Two post-war prefab houses in Marshfield are set to be replaced with four new energy-efficient homes for social rent.
South Gloucestershire Council has granted planning permission to Bromford Flagship LiveWest (BFL), the UK's largest provider of new affordable homes.
The pair of semi-detached Airey houses at 6 and 8 Withymead Road were built using precast concrete panels in the years after the Second World War.
Seventy years on, the homes have reached the end of their life and have become increasingly expensive to maintain. They will be demolished to make way for a terrace of four family homes, two with two bedrooms and two with three, all let at social rent, which is set by a government formula and usually works out at about half what the same house would cost privately.
Corrina Johnson, pre-contract manager at BFL, said: "These homes served Marshfield well for decades, but they were built as a stopgap.
“Replacing them means we can double the number of houses on the site and hand over modern homes which will be much more energy efficient. For a village where affordable housing is in short supply, that matters."
The people living at 6 and 8 have already moved into refurbished BFL homes on the same street.
Ms Johnson said: “They've kept their neighbours, their routines and their village, which was really important to us."
The new homes will be built by Gloucester contractor E G Carter & Co, with designs by Quattro Design Architects. Each will come with a private garden, off-street parking and electric vehicle charging, and will be fitted with air source heat pumps and solar panels, targeting an EPC B rating. The homes will feature pale grey brick and traditional pitched roofs, which were chosen to sit comfortably within the Marshfield Conservation Area. New trees and hedgerow planting will go in along the street frontage.
Matthew Vye, residential director at E G Carter & Co, said: "We're delighted to be working alongside Bromford Flagship LiveWest on this regeneration project in Marshfield. Replacing homes that have reached the end of their lifespan with modern, energy-efficient properties is a great opportunity to not only improve the quality of housing available, but also increase the number of affordable homes within the village.
“While this may be one of our smaller developments, it is every bit as important as the larger residential schemes we are delivering across the region. We're proud to work on projects of all scales, recognising that whether we're building four homes or hundreds, each development has an important role to play in supporting local communities and meeting housing needs.
“We're looking forward to getting underway and seeing the positive impact the development will have on the community for many years to come."
The homes at Withymead Road were among thousands transferred from South Gloucestershire Council to Merlin Housing Society in 2007, which became part of Bromford in 2018 and is now part of BFL.
Their replacement forms part of BFL’s wider regeneration programme, which is replacing homes that have deteriorated in quality with new ones that are cheaper to run and fit for the future.
A public drop-in event was held in the village in May 2025, where residents gave feedback on the plans. Work on site is expected to begin this autumn, with the first customers moving in during 2027.
