Midlands developer Morro Partnerships and housing association emh are progressing three affordable-housing developments providing a combined 104 homes, with the partners reporting £5.3m in spending through regional subcontractors.
The schemes include a completed brownfield development in Daventry, a project approaching completion in Enderby and construction activity in Leicester. Together, they represent a programme of affordable housing delivery across three sites at different stages of development.
At London Road in Daventry, Northamptonshire, 52 homes were completed in July 2026 as part of a £12.6m redevelopment of a brownfield site. The scheme provides new residential accommodation on previously developed land, reducing the requirement to identify an entirely undeveloped location.
A further 21 homes at West Street in Enderby, Leicestershire, are nearing completion on land formerly occupied by a nursery. Construction is also progressing on 31 homes at Blackberry Street in Leicester, where timber-frame structures are being installed.
The combined total of 104 properties includes homes that have already been completed and homes still under construction. It should therefore be distinguished from the number of properties brought into use during October or delivered within a single reporting period.
Morro and emh say the developments have generated £5.3m in expenditure with subcontractors located within 30 miles of the sites. Their figures also identify 122 supply chain workers supported and 13 local jobs safeguarded through the construction programme.
The partners report that ten apprentices have received practical experience across the developments, with three subsequently securing full-time employment. Student placements have also been arranged through local colleges, extending the projects’ involvement in regional skills development.
These employment and spending outcomes are figures supplied by the project partners rather than independently audited measures of economic impact. Expenditure with nearby suppliers can support local construction businesses, although its longer-term effects depend on the duration of contracts, employment arrangements and the proportion of spending retained within the regional economy.
Construction activity is an important source of work for small and medium-sized subcontractors, particularly where programmes involve multiple projects with different completion dates. A sequence of developments can provide continuity for some specialist trades, although each site requires its own procurement arrangements and construction timetable.
The three schemes incorporate timber-frame construction supplied through Morro’s M-Frame Innovation Hub. The company describes its approach as concentrating on insulation and the building fabric to help limit the energy required to heat homes.
Morro says the properties include photovoltaic solar panels, low-flow water fittings and heating controls intended to reduce energy and water consumption. Their eventual performance will depend on installation, commissioning, maintenance and how residents use the systems after occupation.
The developer has also described measures addressing surface water management and biodiversity. These include sustainable drainage systems, retained or enhanced planting and features intended to support local wildlife, such as bird and bat boxes and fencing designed to allow movement by small animals.
Waste management is another component of the construction programme. Morro reports a commitment to diverting material from landfill, with most waste recycled on site and the remainder processed through recycling, reuse or energy recovery elsewhere.
These environmental measures remain contractor-reported practices rather than independently measured evidence of the completed homes’ energy consumption or lifecycle performance. Their contribution will become clearer once the properties are occupied and the systems have been operating under normal conditions.
For housing associations, the cost of maintaining a property is an important consideration alongside the initial development expenditure. Insulation, heating equipment, ventilation and drainage can influence both residents’ bills and the maintenance responsibilities arising over the life of a home.
Using smaller brownfield sites also creates opportunities and constraints. Previously developed land can provide locations close to existing services and communities, but construction may require additional work associated with site conditions, utilities or access arrangements.
The partnership has also undertaken community activities alongside construction, including support for local education and charitable organisations. These initiatives form part of Morro’s reported social value programme, although their contribution is separate from the housing output and employment measures.
With the Daventry scheme complete, Enderby approaching handover and construction continuing in Leicester, the partnership’s remaining work centres on delivering the properties still in progress. The reported regional spending and training activity accompanies a housing programme whose longer-term value will depend on occupation, property performance and continued maintenance.
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