Social housing consortium working on next multimillion-pound framework

Wayne Gales, left, and Sean Stafford who runs the framework

A North West social housing consortium – which is currently building more than 4,550 homes – has teamed up with contractors and consultants to shape its new development framework model.

JV North’s current £180m framework comes to an end next year.

The Manchester-based consortium counts Bury Council, Community Gateway, Jigsaw, One Manchester, Sovini, Torus, Trafford Housing Trust, Weaver Vale Housing Trust and Wythenshawe Community Housing Group as full members.

It also has seven associate and three procurement members, including Manchester City Council.

Contractors, architects, employer’s agents, land agents and housebuilders are now attending workshop sessions to shape how the new model will work.

It is discussing if the traditional framework of having separate lists for contractors and consultants who are asked to tender is still relevant.

The collaboration is also exploring if more flexibility, such as mini-tenders and the ability to call-off, an option to add others to the lists and a broader scope of professional services, is required.

The working group will also consider the lots to be offered.

JV North chairman, Wayne Gales, who is also chief executive of Weaver Vale Housing Trust, said: “As a consortium we will be making an ambitious bid to Homes England for grant funding in the £12bn five-year affordable homes programme starting next year.

“There is huge demand for high-quality affordable housing across our communities and JV North members are determined to play a leading role addressing this national crisis.”

He added: “How our framework is structured will be crucial in helping us build more homes faster, more efficiently and greener than ever before.

“By collaborating in the planning stage we can create a procurement route that benefits housing associations, local authorities, developers, contractors and consultants.

“The framework will be more efficient and allow everyone to share value, and ultimately increase the supply of new homes.”

JV North is also asking contractors and consultants what it can offer and do differently in the new framework to create stronger working partnerships, especially in light of COVID-19.

Mr Gales said: “The pandemic has changed the housebuilding landscape.

“Housing associations need to share contractors’ and consultants’ risks because they are key pieces of the homebuilding jigsaw.

“By supporting the financial sustainability of our partners we are backing recently announced government interventions in terms of employment generation, preventing redundancies and creating opportunities for the skilled workforce needed across all supply chain and client teams in the future.

“We also want to take a new and more sustainable approach to social value, working side-by-side with all our stakeholders.”

JV North is building more than 4,550 homes in the current 2016/21 Shared Ownership Affordable Homes Programme, with members investing nearly £500m having secured £150m of Homes England grant.

By the end of the current Shared Ownership Affordable Homes Programme, JV North members will have built 8,500 homes and invested close to £1bn since forming a decade ago.

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