Government backing for modular construction would deliver 20,000 low energy use homes across the UK – costing 55% less to heat than the average British ‘bricks and mortar’ family house Planning permission should be fast tracked for modular housing to create homes 50% faster and 4,000 jobs in left behind
Seventeen modular low-carbon homes are to be built in the South Downs National Park in West Sussex – nine of which will be for affordable rent or shared ownership. The homes have already been manufactured offsite in Dorset by offsite building specialists Rollalong and they will be transported and installed
Offsite construction specialist Rollalong is using its expertise to provide accommodation for homeless families near Wokingham, Berkshire. The Dorset-based company is due to deliver 23 modular two-bedroom homes at Grovelands Park in Winnersh, replacing existing outdated temporary accommodation for homeless families. The homes were manufactured in controlled factory conditions at
Timber frame construction specialist, SO Modular, has brought in a new Business Development and Marketing professional to join its rapidly growing team and build relationships with key stakeholders and the wider community. Lisa Amphlett has been brought into the new role with the remit of creating, maintaining, and strengthening relationships
The market for modular and prefabricated homes continues to boom, but are we storing up problems for the future that may ultimately cost millions of pounds in repairs and heartache for home owners? According to Global, the country’s fastest growing supplier of insurance backed latent defect warranties, it is a
Premier Modular, one of the UK’s leading offsite specialists, has been awarded a £21m contract to construct a new outpatient services building at King’s College Hospital in London. The 3,450sqm, four-storey scheme is Premier’s largest single healthcare project in its 65-year history. Constructed offsite, this large-scale building will allow the
Haringey has become the first council in London to provide a specially designed modular development that tackles homelessness and helps those in pressing need of a safe and secure roof over their heads. Deputy Mayor of London, Tom Copley, joined Leader of Haringey Council, Cllr Peray Ahmet and Greg Hill,
Premier Modular, one of the UK’s leading offsite specialists, has achieved BOPAS accreditation for its modular living solutions, following its expansion into the residential sector. “It is fantastic to see Premier’s expansion into the residential sector, building on their vast experience in other areas. BOPAS is an independent, standards-led benchmark
BDC 322 : Nov 2024
Government backing for modular construction would deliver 20,000 low energy use homes across the UK – costing 55% less to heat than the average British ‘bricks and mortar’ family house Planning permission should be fast tracked for modular housing to create homes 50% faster and 4,000 jobs in left behind areas of UK – Make UK Modular analysis Modular homes cost 55% less to heat than the average UK home and 32% less than traditional new builds, delivering savings of up to £800 a year for a three-bedroomed family home Modular homes are built 50% faster to make from start to finish than bricks and mortar homes Building with modular can halve emissions when building a home, cutting the amount of CO2 produced as a result of construction by up to 83% Modular manufacturers have already built factories in post-industrial provincial towns or cities, creating over 3,000 jobs, and delivering £700m of investment to low-growth, low employment areas Government should fast track the planning route for modular homes and commit to using modular for 20% of its affordable housing programme to double new jobs overnight Modular home construction is both more efficient and kinder to the environment with substantially less waste, 90% down on materials wastage than traditional builds Modular building heavily reduces the amount of transport access needed for building sites, with 80% fewer vehicle movements to sites and therefore far less local disruption and pollution of the environment Britain’s modular construction companies are moving at speed to deliver widescale change in the housing market unseen in the UK for generations, according to new research published today by Make UK Modular. ‘Greener, Better, Faster: Modular’s Role in Solving the Housing Crisis’, shows that while innovation has left the construction industry largely untouched till now, precision engineered homes, factory-built in areas where employment is required and delivered to regions of the UK where housing is scarce, are set to revolutionise the sector and help solve Britain’s growing housing crisis. Factory engineering means modular homes can be built to consistently high sustainability standards, delivering savings of 55% on energy consumption compared to the average UK home and cost 32% less to heat than a traditional new build. This translates to savings of up to £800 a year for a three bedroomed family home, and energy reduction rises to 60% for single or two person households living in smaller properties. Record spending by modular construction companies in Research and Development accounts for 30% of all R&D in