A housing association that pioneers innovative construction techniques has pulled out of a deal with Ikea to develop its range of prefabricated homes.

Hyde Housing, which is one of the G15 group of large developing registered social landlords, has withdrawn from an agreement with BoKlok, the Swedish flatpack furniture firm鈥檚 homes subsidiary.

This follows the death from cancer earlier this year of Charlie Adams, chief executive of Hyde, and the departure of Michael Kirk, the London director of Hyde, as a result of a senior management shake-up. Both were instrumental in promoting cutting-edge construction techniques within the organisation and were behind prefabricated schemes such as Barling Court in south-west London (pictured).

Under Adams and Kirk the group had taken over the Peabody Trust鈥檚 mantle as the UK鈥檚 leading champion of modern methods of construction (MMC). But after a review of its development programme Hyde has severed its relationship with Ikea, leaving the Home Group, an RSL in the north-east, as the sole UK developer with a licence to market its dwellings.

Hyde鈥檚 activity is concentrated in London and the South-east where the need for the kind of affordable homes offered by BoKlok is greatest.

The Hyde Group has concluded that the BoKlok product is not compatible with its business growth strategy

Hyde housing spokeswoman

The review has also resulted in Hyde handing over its position as lead developer on the 37-dwelling 拢60,000 home competition in Dartford, Kent, to Countryside Properties.

Hyde had previously intended to sell the private element of the scheme, with Countryside acting as design-and-build adviser. The group will retain responsibility only for the social housing element of the scheme.

A Hyde spokeswoman said: 鈥淭he Hyde Group has concluded that the BoKlok product is not compatible with its general MMC strategy or business growth strategy. Hyde has therefore decided to withdraw from the BoKlok UK partnership to concentrate on delivering an extensive development programme.鈥�

Andrew Ogorzalek, a partner at PCKO Architects who is designing the Countryside-Hyde Dartford scheme, said that Adams was 鈥渋rreplaceable鈥�. But he added that PCKO was continuing to work with Hyde on schemes that made use of innovative construction techniques.