PSP, part of the Chartway Group of Companies, has launched a new development management service to help local authorities and housing associations accelerate the delivery of new low energy affordable homes.

The service has been introduced as a response to the changing requirements from clients and an emerging demand for additional capacity and technical skills for the development of new homes.

As the UK heads towards recession and public sector bodies navigate the cost-of-living crisis, the PSP end-to-end consultancy service can help Councils and Housing Associations accelerate the development of housing projects and business case preparation.

In recent weeks, reports from council officers from a diverse range of local authorities including Manchester, Medway, Sheffield, and York have warned about budget gaps at the end of this financial year in part due to the soaring rate of inflation.

Meanwhile, the Government has also launched a consultation to cap increases in social housing rents to either 3%, 5% or 7% with 5% being the government’s preferred option.

However, research published by the National Housing Federation (NHF) in August 2022 shows that it is 12.3% more expensive to build new homes than it was last year, and material costs for repairs and maintenance have increased by 14% putting a significant squeeze on housing association budgets.

PSP has successfully delivered a number of housing developments and is currently working with Weaver Vale Housing Trust to develop its first, low-energy family homes using Modern Methods of Construction. This development comes hot on the heels of PSP completing a development of net zero carbon houses in Kent, which were constructed off site.

Over the past 15 years PSP has helped public sector bodies build 5,200 new homes, create 4,570 new jobs and saved 680 kT in carbon emissions.

Mark Davis, Partnerships Director at PSP said: “The UK not only has a crisis in the quantity of new affordable homes being developed but it also has a crisis in the number of homes that are low-energy in use. This is exacerbated by the energy crisis which could result in an estimated 6.7 million people living in fuel poverty this winter.

“Despite the funding pressures, councils and housing associations want to build more high-quality homes for their communities that are cheaper to run.

“This is where PSP can step in, to help. Our team has the technical skills, capacity and decades of combined experience successfully developing thousands of new homes which dramatically reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.

“Having recently merged with the award-winning housebuilder, Chartway Group, we now have even more expertise and capability to enable councils and housing associations to build new, high-quality homes.

“We can provide cost plans that are reflective of the ever-changing landscape of build costs. We have an in-house supply chain that could be more competitive, compared to working with multiple partners.

“In addition to the economic pressures on the supply chain, comes further risk of insolvency and administration of contractors. It’s more important than ever that local authorities and housing associations protect themselves as much as possible against these additional risk factors.

PSP, part of Chartway Group of Companies, is a UK property services consultant and partner working with Councils, Housing Associations, and other public sector bodies to provide asset and development management services to deliver land and property projects with true social impact.

For further information on the new PSP Development Management Service please contact Partnership Director Mark Davis at mark.davis@publicsectorplc.com.