Housebuilder to close major modular production facility

Housebuilder Countryside Partnerships is set to exit its modular production unit in Bardon, Leicestershire – just two years after moving into the 360,000 sq ft facility.

The move to leave the modern methods of construction (MMC) premises comes as part of a bid to cut the losses incurred by its manufacturing processes.

In May, Countryside said its modular business had made six-month loss of £6.5m – £3m of which was attributed to the Bardon site.

When it announced the move to Mountpark’s Bardon II scheme in June 2020, Countryside said it would create 100 jobs, with staff making its advanced modular panel system that would deliver around 3,250 new homes a year for the company’s three Midlands regions.

Countryside, which is preparing to put itself up for sale, said that it had also completed a review of cost savings across the business, identifying at least £15m of savings a year, the delivery of which is “well underway”.