quality housing for our ageing population."
NHBC Accepts Accreditation
Paul Smith, managing director of Sigmat commented: "This is a hugely exciting collaboration for both McCarthy Stone and Sigmat. We are delighted to have been selected as McCarthy Stone's LGSF partner of choice on their journey to fully embrace MMC and the benefits it brings.
"By partnering with McCarthy Stone we are committed to setting new standards in delivering retirement living portfolios, providing NHBC-approved quality structures, manufactured offsite at our Leeds manufacturing facility for the UK retirement market."
Richard Lankshear, NHBC senior technical services manager, added: "We are delighted to welcome the McCarthy Stone MMC system to NHBC Accepts.
"McCarthy Stone are one of the first developers to obtain this certification in collaboration with the UK's largest LGSF supplier and we know from feedback that once a product is given the NHBC Accepts green light that this creates confidence in the quality, long-term durability and traceability.
"We actively assess construction quality both on-site and off-site to verify that each product is suitable and acceptable to meet the standards set to obtain our ten-year NHBC Buildmark warranty."
Source: PBC Today
