Keepmoat Homes has announced a return to construction on 46 sites across England under a phased programme that enables sites to be reopened over the next few weeks in a safe and controlled manner. The company’s subsidiary MCI is reopening another 11 sites.
Keepmoat Homes closed all of its construction sites at the end of March in order to be sure of the health, safety and wellbeing of its customers, employees and contractors. Sites reopening will strictly follow guidance on social distancing issued by the Construction Leadership Council and endorsed by the government.
“The government recognises the construction industry as a cornerstone of the UK economy and a major employer,” said Tim Beale, chief executive officer of Keepmoat Homes. “It knows we have the skills and procedures to manage safety on-site and trusts us to be in the vanguard of the return to work.”
Tim continued: “Despite the pressure to continue meeting local and national housing need, we have had overwhelming support from our local authority and housing association partners in prioritising the safety of our colleagues.
“The needs of first-time buyers for an affordable first step on the housing ladder are unchanged,” Tim added. “We have seen continuing demand for new homes and are ensuring that homes are available to buy as consumer confidence returns.”
Keepmoat Homes highlighted “potential problems for the housebuilding industry in the supply of essential construction materials, the connection of utilities, the availability of mortgages and the valuation of homes for mortgage purposes.”
