Bellway win coveted NextGeneration Innovation Award

The NextGeneration Initiative, which benchmarks the sustainability performance of UK homebuilders, has awarded Bellway the 2024 Innovation Award for their Future Homes Innovation Centre in Bolton.

The award recognises homebuilders that have demonstrated initiatives that exhibit best practice innovation to address the challenges of sustainability in the sector. This year, the award celebrates Bellway's pioneering efforts to upskill small and medium-sized (SME) homebuilders and heating contractors on low-carbon technologies, to help deliver the changes required to meet net-zero targets at scale.

Bellway has designed four houses to align with the proposed Future Homes Standard (FHS), which are equipped with Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs), triple glazing, PV panels and other energy-efficient features. The design and implementation of these features, especially the ASHPs, have been informed by Bellway's extensive collaboration on the Future Home project, developed within The University of Salford's highly advanced Energy House 2.0 climate chamber. This innovative project closely mirrors the specifications of the FHS, ensuring that the homes at Bellway's Future Homes Innovation Centre meet and exceed future industry sustainability standards.

The Innovation Centre, based within the four model houses, serves as a training hub, not only for Bellway employees and contractors, but also for SME housebuilders who lack access to comparable resources. Bellway plan to train at least 30 SME housebuilders and heating contractors by July 2025. Additionally, Bellway is actively developing a network to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and insights derived from the Innovation Centre.

Mathew McAdam, MD of Bellway Manchester, said: “Bellway is delighted to have won the NextGeneration Innovation Award for its Future Hub at Barton Quarter, which is a key part of our ‘Better with Bellway’ sustainability strategy, which not only helps Bellway deliver Future Home Standard homes, but also reduces our carbon footprint as we move away from using fossil fuels in our homes.

A key part of this move, is our commitment to a ‘Just Transition’, so that no one is left behind by the shift to net-zero. Under our Sustainable Supply Chain business priority, we have targets aimed at working with our suppliers and subcontractors, increasing knowledge though Supply Chain Sustainability School, and sharing best practice. The Future Hub allows us to educate our workforce to ensure they are ready to deliver high quality future homes for our customers. It also allows us to engage with our supply chain and technical educators to showcase how we are delivering these new standards, which is a significant shift for the sector.”

In addition to recognising Bellway’s achievements, Keepmoat Homes were awarded the 2024 Innovation Commendation for their partnership apprenticeship scheme with the NHBC at the Scotswood Bricklaying Hub, along with their subsequent Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis. This commendable initiative, carried out in collaboration with the NHBC, paved the way for up to 80 apprenticeships per year, fostering the growth of construction skills, and enhancing local employment opportunities and community engagement. The SROI analysis revealed that the Scotswood Bricklaying Hub generated £1.496 million in social value and “transformed youth trajectories” by offering training to young people, who otherwise may not have had a clear career path. Beyond its positive impact on youth development, the hub also addresses the skills-gap within the construction industry and nurtures the next generation of skilled homebuilders. The programme accelerates a two-year apprenticeship into 18 months, with a tailored ‘hand-on’ approach that allows students to directly apply theory to their practical work.

Geoff Scott, Social Value Manager at Keepmoat Homes, said: “We are thrilled to be commended by NextGeneration for the achievements of Scotswood bricklaying hub, delivered in partnership with NHBC. We are even more proud of what the apprentices have accomplished – many of whom have experienced significant challenges in a traditional school learning environment. By commissioning Social Return on Investment research, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of how lives have been transformed, and the impact on real people beyond the skills and qualifications they have acquired. It’s been an excellent learning journey for us, and we look forward to sharing it further with industry peers, expanding this great learning model across the country.”

NextGeneration was established in 2006 to drive transformation in the sustainability performance of the UK’s homebuilding sector. The Executive Committee consists of Homes England, Lloyds Bank, UKGBC and the initiative’s secretariat JLL.