across the whole construction sector. This investment is set to deliver even more energy efficient homes in the coming months at a time households are struggling with an unprecedented cost of living crisis. With housing availability and affordability at an all-time low, traditional construction is struggling to deliver Government targets for 300,000 new homes a year, exacerbated by a chronic and worsening shortage of skilled construction labour. Homes England missed its 2021-22 affordable homes target by 21.5%. However, modular housing has already proven it can build new homes at pace. Modular factories have been set up in those areas of the UK where employment is needed, creating a secure labour pipeline. Employment prospects are attractive with modular manufacturers delivering quality training and upskilling for new staff, enabling much-needed homes to be guaranteed for speedy delivery to regions of the UK where housing is in short supply. Modular manufacturers already produce 3,300 homes a year, one in 60 of all new houses in the UK and by 2025, and with the right support, this could grow to over 20,000 new modular buildings each year. Not only are these modern precision-engineered homes quicker to build than traditional homes, but with no snagging or defects it is possible for a single crane to install a house perfectly in just one day. Despite the pandemic, modular has doubled its delivery of new homes since 2017 with a contracted pipeline of 8,000 homes already in place. Modular manufacturers have chosen to build over 40 factories in post-industrial provincial towns or cities, creating over 3,000 jobs and delivering £700m of investment to low-growth, low employment areas – a figure which could easily double with some simple Government support. To help give the modular sector the push to achieve its full potential, Government should: Dedicate 20% of their programme of affordable housing provision to modular housing which has already shown it can deliver new homes fast Offer fast-track planning, prioritising modular and green homes in land allocation Raise energy efficiency standards for new housing, where modular already meets a higher criteria than traditional building, reduce stamp duty based on energy efficiency and net zero performance and require all for sale and to let homes to provide accurate date on energy bills Collectively, these changes would drive up standards, while offering pipeline security for modular producers and helping the industry to scale up. Steve Cole Director of Make UK Modular, the trade body for modular housing said: “There is a housing success story in this country, and it is modular. This report shows definitively that modular is now a significant player in the UK housing market. Government must capitalise on this as opportunities to transform our broken housing market into the most sophisticated in the world do not come around every day. “Government must accelerate modular delivery, building on the investment made and the jobs created, by removing the remaining barriers holding the industry back.” Read full report here: Greener, Better, Faster: Modular’s Role In Solving The Housing Crisis | Make UK
Seventeen modular low-carbon homes are to be built in the South Downs National Park in West Sussex – nine of which will be for affordable rent or shared ownership. The homes have already been manufactured offsite in Dorset by offsite building specialists Rollalong and they will be transported and installed on site in the autumn. The site on land south of Heather Close in West Ashling near Chichester is allocated for housing development in the South Downs Local Plan. Planning permission for the development was granted by the Planning Committee for the National Park Authority, following a Planning Committee meeting in October 2020. West Ashling will be a flagship land-led development and Rollalong’s first on behalf of its parent company, the Newship Group, which owns a number of packaging, construction, manufacturing and premium hire businesses. “Modular offsite construction has many benefits compared to traditional builds: it’s faster and less disruptive, it guarantees quality and it reduces costs,” said Steve Chivers, Managing Director of Rollalong. “Modular buildings are precision-engineered in tightly controlled factory conditions and adhere to a ‘right first time’ philosophy, which results in a high-quality, consistent product time after time. “We’re excited to be working on Newship Group’s first land-led housing development and we’re looking forward to breaking ground on the site.” Jamie Turpin, Construction and Development Director at Newship Group, said: “West Ashling is a great rural residential scheme and the perfect development opportunity we’ve been seeking to combine our current ideal blend of scale and location. “There has long been a shortage of modest new homes in the favoured western sector of Chichester and the addition of 17 new homes will help support the local housing needs. “We are currently working closely with South Downs National Park Authority to fine-tune the sustainable approach on construction, material selection, drainage strategy and hard/soft landscaping designs. We look forward to getting the scheme under way in the coming months.”
