Quantity over Quality - its all about finding the numbers and demonstrating that there…
It`s always "Manchester needs more money to benefit the North", but Labour`s Lord Adonis…
@WindyMcWindface you're saying that they had no choice but to go through with their…
A disaster. Local authorities are culpable in all this; they signed hazardous buildings off.…
This is an amazing scheme, looking forward to seeing the end result
Clayton already at a stand still with traffic this is a joke
Harder times ahead for the new-build housing market creates...
The government's Levelling Up mission could be under threat...
The incremental cooling of the shed market could have...
Member organisation Torus has been delivering modular homes since 2016. Credit: via Thorne PR
A North West housebuilding consortium has appointed eight modular contractors to build off-site homes for members.
JV North, which has 12 housing association and local authority members covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, added the construction companies to its modern methods of construction framework, which runs until 2026.
TopHat has announced its intention to build Europe’s largest modular homes facility in Corby, a 650,000 sq ft factory due for completion by the end of 2023.
JV North members will advertise its MMC schemes on the Dynamic Purchasing System portal to invite bids.
Wayne Gales, chairman of JV North, said: “The housing crisis demands responsible homebuilders like our members to think differently and innovate wherever they can.
“If we can find new techniques that streamline the homebuilding process the number of new homes will compound significantly when adopted on a large scale. The greater the volume, the more efficient MMC becomes.”
JV North, which dates back to 2007, has been looking for progress with modular for some years, with Torus building a 33-home modular scheme in Liverpool in 2016, which at the time was thought to be largest off-site development delivered by a social housing landlord in the UK.
In addition, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group completed a five-home modular scheme supported by Homes England which it calculated reduced waste by 80% by being built in a factory.
JV North members include Bury Council, Johnnie Johnson Housing, One Manchester, Peaks & Plains Housing Trust, Muir Group, Plus Dane Housing, Sovini, Stockport Homes, Torus, Trafford Housing Trust, Weaver Vale Housing Trust and Wythenshawe Community Housing Group.
Consortium members are due to build more than 4,000 homes in the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme on top of more than 4,550 delivered in the 2016-21 programme.
This is a potentially interesting concept, and will certainly reduce the costs of construction. The real issue is whether these mass-produced developments can be sufficiently attractive to prove acceptable to local communities. If the picture is anything to go by, they fall a long way short of any national ambition to create beautiful communities.
This is a great step forward … or should be! Only a couple of those listed are actually “modular” providers, such as TopHat. Those like TopHat, L&G, Ilke, etc, do provide quality and aesthetically pleasing houses.
Ongoing efforts to improve safety standards have seen Intelligent FS secure a £3.5m contract to reclad Milliners Wharf in Manchester, while Morgan Sindall could face a £50m repairs bill.
The government’s Levelling Up mission could be under threat due to growing economic pressures. Can public-private partnerships save the day? This roundtable discussion, hosted by Morgan Sindall Construction, set about finding the answer.
Join more than 12,000 property professionals and receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox
Join more than 12,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox.
By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
For property and regeneration professionals