Planning permission has been granted for more than a dozen modern homes to be built in Abbots Langley.

Three Rivers District Council approved the plans by Watford Community Housing (WCH), which will deliver a total of 18 two-bedroom flats on the site of the former Northcotts complex.

The trust says the homes will be for affordable rent, with the project scheduled to be complete by 2023.

Northcotts was originally constructed in 1981 but after a recent assessment of the property, the community gateway housing association decided to rebuild it.

Specialist construction provider Elements Europe has been appointed to deliver the project, utilising innovative, off-site manufacturing (OSM) construction techniques to create the homes.

This process will involve the design, planning, manufacture and pre-assembly of modular construction elements and components in an off-site factory environment. 

Around 50 pre-assembled steel frame modules will be delivered to the site, where they can be bolted together.

WCH says it is estimated that this method of construction reduces construction time by around 30-50 per cent as it requires less on-site labour and is not affected by weather conditions.

Tina Barnard, chief executive of WCH, said: “We want all our customers to live in a safe, energy-efficient home that they can be proud of.

“Sustainability and affordability are at the heart of what we do, which is what makes this such an exciting development.

"Our utilisation of OSM should reduce both the time taken to construct, and minimise the environmental impact, allowing us to build quickly and meet the rapidly growing demand for affordable homes.”