Huge job-creating timber frame factory given green light

Persimmon Homes has been given the green light to build a 493,000 sq ft timber frame factory on the edge of Loughborough, paving the way for the creation of up to 120 jobs.

Plans for the facility – believed to be the biggest in the UK – were approved by Charnwood Borough Council last week.

The site will serve as a base for Persimmon’s sister brand Space4, which produces timber frames, insulated wall panels and roof cassettes. It will produce timber frame units for up to 7,000 homes a year and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025.

The new Space4 facility will become part of the Garendon Park Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE) – a community of over 3,000 homes on the Garendon Park estate where Persimmon Homes North Midlands is master developer.

Gareth Wicks, managing director designate at Space4 said: “We’re delighted to have received approval for our new Space4 facility and I want to thank Charnwood Borough Council for their support. Not only will the development deliver up to 120 new jobs, it will also further our goal to place sustainable practices at the very heart of our developments.

“We’re committed to creating vibrant, successful communities with the environment in mind. We’ll continue to work in partnership with the Council and other stakeholders to ensure our new Space4 factory delivers real benefits for local industry and the wider Loughborough community.”

£43m will be paid to support local infrastructure delivery and ensure economic development across the whole of SUE.

Dan Endersby, managing director of Persimmon Homes North Midlands, said: “Approval for the new Space4 facility at our Garendon Park development comes at a particularly exciting time as we welcome our first residents and continue to build our presence in Loughborough.

“Garendon Park will be one of Persimmon’s flagship communities, with over 3,000 homes, employment and leisure facilities, and a range of preserved historic monuments around the site.”