Sigmat help to deliver green homes in Brighton

On 13th March, the co-chairs of Brighton & Hove City Council’s Housing Committee visited the development to celebrate the completion of this much-needed housing scheme. Delivered under the New Homes and Neighbourhoods programme, it has seen the delivery of 42 one, two and three-bedroom council homes on the land adjacent to Portslade Town Hall.

Four of the properties within the development are wheelchair accessible and each property benefits from sustainable build elements, including solar panels and ground source heat pumps, in order to reduce carbon emissions and utility bills. o further the carbon reduction of the project, the team has worked in partnership with offsite construction specialist Sigmat, which has overseen the installation of a lightweight steel frame, instead of reinforced concrete. This decision was in line with findings from Morgan Sindall Construction's carbon assessment tool, CarboniCa, which helped save the project 177 tonnes of carbon.

Externally, the site boasts stunning landscape communal gardens, with raised planters, trees, a small orchard, seating and green ‘living’ walls planted with a variety of flora, to provide a beautiful natural landscape for residents to socialise and relax in. The completed project at Victoria Road is part of a wider scheme Morgan Sindall is working with Brighton & Hove City Council on to provide a range of affordable housing under the council’s five-year Strategic Construction Partnership, which launched in 2018.

It is on track to deliver 800 new accommodation units within the city. Guy Hannell, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Southern Home Counties, said: It is an exciting moment for everyone involved in the Victoria Road project at Morgan Sindall and Brighton & Hove City Council, as we’ve delivered high-quality, sustainable homes for the long-term future, for the people of Brighton & Hove.

In line with the council’s carbon neutral target of 2030, and as part of our Intelligent Solutions approach to creating sustainable facilities, the project team has prioritised carbon-reduction techniques at every stage throughout the build and in operation. This will secure the long-term future of these much-needed homes.” Councillor David Gibson, co-chair of the Housing Committee, said: Providing more council homes is a priority for us and it’s great to see these new homes finished. The completion of Jay Court and Perching Court provides a big boost of 42 new homes to our programme, with residents due to move in later this month.

This is a ground-breaking project featuring highly energy efficient homes, designed to go further than ever towards the council’s carbon neutral targets for 2030. These include the first development with a ground source heat pump system.”