Esh Border Construction unveils new social housing framework partnerships

Regional managing director Simon Phillips (right) and business development manager Euan McDermott
Regional managing director Simon Phillips (right) and business development manager Euan McDermott

Esh Border Construction has announced a raft of new multi-million pound framework partnerships within Scotland’s social housing sector.

The Livingston-based company has built on its social housing successes by signing up with Link Group, Kingdom Housing Association, Hillcrest Housing Association, Places for People, LAR Housing Trust, Thenue Housing Association and City of Edinburgh Housing Assessment Management Framework.

The collective value of this work could mean over £100 million throughout the frameworks’ duration across the next few years.



It is expected that the resulting projects will help meet demand in areas of Scotland where there is an urgent need for affordable housing that will get dozens of young families into sustainable accommodation.

Esh Border Construction will work with Edinburgh-based Link Group, one of the largest RSL groups within Scotland, on a four year framework with a primary focus on new build mainstream properties along with a variety of particular needs homes.

The framework – which has seen Esh Border Construction sign up for projects valued up to £4.1m and above – also includes extensions, adaptions and rehabilitations.

The company is also part of a four year contractor services framework with Fife-based Kingdom Housing Association, which acts on behalf of the Fife Housing Alliance, including Ore Valley and Glen housing associations, and Fife Housing Group.



The focus of the framework will be the development of new build properties for social rent in partnership with Fife Council, though it will be open to a number of local authorities and registered social landlords, including Perth & Kinross, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire, and Angus Councils, as well as Angus Housing Association and Fairfield Housing Co-operative.

Esh Border Construction has further signed up to a four year contractor services framework with Hillcrest Housing Association for new build, refurb and regeneration projects with a regional focus on Dundee, Angus, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, Fife, Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The new Places for People partnership – a four year development framework split geographically and by value – is meanwhile designed to encourage uptake from public bodies looking to progress all types of construction jobs, while retaining a prime focus on housing.

Esh Border Construction will also work with Places for People on south-east and south-west Scotland projects ranging in values from £1m up to £20m plus.



The LAR framework will meanwhile last for a four year term and is aimed at those who are willing to design and build homes according to the housing trust’s specification on sites that are owned by it or under its control.

Esh Border Construction also successfully tendered for the Thenue Housing Association Development & Major Repairs Framework, which will include a £7.5m new build project at Abercromby Street in Calton, Glasgow, as well as the development of various small gap or demolition sites as they are identified and procured.

Finally, the City of Edinburgh Housing Asset Management Framework will see Esh Border Construction engaged on general fabric repair work across the council’s extensive housing stock of some 19,800 homes with contract values ranging from less than £1m to greater than £1m.

Regional managing director of Esh Border Construction, Simon Phillips, said: “Our strong reputation for successful delivery of both new build and refurbishment projects has resulted in a multi-million pound pipeline of social housing projects, and we continue to expand that further with fresh framework partnerships.

“Winning contracts through these types of agreements undoubtedly forms a significant part of our growth strategy.

“In turn, they ensure that registered providers have a wealth of high quality contractors available at a time when there’s particularly high demand.

“In signing up to these progressive frameworks, we have utilised our significant experience across a broad spectrum of sectors, including education, retail, industrial, commercial, leisure, public, healthcare, and historic buildings.

“We are proud to be part of each of them, and look forward to delivering on their aims, ultimately providing essential, attractive, and affordable properties across Scotland amid an acknowledged lack of housing stock.

“That’s without compromising on a desire to create sustainable family homes that are sympathetic to the surrounding area.”

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