Modular homes that are cheaper, greener and quicker to construct than traditional buildings could be used to provide more affordable housing in Newham.
The Council’s Cabinet has agreed a scheme exploring the possibility of installing modular homes on three small sites at Vicarage Lane, Berwick Road and Chargeable Lane, with the project seeing the sites developed up to the point they could be submitted for planning permission.
Cabinet has also approved funding to assess around 350 Council-owned small sites in Newham to see if they could be better used to provide facilities such as housing, supermarkets or community gardens.
Cllr Shaban Mohammed, Cabinet Member for Housing Management and Modernisation, said: “At a time when we’re facing an unprecedented shortage of housing and an ever-growing demand, we need to think outside of the box to provide our residents with good quality homes.
“Assessing our small sites and utilising modular buildings could help us make the most of our land, contribute to our mission to become carbon zero by 2045 and provide deserving families with a place to live much more quickly.”
Advantages of modular buildings include faster build times, a lower environmental impact and the potential to be more cost efficient.
Newham Council has set a target of providing at least 1,500 more affordable new homes over the next four years through its development and acquisitions programmes and by enabling and encouraging other providers to develop more.
This is in conjunction with larger regeneration schemes that will provide 2,175 new and improved homes at Carpenters Estate by 2037 and see the completion of the Custom House and Canning Town Masterplans.