A scheme to build nearly 400 new council homes in Nottingham has led to the development of a new red brick.
Five million of the new bricks will be used to build brand new council homes across Nottingham, and have even been named after the scheme - an industry first.
The ‘Nottingham City Red’ brick, was selected for its traditional style, which is sympathetic to existing Nottingham architecture.
One of the country’s leading providers of wall, roof and landscaping materials, Wienerberger, is producing the Nottingham City Red from its Denton factory in Greater Manchester. It is based on a modification to a brick that was previously made at the factory, which meets the bespoke needs of the Building a Better Nottingham scheme.
Councillor Alex Ball, Nottingham City Council’s Executive Assistant with responsibility for housing and regeneration, said: “We are really excited that this programme has been able to bring this brick into production. These new homes are just part of the Building a Better Nottingham programme, which is currently seeing £1bn being invested in regeneration schemes and transport infrastructure to transform Nottingham’s future.”
Nick Murphy, Chief Executive of Nottingham City Homes, said: “The Building a Better Nottingham scheme is a landmark programme of council house building for the city, and will have a hugely positive impact on our local communities.
“To have a brick named after the scheme shows just how significant it is. Now the Nottingham City Red is in production, other developers will have the opportunity to use a material that reflects an era of architecture and design, widely prevalent in Nottingham and other cities across the country.”
The 65mm wirecut brick is being produced at a rate to meet the requirements of the Building a Better Nottingham scheme. It has been designed to reflect the Victorian heritage of the city, while meeting modern performance standards.
Nottingham City Homes’ (NCH) construction partner, Wates Living Space, is currently working in Radford to build 52 family homes. It was with Wates’ support that NCH found the right manufacturer to create the Nottingham City Red.
Joanne Jamieson, Regional Managing Director for Wates Living Space, commented: “We were very keen to use our role in Nottingham’s new building programme to deliver cost efficiencies through our supply chain.
“Thanks to our relationship with Wienerberger we have been able to go one step further and have facilitated the specification of a traditional brick that will be used to build all the city’s new homes. In doing so we are not only making cost savings for the city but also leaving the residents of these homes with an interesting legacy.”
The deal with Wienerberg means the Building a Better Nottingham scheme will always have ample supply of bricks to help keep the programme on schedule. The deal will also save NCH nearly £100,000 over the lifetime of the scheme.
Ian Caddick, National Sales Director – Key Accounts at Wienerberger, who set up the deal on behalf of the company, said “We are proud to be involved in such a significant housing project. At the heart of what we do is a commitment to customer service, which is why we have developed this brick to the exacting requirements of the client, and named it after the scheme."
For more information on the Building a Better Nottingham scheme, please visit the website: www.buildingnottingham.co.uk