Offsite construction specialist Rollalong is using its expertise to provide accommodation for homeless families near Wokingham, Berkshire. The Dorset-based company is due to deliver 23 modular two-bedroom homes at Grovelands Park in Winnersh, replacing existing outdated temporary accommodation for homeless families. The homes were manufactured in controlled factory conditions at Rollalong’s headquarters near Bournemouth. Phase one has now been transported to the site and work to complete the installation of all 23 homes is expected to be completed by August 2022. The project will double the number of homes on the Wokingham Borough Council site, and they will be far more energy efficient than the old units. The modular homes will allow more families to be accommodated safely and comfortably while they wait for somewhere permanent to live, and they have their own toilet and bathroom as well as an open-plan lounge, dining room and kitchen. One will be specially adapted for households with people who have disabilities. Laurie Garside, Projects Manager at Rollalong, said: “We are delighted to be working with Wokingham Borough Council’s housing team. The accommodation we have installed for the initial phase of the project is of a very high standard and will provide the local area with a much needed boost for temporary housing.” Councillor John Kaiser, Executive Member for Finance and Housing at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “Homelessness is a fast-growing issue across the country and, sadly, Wokingham borough is no different. We’ve seen an increase during the coronavirus pandemic and coupled with the rising cost of living, this trend is likely to continue. “Improving and increasing the amount of temporary accommodation at Grovelands Park will ensure that we have a safe, suitable supply to meet future need while helping people to live in comfort and dignity at a distressing, uncertain and vulnerable period in their lives. “The new homes will also reduce our reliance on bed and breakfasts, which are expensive, generally have shared facilities and are always outside of the borough, which can increase the sense of isolation for those facing homelessness.” All councils are required to provide temporary emergency housing for homeless families with children or families and individuals who are vulnerable until they find a settled home. At Grovelands Park the old prefabricated units had to be replaced as they were originally built as holiday homes and not intended for long-term occupation. The new timber-clad homes have modern and reliable heating systems and are highly insulated which will prevent pipes from freezing in winter, reduce heating costs and limit their carbon footprint. They also feature the latest fire safety and sustainability measures such as sprinkler systems, double glazing and solar panels, and they are fully furnished with internet access. Some homes are also trialling the latest air source heat pump technologies, an environmentally friendly system that draws heat from outside into the home.
Timber frame construction specialist, SO Modular, has brought in a new Business Development and Marketing professional to join its rapidly growing team and build relationships with key stakeholders and the wider community. Lisa Amphlett has been brought into the new role with the remit of creating, maintaining, and strengthening relationships with SO Modular’s clients and partner organisations. These include housing associations, local authorities, main contractors, sub-contractors, private developers, and national homebuilders. Her role also sees her managing the company’s marketing initiatives, developing project leads, assisting with tender submissions, and organising engagement opportunities with the wider community. As part of this wider engagement, Amphlett also takes on the role of tenant liaison officer, based on-site at the County Flats development in Sandfields, Aberavon. Her remit in this role includes maintaining communications and developing relationships with the residents and wider community. Amphlett joins SO Modular with five years’ experience within the construction industry in an office-based capacity. She has previously worked as a recruitment consultant for Involve Recruitment in Pontypridd, specialising in the recruitment of temporary construction site operatives. During this role, Amphlett developed extensive experience liaising with clients ranging from multi-million-pound principal contractors to local trade-specific sub-contractors. Lisa Amphlett, Business Development and Marketing Officer at SO Modular, said: “I am delighted to be working at such an innovative and forward-thinking company as SO Modular, and I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead. I will be based at the County Flats development in Aberavon, and very much look forward to taking on the additional role of tenant liaison officer at the site. “My role with SO Modular is varied and my remit wide ranging, and I hope that the skills and experience I bring can benefit the company by increasing awareness throughout the industry and wider community of its innovative and sustainable products and working practices.” Charlotte Hale, Operations Director, SO Modular, added: “We are delighted to have Lisa come on board with us, here at SO Modular, as we look to accelerate our production capacity and develop our growing business. Her new role is key to raising awareness of our products and services, and ensuring strong communications and relationships with our clients, partners and the wider community.”
The market for modular and prefabricated homes continues to boom, but are we storing up problems for the future that may ultimately cost millions of pounds in repairs and heartache for home owners? According to Global, the country’s fastest growing supplier of insurance backed latent defect warranties, it is a real possibility. Manufacturers from every part of the globe are now producing and developing more components offsite than ever before with industry estimates suggesting that some 15,000 new modular homes are being built every year in the UK alone – a figure that is rising rapidly. Every new home requires a latent defects warranty to cover anything unforeseen that might happen between year two and year three. During the first 24 months the builder is responsible for correcting any issues. It is a system that has traditionally worked well, with more conventional homes seeking a latent defects warranty, being inspected at every stage of the build process. Companies such as Global have a multi stage inspection guide from the moment footings are dug and concrete poured, right up to final delivery, to ensure that each home is fit for purpose. “The problem is,” said Jim Edwards, commercial Director for Global Home Warranties, “how do you inspect modular components for latent defects? This would