Mansfield’s first modular council homes have begun arriving at the site on Rosemary Avenue to provide much-needed affordable homes for local families
The £1.7m modular council homes scheme will see six two-bedroom and four three-bedroom homes go up over the next 20 weeks.
The total cost of the project includes not just the homes themselves but also a new road, drainage and other services on the site.
For the past few weeks Midlands construction company G F Tomlinson has been preparing the site, ready for the modular homes to be delivered.
‘Ground-breaking pilot scheme’
Councillor Marion Bradshaw, the council’s portfolio holder for housing, said: “It is great news, after delays due to the Covid situation, that these high quality and energy efficient new council homes are now going up.
“This is a ground-breaking pilot scheme for the council as it is the first time we have used modular housing, which reduces the build time and means we will be able to offer these much-needed affordable homes to local families a bit sooner than we would have done through traditional construction.
“Being pre-made, as well as speeding up build times, also reduces the potential for defects as the construction of the homes is not subject to the weather.”
The homes are manufactured in a factory by ilke Homes and delivered in large sections and pieced together on the site where the foundations, drainage and other services have already been put in place.
They are then roofed and cladded on site, before external finishings are added to each property, including fenced boundaries, landscaped gardens, car parking and footpaths.
Normally building ten homes would take about 28 weeks but it is hoped this can be reduced to 20 weeks by using modular construction. If everything goes to plan, the properties will be ready in October.
Councillor Bradshaw added: “Although the speed of this kind of delivery has been compromised overall by the Covid situation, it should still mean the construction part is completed quicker than traditional methods.
“If it goes well, we may well look at using this kind of housing again.”
Mansfield modular housing
Craig Stopper, framework manager at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are pleased to be working on this critical modular housing development in Mansfield.
“The development is progressing well with our project teams and local supply chain partners quickly adapting to the new guidelines, introduced as a result of the pandemic, to ensure safe working and social distancing on site.
“We are certainly seeing an increase in the demand for modular housing as an energy efficient, comprehensive solution for social housing, which provides high-quality, affordable, easily accessible and adaptable accommodation.
“As modular sites are relatively unaffected by environmental delays, such as bad weather, less logistical transport is required for materials which is more environmentally friendly and generates less waste.”
