Housing provider to relocate construction function to Wirral, creating 100+ jobs

Starship Group, the net zero modular housing manufacturer, is to relocate its offsite manufacturing facility from Deeside to the Mobil Building at Wirral Waters’ Mea Park, in a move expected to create more than 100 jobs.

Earlier this year Starship Group relocated its head office to Hythe, Peel L&P’s Grade A office building at Wirral Waters.

Now, the Wirral housebuilder, will move its entire manufacturing arm from its existing home in Deeside back to its Wirral roots.

The conversion of the low-bay element of the Mobil Building, into which Starship will relocate, is the first phase of the development of Mea Park.

A planning application for the £9m second phase, a highly sustainable, 70,000 sq ft multi-unit industrial and warehouse scheme for industrial and logistics companies and supply chains, was submitted to Wirral Council earlier this year.

Starship’s new manufacturing campus will be fully operational by mid-August when it transfers all its residential manufacturing from Deeside. With more than 90% of Starship’s workforce already from the Wirral, the new location will be within easy reach for employees.

Mea Park, which will form part of the Liverpool City Region Freeport, has the potential to become a centre of excellence for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), including modular construction, with the facilities and skills being used across a wide range of industries, including house building.

As with all projects at Wirral Waters, Mea Park will also be a highly sustainable development, targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating for sustainability.

Starship Group was founded in 2020 following the merger of a number of successful property development and construction businesses. Its carbon zero construction credentials, and use of innovative technology, makes it an ideal tenant for Wirral Waters.

With a strong client base, including housing associations, private developers and investors, Starship builds high quality, affordable and net zero homes with high-grade insulation to lower energy consumption and reduce energy bills. It also designs and builds bespoke homes and builds to existing specs.

Starship says its business model is more flexible and efficient than other volumetric modular home providers. It focuses on panelised delivery which reduces waste in the manufacturing, storage and transport of the homes.

While much of the construction takes place in the controlled factory environment, the final fit-out is done using local labour and supports local economies. Starship also produces its own housing products, alongside the manufacture and delivery of homes designed for a specific clients or places, allowing for a healthy and sustainable pipeline to develop from a range of clients across the UK.

Richard Mawdsley, director of development for Peel L&P’s Wirral Waters, said: “Our strategic partnership with Starship Group has taken a leap forward. As environmentally responsible businesses looking to the future of the construction industry, we are very aligned in our ambitions and our values especially in growing a local workforce, and we are delighted that they can see the huge potential for Wirral Waters.

“Wirral Waters offers many benefits to them as an MMC manufacturer and it is fantastic that, between Hythe and MEA Park, we will have the whole Starship team on site at Wirral Waters this summer.”

Dave Dargan, managing director at Starship Group, said: “We are really excited to be bringing our offsite manufacturing facilities to Wirral Waters which will mean our whole Starship team will now be on one single Campus. The new campus will focus on delivering on our significant residential MMC pipeline and is expected to create over 100 new jobs over the next 12 months.

“We have a fantastic partnership with Peel L&P and we are working hard together to put Wirral Waters on the map as a regional centre of excellence for Modern Methods of Construction and the creation of next generation construction skills.”