Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and its industry partners will build or retrofit more than 16,000 homes as part of its drive to slash carbon emissions. Tony McDonough reports
More than 16,000 Liverpool city region homes will be built or retro-fitted to minimise carbon emissions under a new programme.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), the Construction Innovation Hub, Peel Land and Property, Torus Group, Housing Associations, and other industry partners will combine to deliver the project.
Using so-called modern methods of construction (MMC), over the next decade the programme will aim to retrofit 10,000 homes across the city region and build a further 6,500 homes. All the work will be done with the aim of slashing carbon emissions. It will also be an opportunity to create a new skilled workforce.
The announcement marks the beginning of the first phase of the LCR National Centre of Excellence in Modern Methods of Construction for Homes project. It is one of the key projects in the city region’s £9bn Building Back Better economic recovery plan, launched in August.
The programme will focus on an initial pilot using a sample of Torus properties, which will provide insight and intelligence to inform a larger programme. Torus is a social purpose regeneration and housing group, the largest in the North West. All of its profits are reinvested to build stronger communities.
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “Even in difficult times, our region is constantly looking for better ways of doing things. The MMC project has the potential to be an industry-leader in new and innovative ways getting houses built and, I hope, help to tackle the UK’s housing crisis.
“This also has the potential to radically improve energy efficiency across the region through a comprehensive retrofitting scheme, which should not only address energy poverty in some of our poorest communities but help us save the planet too.”
The MMC programme will develop specialist technologies which aim to achieve significant reductions on initial and life cycle costs and halve delivery times. Other benefits includes a reduction in carbon emissions, cutting fuel poverty by reducing energy bills, increasing new skills and employment and creating a national centre of excellence for MMC.