£3.5m eco homes project under way

WORK has started preparing land in Liverpool in readiness for 33 new eco homes to be craned into place once they have been built off-site.

Liverpool Mutual Homes’ £3.5m scheme will see new homes on vacant land in Naylorsfield Drive, Belle Vale.

Of the 33 homes, 21 will have two-bedrooms and 12 will be three-bedroom properties.

The modular homes will be built off-site in specialist factory conditions and delivered in stages with ground floors, upper floors and roofs craned into place.

They will reach Level Four of the Code for Sustainable Homes providing higher than usual energy efficiency heating and insulation standards.

The homes are expected to be ready by the end of 2015.

Liverpool Mutual Homes chief executive Steve Coffey said: “The demand for good quality affordable housing continues to grow nationally and is magnified in Liverpool.

“Therefore we need to explore ways of speeding up the process.

“Building off-site means we are not affected by bad weather, the quality can be controlled better and there’s less disruption for the local community.

“We expect this scheme will save us significant time compared to building the homes in the traditional way. Reducing build times also reduces costs.

“If successful in terms of better quality and quicker turnaround, it is something we will look at for future developments – the more homes we can offer residents and the quicker we can do it, the better.

“Many housing associations are now looking into modular build construction as an alternative to traditional ways of building.

“Modular built homes offer the same quality as other forms of building and they can be more cost-effective.

“Through this scheme, LMH is leading the way in testing new products and new technologies.”

As part of the plans, a new access road will be made leading from Naylorsfield Drive, creating a cul-de-sac.

Homes will enjoy south facing, landscaped gardens and private driveways for parking.

Part-funding for the scheme comes from the Homes and Communities Agency’s 2015/18 Affordable Homes Programme.