£3m Leeds factory development creates 40 jobs
SUSTAINABLE developer Citu is set to create 40 jobs with plans to open a factory site in Leeds.
Citu will be manufacturing low-carbon houses from the site, located on a 152,460 sq ft brownfield site.
The Citu House product is currently at research and development stage, and Citu has received a grant from Innovate UK in collaboration with Leeds Beckett University.
Citu will use the factory to serve its own developments. The 60,000 sq. ft. facility has the capacity to produce up to 750 low-carbon homes each year. The developer is investing £3m into the new facility, in addition to a £400,000 grant from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Chris Thompson managing director and founder of Citu said: “Factory-built homes represent the future of house building in the UK. I’ve seen the finished product, as well as the manufacturing process, first-hand in Europe and we are excited to be one of the first to introduce the technology to the UK.
“This technique means less waste and less carbon emissions produced in the building process so, not only does it offer buyers an opportunity to live a low-carbon lifestyle, it reduces our carbon footprint as a developer.”
Chris Gorse, Professor of Construction and Project Management and Director of Leeds Sustainability Institute at Leeds Beckett University: “Work in the area is creating local employment opportunities and benefitting from the expertise in low carbon engineering that exists within the region. Leeds Beckett University are very pleased to be working with Citu, the work aligns very well with the Government’s agenda to build a million new high quality homes by 2020, this is a major step forward in providing energy efficient housing.”
Roger Marsh OBE, chairman of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) said: “This funding, from our business grants programme, has ensured Citu have been able to go ahead and establish their new innovative manufacturing base in the Leeds City Region.
“We are committed to creating more, better quality housing for the people who live and work in the region and this new energy efficient approach will take us a step closer to achieving our ambition of a zero carbon economy.”
