7th October 2020
A new report which urges the Government to build 75,000 modular homes a year highlights the ground-breaking partnership between Rollalong and Magna Housing.
Build Homes, Build Jobs, Build Innovation: A Blueprint for a Housing-Led Industrial Strategy was co-authored by Mark Farmer and Mike De’Ath and is currently being considered by 10 Downing Street.
The report highlights the importance of collaboration and spotlights how Rollalong and Magna Housing are working with Dorset Council to demonstrate that beautiful homes, manufactured locally to very high environmental quality standards, can fit well in the context and local character of the region.
It highlights our work to develop design codes and a pattern book of homes and the parallels to the planning white paper proposals.
Magna Housing has already invested in 95 homes, working closely with planners, and the first three planning consents are demonstrating the design versatility of these homes that benefit from Rollalong’s advanced manufacturing experience which ensures that these homes are not only beautiful but built to last.
The report notes: “We would highlight a progressive approach being currently developed in Dorset where Magna Housing Association in conjunction with their manufacturing partner Rollalong are currently agreeing with Dorset Council how a pre-approved pattern book of typologies … can form the basis for accelerated consent.
“This will then enable the forward ordering of modules by Magna to be held in stock. These can then be drawn down as various sites for themselves and other partners who want to collaborate in a purchasing consortium are developed.
“All of this is planned in one of the most architecturally sensitive areas of the country and will minimise impact on communities and accelerate delivery.”
Mark Farmer, one of the report’s authors, is the Government’s MMC champion whose role is to promote the use of MMC or modern methods of construction (including offsite and modular manufacture of buildings) in the UK.
This is Mr Farmer’s first report since the influential Farmer Review of the UK Construction Labour Model, also known as Modernise Or Die, in 2016.
Steve Chivers, Managing Director of Rollalong, said: “It’s very pleasing that our work with Magna Housing has been highlighted in this important report.
“We want to collaborate with clients who understand the benefits of MMC in terms of safety, quality, speed and flexibility, and it’s a pleasure to work with Magna Housing, who have really embraced MMC as the way forward.”
Paul Read, Assistant Director of Development at Magna Housing, added: “This report rightly emphasises the fact that modern methods of construction and innovative partnerships like ours are the solution when it comes to building new homes.
“We have other clients now keen to come on board and we have listened to their demands. The new 20/21 range is hugely exciting, hitting extremely high environmental standards, but we are also listening closely to how people want to live in these homes. In the midst of a pandemic this means we have increased space and accessibility standards and focused on making them made cheap to heat and maintain.
“By developing a pattern book approach with Rollalong we can accelerate delivery of new housing and achieve economies of scale while still building homes that our residents love.”
The Magna homes range is built off site in a factory-controlled setting and are therefore more cost-effective to maintain and quicker to construct, generate less waste and have a lower carbon footprint in use than traditional brick houses, making them a sustainable housing solution.
Councillor Graham Carr-Jones, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Dorset Council, said: “We’re really pleased with the findings in the report and hope that this will see the start of the creation of new, sustainable housing developments in Dorset.
“Here at Dorset Council we’re also using modular homes as part of our Building Better Lives programme which is a joint initiative with our health partners to deliver new health, social care and housing across the county.”
You can read the full report here: https://www.hta.co.uk/storage/app/media/build-homes-build-jobs-build-innovation.pdf