BLP Insurance has announced that Swan Housing Group, one of the leading regeneration housing associations in the UK, has secured BOPAS (Buildoffsite Property Assurance Scheme) accreditation for its precision engineered, modular, cross-laminated timber (CLT) homes.
Swan Housing Group is the first housing association to complete the BOPAS accreditation process, which evaluates and facilitates the adoption of best practice in key performance areas at each stage of project development, through concept, design, manufacture and construction. This accreditation will allow Swan to deliver high quality and affordable modular housing built in a factory setting, with the reassurance that the reliability and durability of the build meets an industry-wide benchmark.
BOPAS was jointly established by Buildoffsite, BLP Insurance, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Lloyd’s Register to provide lenders and valuers with access to a database that allows them to confirm whether a specific property has been built using BOPAS assessed modern methods of construction.
The scheme instills confidence in the construction and housing sector that offsite methods of construction should be durable and require no disproportionate maintenance for a minimum period of 60 years. The assurance is based on the building system’s design and manufacture, having been subject to a Lloyd’s Register competency and process assessment, and reviewed for its durability and associated maintenance requirement.
Jeff Maxted at BLP Insurance said: “Developers are increasingly realising the benefits of off-site and modern methods of construction as a viable solution to delivering affordable, high quality properties at speed. BOPAS will enable Swan Housing Group to capitalise on the merits of offsite manufacturing techniques, while assuring investors and developers of the longevity of the end product through an industry benchmark for quality and durability.”
Geoff Pearce, Executive Director of Regeneration and Development at Swan Housing Group, added: “Achieving BOPAS accreditation is extremely important to us. It means we have been recognised as a manufacturer of exceptional quality, off-site precision engineered homes. This will give buyers and funders confidence that the homes we create will last at least as long as one that is traditionally built. A great number of the homes we will build will be held long-term by Swan for rent and it’s equally important to us and our future residents that they will stand the test of time.”
Further information about BOPAS is available at: https://www.bopas.org
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