Housing Minister Esther McVey visited the Legal & General Modular Factory in Leeds, which will create over 400 jobs for local people and drive the development of modular homes
McVey visited the Legal & General Modular Factory in Leeds which will produce over 3,500 modular homes a year once fully operational, as well as create hundreds of jobs in new technologies.
The visit is the latest step in the government’s drive to make the North of England a world-leader in the creation of modern, green homes – creating the ‘Construction Corridor’ that runs from Leeds to Liverpool.
During her visit, McVey met with apprentices at the Legal & General Modular Academy, who are learning vital new skills in modern methods of construction to deliver high quality, green homes.
Getting Britain building
McVey said: “I want the UK to become the world leader in modular homes within the next 10 years, with safety, quality and choice at its heart.
“Homes built using modern methods can be of higher quality, greener and built to last.
“With our emphasis on safety, quality and beauty, the North of England could be the global leader in modern methods of construction.
“Today’s announcement shows Leeds is wasting no time in investing in new technology and getting Britain building.”
Rosie Toogood, CEO of Legal & General Modular Homes, added: “What we are doing at Legal & General Modular Homes is groundbreaking. We have taken a high-tech engineering approach to developing our product range, designing and manufacturing homes in a truly innovative way that will transform the way homes are built in the UK.
“As a Group, Legal & General takes a holistic view on the built environment. We are delivering economic and social solutions for towns and cities through regional regeneration.
“We believe modular manufacturing is vital to delivering much-needed homes, alongside supporting new skilled jobs and productivity growth for the UK.”
Centre of excellence in the North
The investment builds on an announcement last year by the housing minister that government wants to create a centre of excellence in the North for Modern Methods of Construction to help speed-up housebuilding.
In November, the government announced a £30m boost for ilke Homes, which will boost production at the Yorkshire factory to 5,000 homes a year.
Construction and real estate expert, Mark Farmer, has also been appointed as the government’s Champion for Modern Methods of Construction, as part of a drive to make the UK the global leader in housing standards.
