Vistry and Platform Housing Group have joined forces to deliver a 177-home, 100% affordable housing development on the former Simon Digby School site in Chelmsley Wood, Solihull.

The 4.5-hectare site, which has been identified for residential development for more than a decade, will see Platform Housing Group own and manage all homes once completed.

The scheme will provide a mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses alongside one-bedroom maisonettes, as well as a play area, nature trail and new areas of public open space.

The development will also deliver almost £2 million in Section 106 investment for local services and infrastructure. Funding contributions will support education, public open space, healthcare, playing pitches, transport improvements and biodiversity net gain.

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The project is being delivered using modern methods of construction (MMC), with open-panel timber frames manufactured off site at Vistry Works East Midlands in Leicestershire. Vistry said the approach will help reduce embodied carbon, with each home built using the panels estimated to produce 14,460kg CO2e less emissions than a traditional brick-and-block property.

The development forms part of wider efforts to address demand for affordable housing in Chelmsley Wood while creating a sustainable new neighbourhood.

Located alongside a nature reserve, the scheme has been designed to provide new homes while enhancing connections to surrounding green spaces and supporting long-term community growth.

Vistry and Platform said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to delivering high-quality affordable homes in areas where housing need is greatest.