Leeds City Council and United Living have submitted a planning application for what could be the UK’s largest modular council housing scheme
If granted, the modular council housing scheme at Leeds Meynell will see the creation of 28 homes constructed in less than nine months, with the first residents moving in by early 2020.
United Living has been appointed as the main contractor for the development and is working in partnership with Premier Modular and William Saunders Architects.
Manufacture of the new homes is planned to begin in late spring 2019 at an offsite facility in Brandesburton, East Yorkshire. The property mix will consist of 14 apartments across two blocks, alongside ten individual two-bedroom homes and four, three-bedroom homes. Premier Modular will produce each module offsite, adding brickwork cladding, roofing, and placing the finishing touches to the exterior frames before transportation to Leeds.
The first deliveries of homes to the Leeds site are anticipated as early as midsummer this year. Access to the site will be granted at the same time as manufacture begins, to allow for preliminary works including drainage and pile foundations.
Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities Councillor Debra Coupar commented: “This project is a modern method of construction, changing the delivery of our housing and allowing for us to develop housing opportunities that our residents and communities want and need.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the houses once they are completed.”
Helen Francis, business development director (north) for United Living, added: “We’re incredibly excited to begin the construction phase of what will be our first fully modular development. Without compromising on quality, the speed of delivery will really set this project aside and – with radical solutions needed to fix the UK’s national housing shortage – this could be a trailblazer for others to follow.
“If all goes to plan, from concept to completion we’re looking at almost halving the time it would take to construct these homes through traditional methods.”
All modular council housing is scheduled to be in place by late autumn, with the final stages of construction to include the laying of roadways, paths and driveways. Exterior works including fencing and landscaping will then be completed by February 2020.
On completion, the properties will be managed by Leeds City Council.