require sending our surveyors to every factory currently producing such systems, as far away as China in some cases.” “This means that while we can inspect the way they are installed, we equally have to accept that offsite components are fit for purpose and have reached the highest possible standard. In most cases this is very much the case, but there is no way of knowing 100% and this is where the real problem lies – without independent inspection at the factories then it is not possible to determine whether we will have to address latent defects issues in the future.” The market for modular buildings is expected to grow in excess of 6% year on year and there are estimates that the majority of contractors architects and engineers are now designing with or using modules built offsite. The move to offsite construction has been driven by the need to meet Government targets to build up to 300,000 new homes every year which means that modular and prefabricated components are increasingly being used. Companies in the UK specialising in offsite construction have an enviable track record in terms of quality and mostly produce components which have been ISO certified or meet all current building regulations and standards. This means, according to Global, that it will more likely to be imported systems that ultimately fail, possibly because overseas manufacturers are not as familiar with or as aware of building practice within the UK and European construction sector, or simply because standards have been set lower to save money. “As we know, price is very much a factor within all areas of construction and there is likely to be a temptation to import more and more low-cost building systems,” said Jim Edwards. “They may do exactly what it says on the tin but none of us yet know what is likely to happen two, five or even 10 years down the line and now is the time to ask ourselves – should we be more stringent by having independent inspection processes in every factory that produces such materials.” There is growing evidence and other industry experts agree that we could be storing up problems. Recent reports suggest that the lack of detailed data on the durability of modular homes in the UK could be a considerable barrier for construction professionals concerned about the long-term viability of offsite components. Financial service providers, including insurers, mortgage lenders and valuers need to have certainty that modular homes are safe and durable if they are to engage with them, which is why we are now seeing Global and other industry experts calling for the development of a digital database that records the design, processes and materials used in the construction of buildings. Digital technology would make it possible to create a database that would store and track information about the built environment and would record the materials and processes used. It could also track repairs and alterations in larger housing developments and make sure that this information would be available to relevant stakeholders, including insurers and fire services. “This will never be as good as a personal inspection process,” said Jim Edwards, “but it would certainly provide more confidence and peace of mind for the entire industry and ultimately for the insurance companies that have to back latent defects warranties – and the time to act is now.”
Premier Modular, one of the UK’s leading offsite specialists, has been awarded a £21m contract to construct a new outpatient services building at King’s College Hospital in London. The 3,450sqm, four-storey scheme is Premier’s largest single healthcare project in its 65-year history. Constructed offsite, this large-scale building will allow the Trust to free up space within the main hospital to help reduce waiting times and improve the patient experience for urgent care services. As main contractor, Premier will be leading the project team which includes delivery partner Claritas, P+HS Architects, and M&E specialists, TClarke. Awarded under the Crown Commercial Service modular buildings framework, the project follows the team’s successful delivery of a £10m contract for the offsite construction of a 62-bed Priority Assessment Unit at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey. The new outpatient services building at King’s College Hospital will provide 48 purpose-designed consultation rooms and eight procedure rooms for a range of services, including dermatology, rheumatology, respiratory, neurosciences, pain management, and urology as well as other aspects of surgery and therapies. Dan Allison, Divisional Director at Premier Modular, said, “The use of an offsite solution for this project will ensure faster delivery and earlier occupation, to the benefit of patient care.” “Offsite construction is safer, quieter and cleaner than in-situ construction, which will radically reduce disruption during the build phase to staff and patients, and the surrounding residential community. This type of building solution is also enormously beneficial on restricted hospital sites such as this, reducing the amount of plant, materials, and vehicle movements to site by undertaking as much work in the factory as we can. The new building has access roads to three sides and is immediately adjacent to the Normanby Building.” “We are working to a short programme to bring these state-of-the art facilities into use as early as possible this year, to the benefit of patients and to assist with the rising demand for hospital services.” Stephen Hatcher, Associate at P+HS Architects, said, “The building is designed to minimise impact on the environment over its life and is targeting a BREEAM excellent rating. It will have areas of green roof to encourage biodiversity, a highly insulated building fabric to reduce heat loss and running costs, energy-efficient ventilation and electric air source heat pump system for heating, and solar panels for electricity generation.” The façade design will be contemporary and was informed by the existing buildings on the hospital campus.A double-height feature entrance will provide visibility externally and allow high levels of natural light for the reception and waiting area. Developed in collaboration with clinicians and patient representatives, the interior design will be crisp and modern, whilst assisting patients with sensory needs. To maintain patient flows, the new facility will be linked to the Normanby Building at ground floor level. Premier Modular is providing a full turnkey construction package for this project including engagement with the clinical team at the design stages, development of a highly sustainable M&E strategy, demolition of an existing building on the site, groundworks, offsite manufacture, module installation, and fitting out. For further information, visit www.premiermodular.co.uk, call 0800 316 0888 or email info@premiermodular.co.uk.
