Work begins on Egremont modular scheme

The delivery and installation of 26 modular homes at Royal Drive in Egremont, Cumbria, begins today on behalf of housing association Home Group.

According to Home Group, the construction should take 24 hours. The project is being delivered by modular manufacturer Ilke Homes alongside Cumbria-based construction company Ashcroft.

The homes at Royal Drive will be transported from Ilke’s factory on the back of a heavy goods vehicle. Once on site, each module of the property, which is split into ground, first floor, and second floor, will be craned into place.

Home Group has used modular in other areas of the country, including Gateshead Innovation Village, but said it believes these homes are the first of their kind in Cumbria.

According to Shelter’s social housing estimates, there are an additional 3 million social homes needed over the next 20 years to help solve the housing crisis, with the potential for the greater use of modular construction methods being proposed as part of the solution.

David Armstrong, senior delivery manager at Home Group, said: “Modular represents a more environmentally friendly and quicker way of creating housing, with the final product being a higher quality home for our customers.

“Thanks to the homes being built in a controlled environment, the process isn’t affected by external factors, such as bad weather, which would normally delay construction; particularly in Cumbria.”

Dave Sheridan, executive chairman at Ilke Homes, said: “Collaboration between the public and private sectors is crucial if we’re to deliver the homes our country so desperately needs. The power of such partnerships, like the one we’ve established with Home Group, will afford the industry the ability to build high-quality, sustainable homes at pace.”