40 modular homes to be built in Birmingham following £7.45m loan

Homes England will receive a £7.45m loan from the government’s Home Building Fund for the development of 77 homes, 40 of which will be modular, at Port Loop on the edge of Birmingham City Centre.

The homes will form the first phase of the Icknield Port Loop scheme, a half mile canal loop within walking distance of the City Centre on a large brownfield site.

The wider scheme, which will see 1,150 homes built on the site, is being coordinated by Urban Splash and Places for People, whose joint venture is working in partnership with the original landowners, Birmingham City Council and Canal & Rivers Trust.

Communities Secretary James Brokenshire said: ‘This Government is committed to making the dream of homeownership a reality for a new generation as we power through to delivering 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s.

‘Birmingham’s Port Loop is a great example of how our £4.5 billion Home Building Fund is helping to meet the triple challenge of delivering more, better, faster home construction, as well as revving a strong and prosperous Midlands Engine.’

Ian Martin, Head of Investment in the Midlands for Homes England said: ‘The sheer scale of the scheme provides the opportunity to build a whole new community and will be one of the largest regeneration schemes in the Midlands. This will provide a much-needed boost to the region’s housing stock, which is exactly what the Home Building Fund was established to do.’

In January, Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust (BMHT), Birmingham City Council’s house-building arm has received planning permission to install its first modular home at Heaton Street in Hockley.

The council believe modular could be a solution to the growing social housing waiting list for people who require one-bed or two-bed properties.