News

Being able to create net zero homes at scale is high on the agenda in the South West - to help meet net zero targets and to fulfil the need for housing. To meet the national emissions target deadline of 2050, all existing home and homes currently being built to a less than net zero standard will have to be retrofitted. To avoid this additional cost, we need to begin building towards this standard now.

The benefits of offsite MMC delivery are well known and documented but utilising these methods doesn’t seem to be happening at pace.  Why this is the case is the subject of considerable scrutiny - within the report ‘Build Homes, Build Jobs, Build Innovation’, published in September 2020 by Mike DeAth and Mark Farmer; Cast Consultancy sets out 10 key areas of critical market failure ranging from one of unclear language and terminology to delivery and procurement models failing to promote process integration.

In October 2020, LHC issued an advice note regarding the use of the new UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark which replaced the European CE mark.  We advised that due to the period of co-existence of the two marks in the UK until 1 January 2022, LHC would accept certification using both CE and UKCA marking regimes between 1st January 2021 and 31st December 2021.

15 offsite manufacturers have won places in the South West on a new £330 million framework for the public sector.

The Modular Buildings (MB2) framework from LHC, the contracting authority for SWPA allows local authorities, social landlords and other public bodies to source preapproved specialist suppliers who can design, supply, and install permanent, temporary, and refurbished modular buildings.

Thank you for your interest in the Low Carbon Offsite Construction DPS. 

This exercise is intended to provide potential bidders and clients with the opportunity to view and comment on the proposed Low Carbon Offsite Construction DPS if they wish to do so. This builds on the commitment to engage with the market, by sharing information and seeking input from the market to enable us to develop the final DPS documents in a fair and transparent manner.

The theme for Earth Day 2021 is 'Restore Our Earth', which focuses on natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can restore the world's ecosystems. On the surface this may seem far removed from the world of public sector procurement, but at SWPA we believe that the role of procurement is increasingly important in reaching net zero targets. Reaching these targets will have to utilise green technologies and will require innovative thinking.

SWPA has launched a new guide for local authorities, housing associations and other registered providers that are looking to procure energy efficiency works.

The new guide from SWPA provides details of its £800m Energy Efficiency Measures and Associated Works (N8) framework, which runs until 8 November 2024.

We have moved to new offices in Exeter.

Although the team is still working from home we hope to be back in the office soon.

SWPA have recently become members of the UK Green Building Council! The team is ready to expand our knowledge about retrofit programmes to reach zero carbon targets and net zero new builds.

UKGBC have a range of great resources able to inform decisions on these topic areas as well as social value and much more!

An innovative new £1.1bn procurement solution has been launched by Constructing Modern Methods (CMM) and the South West Procurement Alliance (SWPA) with the aim to unlock offsite, low carbon, housing.

Tackling the housing crisis is a priority for all local authorities, but in the West and South West of England public sector housing represents the fastest growing area of construction, with Bristol City Council alone committed to building 2,000 new homes every year.