Haringey has become the first council in London to provide a specially designed modular development that tackles homelessness and helps those in pressing need of a safe and secure roof over their heads. Deputy Mayor of London, Tom Copley, joined Leader of Haringey Council, Cllr Peray Ahmet and Greg Hill, Deputy Chief Executive from Hill Group for the official handover of the 33 new modular homes, known as SoloHaus, on Wednesday 13th October. “I’m proud to be part of this joint initiative to help people move on securely from a life of sleeping rough. We know we can’t tackle this problem alone, which is why I’m so delighted our collaboration with Hill is helping us deliver good quality, transitional housing that ensures people in need can get their lives back on track,” said Cllr Peray Ahmet, Leader of Haringey Council. “Tackling homelessness remains one of our top priorities and during the pandemic we offered emergency accommodation to over 1000 people sleeping rough. We are determined to continue our efforts and support people off the streets in our borough.” The scheme in Ermine Road, Tottenham is a partnership between Haringey Council and Hill Group, with half of the homes at Olive Morris Court donated by Hill and significant further funding provided by the GLA and central government. It has also had support from Citizens UK, a nationwide charity dedicated to taking action for social justice. It is the first project in London to benefit from Foundation 200, a £15 million initiative by Hill to donate 200 modular homes on small plots of unused land within the next five years to organisations supporting people experiencing homelessness. Situated on a former storage yard, the modular development delivers accommodation for 33 people, helping rebuild their lives after a period of rough sleeping. “We are delighted to be working with Haringey Council to provide the first specially built modular follow-on homes in London. As an important part of our Foundation 200 initiative to gift modular homes, I am confident that this new development will make a tangible difference to people experiencing homelessness in Haringey. I hope this project will give many residents the opportunity to rebuild their lives in a safe, secure and comfortable environment. To maximise the benefits of this initiative, we will be seeking to employ tenants in our developments within Haringey and adjacent boroughs,” added Andy Hill, Chief Executive, The Hill Group. SoloHaus is specially designed, furnished and fully equipped for a single person to move straight into. Each modular home provides independent space and a clean, safe and comfortable environment for residents to make the transition to more permanent accommodation. The homes have energy costs of £5 a week and are designed to Future Homes Standards, exceeding building regulations for energy efficiency and sound insulation, and with a design life of 60 years. A team of Haringey Council staff will provide specialist support to enable residents to adjust and settle into their new homes, as well as to tackle the issues that led them to becoming homeless. There will be a presence on site 24/7 and we are working across the public and community sector to deliver wider improvements to the local area.
Premier Modular, one of the UK’s leading offsite specialists, has achieved BOPAS accreditation for its modular living solutions, following its expansion into the residential sector. “It is fantastic to see Premier’s expansion into the residential sector, building on their vast experience in other areas. BOPAS is an independent, standards-led benchmark for modular housing, providing long-term assurance to lenders and valuers that homes built using non-traditional methods of construction offer longevity and reliability,” said Jeff Maxted of BOPAS and a Director of BLP Technical Services (UK). Established in 1956 and with a long track record in offsite construction, Premier has five factories at its production centre in East Yorkshire. It has capacity to produce 100,000sqm of living space per year, with the opportunity to increase output to meet demand. Premier specialises in the offsite construction of affordable, sustainable and fast-track apartments, studios and multi-occupancy buildings for social housing, build-to-rent, schemes to address homelessness, hotels, and student accommodation. It works as a partner to local authorities, housing providers, developers, and contractors. “We are immensely proud to receive this industry accreditation which reinforces our expansion into the residential sector. BOPAS provides our local authority and developer clients as well as funders and mortgage lenders with complete reassurance of best practice and that our modular apartment solutions meet or exceed the required standards,” commented Dan Allison, Director of Premier Modular. “We have ambitious plans to bring innovation and sustainability to the UK housing market. We already have a number of residential projects on site and nearing completion and are receiving a high level of enquiries for new schemes. We anticipate the demand for offsite construction will continue to increase to help address the housing crisis and the drive for net zero.” BOPAS – the Buildoffsite Property Assurance Scheme – is the industry benchmark to give funders, principal mortgage lenders, valuers, and purchasers the confidence that homes built using offsite construction will have a life of at least 60 years. It also demonstrates the integrity of the offsite system, consistent delivery, and long-term performance to specification. “The residential sector is facing considerable challenges – from the shortage of skilled labour to the need for increased productivity and improved quality in housebuilding to meet the rising demand for new homes. By moving the construction of new apartment schemes offsite and into a more controllable factory environment, we can produce energy-efficient homes with less impact on the environment, to reduced programmes, and significantly enhanced quality,” added Dan. Premier has been awarded full BOPAS accreditation for design, manufacturing and construction. A rigorous assessment was carried out by BOPAS, which audited all aspects of Premier’s operations, including quality control systems, health and safety, project management, and interfaces, from design through to offsite manufacture, construction, and handover.
