Innovative show home to be built
A housing group is set to unveil the ‘pioneering’ new type of home that could shape its future developments in Walsall.
Walsall Housing Group (WHG) has been granted planning permission to build a temporary show home on land behind their offices in Hatherton Street.
The property will stand for two years and will not be occupied while it is there but its aim will be to show off the building which will be constructed using the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) technique.
MMC involves using materials that makes buildings more sustainable and energy efficient.
In their application, WHG’s architects Northmill Associates Ltd also said the three-bedroom property will be built off site which will help reduce the time, cost and reduced waste on site.
They said: “Walsall Housing Group (WHG) is a not-for-profit, affordable housing provider, responsible for 21,000 homes primarily in the borough of Walsall.
“They are committed to providing excellent, affordable homes to meet the needs of the local community.
“This application is part of the applicant’s initiative to increase development output through Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in order to sustainably meet the growing demand for housing in the borough.
“The show home will not be inhabited. It will operate with regulated access within business hours, outside of which access will not be granted and it will be vacant.
“The house type is representative of a new wave of development which the applicant plans to deliver across the borough over the immediate term.
“The prototype house has been constructed using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and aims at delivering housing more efficiently and to a higher quality within the borough.
“The key objectives of this development are to ‘showcase’ the new house type and gather important user feedback which can be the be used to further enhance the product, and to encourage interest and investment in the scheme, which will aid the growth of the affordable housing market in Walsall.”
