Bute Raises the Roof in Portsmouth

ROOF TILE manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles’ Bute tiles have been specified for Novo, a new housing development in Drayton, Portsmouth. The sustainable pitched roof tiles feature on 108 new properties, including 32 affordable homes.

Specified for the project by Dandara, an independent housebuilder, the sustainable concrete tile perfectly met the needs of the Portsmouth City Council’s planning team.

Bute was launched six years ago and forms part of Russell Roof Tiles’ Natural Range – an expanding collection of thinner leading-edge tiles which gives the appearance when laid broken bonded of a duo or small format tile. Bute is manufactured using 15% less raw materials than a standard flat interlocking tile, meaning they’re a “greener” choice as they are delivered to site in fewer batches and create the need for less packaging.

Major Obstacles

Dandara overcame several major obstacles to deliver the scheme. Planning permission posed significant challenges due to pollution on the site. General planning permission was obtained in 2017 after the site, a two-and-a-half-hectare brownfield site and home of the former Drayton Dairy, had been derelict since 2007. However, the project wasn’t able to commence until June 2020 due to local planning limitations and the conditions of site-specific permission.

Russell Roof Tiles worked alongside R&A Roofing, the contracted roofers for the Novo development. With new build family homes scarce in Portsmouth, this development has provided a solution for those seeking 3/4-bedroom properties locally.

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