Liverpool affordable housing provider Torus completes £1.6m residential development with factory-built homes with solar panels and no gas. Tony McDonough reports
Affordable housing provider Torus has delivered a development of 12 factory-built homes in St Helens.
Costing £1.6m, the eight flats and four bungalows were delivered in partnership with OSCO Homes, which specialises in modular building. They have been specifically designed for homeless people with a disability or who are over 55.
Located in Egerton street, the homes include a number of energy-saving measures including solar PV panels. There is also no gas heating system. This is the third modular development built by Torus.
Colin Lafferty, senior development manager at Torus Developments, said: “Egerton Street highlights in a fantastic way how effective modular build solutions can be in creating brilliant homes that not only look great but are incredibly energy efficient.
“With this scheme, from the very start, we wanted to create something that was more than just a building and create a community and home that gave residents the chance to thrive.
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“This is why it was important for us to build in a way that would ensure people are comfortable in a home they can afford to run as well as be emotionally supported with wider issues affecting their health and wellbeing.”
This latest project was funded by the Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme Move On fund, Local partners included St Helens Council, Homes England and The Salvation Army.
Gwen Beeken, OSCO Homes managing director, added: “It has been great to work with Torus again on such an important scheme for the local community.
“Utilising our factory-built panelised system, we are proud that the homes we provide are low cost to live in, by being both well insulated and more airtight than traditional construction.”
The completion of Egerton Street marks the end of Torus’ mini regeneration masterplan for this part of Sutton in St Helens. Thisnhas already seen the housing Group invest more than £11m and build 102 homes.