DESIGN AND BUILD CONTRACTOR FOR DELIVERY OF HOUSES AND APARTMENTS IN UPPER ACRE PARCEL
Eastleigh Borough Council (the Authority) is delivering an ambitious housing development to meet the needs of a growing population and lead the way for the Borough and its communities. In 2018, the Authority acquired 310 acres of land in Horton Heath and committed itself to provide new homes, services, infrastructure and businesses, that project is known as One Horton Heath (OHH). OHH is a landmark mixed-use development, located adjacent to the village of Horton Heath to the east of Eastleigh, Hampshire. A dedicated project delivery team has been established to oversee the planning and delivery of each parcel of the development. OHH is intended to be not only a commercially responsible project, but also one that recognises value extends beyond financial return.
An Outline Planning Application for OHH was approved on the 27/10/2025 under the application number O/20/89498. The permission comprises severable and separate phases of development consisting of up to 2,500 residential units in total (across The Lower Acre, Quobleigh Breach, The Upper Acre, Round Copse, The Holme, The Homestal, Chalcroft Farm and The Folds phases and partially within Chalcroft Outfarm Works phase), a local centre, non-residential floorspace, a primary school, public open space (including formal sports facilities and informal provisions), allotments, ecological, landscape and sustainable drainage works and key infrastructure and utilities provision including new roads, footpaths, bridleways and cycle paths. The Authority made a commitment to the delivery of critical infrastructure early in the overall process and ahead of housing wherever possible which means that much of the major infrastructure associated with housing or non-residential development will have been installed or may be under construction alongside the works to be procured.
This tender notice relates to the delivery of a phase of the development known as Upper Acre, the second residential parcel for delivery. It is intended to deliver 424 new mixed tenure homes and the current programme anticipates a start on site in March 2027, first plot completion in September 2027 and final completion in May 2030, delivering all plots together with the associated infrastructure, soft and hard landscaping and open spaces. A reserved matters application was submitted on 03 December 2025, validated on 09 December 2025 and granted on 19 March 2026 under reference (RM/25/100575) and Upper Acre is therefore covered by an approved reserved matters consent.
The Authority is seeking to appoint a design and build contractor to undertake the works required at Upper Acre, pursuant to a JCT Design and Build Contract 2024. Further details in relation to Upper Acre and the works required are provided in the Project Brief, a draft of which is provided as part of the associated tender documents for this procurement.
This procurement process is following a competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023 and comprises:
• a conditions of participation stage requiring suppliers to complete a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) and enabling the Authority to identify a shortlist of suppliers to be invited to a tender stage. The PSQ is to be returned by 6th August 2026, with clarification to the PSQ by 27th July 2026;
• shortlisted suppliers of the PSQ will be invited to bid for the main tender; and
• this tender is intended to be a single stage submission followed by an interview, with the outcome of the submission determining the successful bidder.
The Authority reserves the right to include further stages including a best and final offer stage.
EBC - Kings Copse Ave Development - Ground Source Heating
Eastleigh Borough Council will soon be launching the tendering for the design, supply and installation of ground source heating & cooling network to all 192 residential units, it is important that the system provides cooling either 'passive' or 'active'.
There is a 50/50 split between houses and apartments on this scheme, the tender will be for the design and build of the ground source heat network, with a fully costed option for supply only with EBC owning and managing the network after installation, and a separate fully costed option to have an asset owned model where by EBC and homeowners pay a monthly access charge to be connected to the network.
It is anticipated that the procurement will include the supply of the heat pump & hot water tank to all 192 dwellings (to be installed separately by the main contractor) but the boreholes, pipe laying and commissioning will all be by the winning tenderer.
There will also be a need for pricing, setting out the costs per dwelling per month by way of an access charge, including maintenance of the heat pump and hot water tank, in addition to the wider network maintenance.
EBC are likely to publish a UK2 - Pre Market Engagement Notice shortly, but we would be more than willing to engage now with the market to create a more attractive and engaging full tender in due course.
The planning application for the Kings Copse Ave development can be seen at:
https://planning.eastleigh.gov.uk/s/public-register
F/25/100141
EBC - Hampshire House - Office to Residential Conversion
Hampshire House is a vacant building owned and managed by Eastleigh Borough Council. It is to be converted to housing with a target of 40 units, initial plans prove the validity of this.
Detailed surveys and due diligence has already been carried out, and procurement for Employers Agent is underway.
The authority will soon be launching a Pre-Market Engagement notice which will set out our approach to tendering and delivery of this exciting new project.
Contact can be made directly to [email protected].
Ahead of the full tender in August 2026 for the design & build of 192 residential units, with a mix of 1-4bed homes, of market sale, market rent & affordable tenures, on land owned by Eastleigh Borough Council, with full planning permission secured F/25/100141.
This will be procured by way of public open tender in a two stage process (pre qualification period) followed by (ITT issue) and the contract will be a JCT Design & Build 2024 with schedule of amendments.
Key appointments and works have already been undertaken, currently we estimate a tendered construction value of approximately £40m.
