Accent will use Canadian off-site manufacturing to meet Prescotts 60,000-home challenge

The competition, run in partnership with regeneration agency English Partnerships, is part of the ODPM’s initiative to create affordable homes for first-time buyers unveiled in its five-year plan, published last Monday.

The association will bid for the right to build on EP sites. About a third of the £60,000 homes constructed will contribute to the first-time buyers initiative, through which the buyer will only pay the construction cost of the home and not the cost of the land on which it stands.

Construction firm Wates is also taking part in the competition, with Whitefriars Housing Group providing the land for its homes.

Accent joined the fray on Friday when it signed a deal to import the Canadian off-site manufacturing technology it will use in its £60,000 homes.

The association could set up four or five factories to build 20,000 homes each year and may export some to mainland Europe.

It is talking to 13 associations that are interested in using the timber-frame technology and wants to get as many housing associations and private developers as possible using the system or a version of it.

Accent also plans to use the timber-frame technology for 60% of its total output of new buildings over the next four to five years.

Accent is likely to invest about £2m to £3m in the first factory but there could be additional investment from its supply partner Carillion and the Société d’habitation du Québec, the government agency in charge of social housing in Quebec, where the homes are made.

For the first few years, Accent will import the systems from Canada but will gradually begin building the units in the UK.

Each factory will have a training facility to prepare local people for producing the homes.

Martin Kelly, chief executive of Accent, said: “We have set ourselves a target of [building homes] one-third cheaper than current methods. That’s challenging but we believe it will be achieved through this approach.”

He added that a three-bedroom home could be built for £60,000 using the system.