Global investment firm M&G plc has acquired a majority stake in sustainable housebuilder and GHA member Greencore Construction.
The investment will help Greencore to significantly expand its capacity and increase its impact across the UK. M&G also plans to invest up to half a billion pounds over the next three to five years in sustainable new developments of private and affordable housing, in partnership with Greencore.
Greencore has developed an innovative modern method of construction (MMC) which uses a closed panel timber frame, manufactured off-site and insulated with natural materials such as hemp, lime and wood-fibre. This allows it to build high quality, energy efficient homes which lock up more carbon than is emitted both during construction and also over the lifetime of the home. Greencore’s science-led approach is a unique and disruptive solution within the housebuilding sector, which needs to make major changes to its methods in order to meet the UK’s net zero targets and help people reduce fuel bills.
With its increased capacity Greencore will expand its customer base of existing and new institutional clients for new developments. It is about to complete Springfield Meadows, an award winning sustainable housing development in Oxfordshire, one third of which is available for affordable rent or shared ownership. WSP, one of the UK’s largest engineering professional services consultancies, has conducted independent assessments of the Greencore products, including a whole life carbon emissions assessment on Plot 12 on Springfield Meadows, a typical Greencore house. This evidenced that Greencore is at the forefront of sustainable housing in the UK, with negative whole life carbon emissions (-278 kgCO2e/m2). RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects)’s target for domestic housing is +625 kgCO2e/m2 by 2030.
Ian Pritchett, Managing Director of Greencore Construction, says: “With this investment, Greencore can scale to have a transformational impact on sustainable housebuilding standards in this country. The built environment is one of the biggest emitters of carbon, both in construction and occupation, but we’ve shown it doesn’t have to be this way. Our homes are sustainable to build and sustainable to live in, which is becoming more important than ever as energy prices continue to spiral.”
Jack Daniels, Chief Investment Officer, M&G plc, says: “The scale, expertise and flexibility we have across our business means we are uniquely positioned to help Greencore transform UK house building to a more sustainable model. Our investment will enable thousands of people to live in high quality, comfortable and energy efficient homes, while also potentially benefitting millions of our customers and policyholders in our With Profits Fund.”
Find out more about Greencore Construction at https://www.greencoreconstruction.co.uk.
See a case study of Springfield Meadows on the GHA Knowledge Base.
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