A MULTI-MILLION pound house-building scheme has been extended and will see 24 much-needed affordable homes constructed on garage sites in Coventry.
Planning permission has been granted to Citizen for all the sites across the city and work has started in Totally Modular’s factory.
The homes will be offered at affordable rent and help provide much-needed accommodation.
The regenerated garage sites will provide highly energy efficient family homes and bungalows at Wedon Close, Bradney Green, Coleman Street, Fletchamstead Highway, Attoxhall Road, Capmartin Road, Shepherd Close and Thimbler Road.
Citizen previously worked with Totally Modular to build two homes in their factory in Cradley Heath before transporting them 30 miles on the back of a lorry to Littlethorpe in Coventry where a crane was used to put them in place.
The Littlethorpe scheme achieved an A rated Energy Performance Certificate, putting it in the top one per cent of national quality standards.
Other benefits of modular homes include reduced time on site and reduced fuel bills for customers.
The running costs for the Littlethorpe pilot were approximately £1.48-a-day for a three-bedroom home with five occupants.
The success of that led to the project being extended.
Citizen’s executive director of development Nick Byrne said the method enabled it to deliver modular homes to a high quality on some of the most difficult sites to develop.
“These new schemes will have a positive impact on the current issues around temporary housing and offer future customers a home which is a foundation for life.
“This is our second pilot and we are looking at running one more with another manufacturer. If these pilots are successful then we will be rolling modular housing out in our mainstream programme.
“When the pilot is over we hope building homes in this way will address the housing shortage in two ways, firstly by speeding up delivery and secondly by increasing supply despite the decline in numbers off skilled tradespeople in the industry.”
Totally Modular managing director John Connolly said: “With the direction of travel for UK housing delivery being net zero carbon, Totally Modular and Citizen are playing their part in ensuring the assets delivered today are future proofed for the city and residents of Coventry.”
The developments are due to be finished early next year.
