Report attached

At its meeting on 28 November 2024, the Sub-Committee received a presentation from officers setting out the key details of the Temporary Modular Homes proposal due to be considered by Cabinet at its January meeting.

It was stated that the modular housing proposal presents an opportunity to provide up to 18 families with stable homes, reducing the need for temporary hotel accommodation. The report set out the outline of the scheme, projected costs and delivery programme.

It was reported that the Council is proposing to introduce a scheme of 18 modular homes on part of the cleared site at Waterloo and Queen Street, on land scheduled for permanent development in approximately 5 to 7 years.

It was stated that the proposed development will consist of 14 two-bedroom homes and 4 three-bedroom homes, all fully equipped to accommodate families. The scheme will include some landscaping that enhances the development and improves the visual appeal of the area. There will also be five standard car-parking spaces.

It was reported that these modular homes are designed with a lifespan of up to 60 years and can be relocated up to five times if necessary, whilst retaining the supplier warranty.

It was stated that each unit is supplied at a cost of £200,000. Additional expenditure is required to provide the necessary site infrastructure, in addition to which it is proposed to apply cladding. It was said that faster construction reduces interim housing costs, and off-site manufacturing lowers per-unit expenses.

It was reported that the modular homes will provide modern, well-equipped spaces that are energy efficient and well insulated. Each unit can be relocated to smaller sites as required, and stacked up to three storeys, although it was only proposed to stack up to two storeys, and only on part of the site.

It was reported that positive feedback was received following meetings with planning officers during pre-application discussions. A specialist company, Better Delivery, was appointed by the Joint Venture to conduct extensive market testing.

It was reported that modular homes offer sustainability in the construction phase, by minimising waste and reducing carbon emissions. It was also said that they offer sustainability in use, including green technologies such as air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels. It was reported that there will also be built-in sprinkler systems.

It was envisaged that the modular units will be available for occupation in Autumn 2025.

A question was asked as to why this is being proposed when the cost of each home, including the additional costs, is similar to those on the open market. It was replied that some of that expenditure will be recovered through the avoidance of spending money on hotels, and some will be recovered in the remaining life of the unit.

In response to a question about whether an assessment exists to justify spending this money on modular homes because those on the open market are unaffordable, it was replied that these modular homes will be supplementary to, not instead of homes on the open market. It was described as an opportunity to use an under-utilised site.

It was agreed that the meeting should now go into exempt session.

Members sought information on how officers arrived at the price, provider, and design.

Members received a cost benefit analysis, including reason why the purchase of temporary homes offers value against the option to purchase further homes on the open market.

Following resumption of the open session, the Sub-Committee stated that based on the information presented to the Members, they were satisfied and supportive of the proposal that is going before Cabinet and therefore recommend that Cabinet adopt the decision to deliver 18 Modular homes.