Citizen Housing has completed its first group of modular homes in Coventry. They were built by a local company based in Stoneleigh.
The housing association worked with Coventry City Council and ModPods International on the scheme to build 24 homes on eight former garage sites across Coventry. The scheme is described as an extended pilot.
The homes which are a mix of bungalows and family houses have been installed at Wedon Close, Bradney Green, Coleman Street, Fletchamstead Highway, Attoxhall Road, Capmartin Road, Shepherd Close and Thimbler Road.
The modular homes are built at the Modpods International factory at Stoneleigh Park and are transported to site by truck. They are then craned into place and connected to pre-installed services.
There are many benefits to modular homes including high energy efficiency and, as they are built in a factory, they can be constructed in all weathers. When they are craned on to the site they are hooked up to the services and the house is ready to use.
The homes are built with robust steel frame structures, are insulated and compliant with building and fire regulations.
Some homes come pre-installed with solar panels and other environmental systems. The short installation time makes them suitable to construct in areas with high levels of vandalism.
ModPods has its manufacturing facility at the National Agriculture Centre at Stoneleigh Park. The company was established in 2016 and has developed housing for a number of local councils and housing associations, including Birmingham and Nuneaton.
The views of tenants reported by the Housing Association have been very positive. Customer Wayne Millward is moving into one of the homes with his wife, Gillian. They are downsizing from their current two bed home.
He said: “A brand-new property will be amazing and it’s just round the corner from my dad, so it ticks all the boxes for me!
“With it being a brand-new home and having solar panels on the roof we are looking forward to it being much better for us in terms of energy bills and it will also be more manageable for us too.
“My wife and I are downsizing, we were in a two bed semi and we want a family to have our previous home as they will make better use of it than we will and we are moving into a bungalow which is more suitable for us.”
ModPods have also started to establish a show village at Stoneleigh Park. This offers potential buyers the opportunity to see show homes before they commission their own. The units include a single storey single occupant “Mini-Modpod”, bunglaows and a popular two-bedroom four person home.
The use of modular housing is growing rapidly. ModPods is having to source a new factory that will increase productivity to up to 1200 homes a year.
