BRIDGWATER residents have begun to benefit from new factory-built homes being erected on the town’s former cattle market.

Sedgemoor District Council entered into a partnership with Keepmoat Homes to deliver a total of 159 homes off the A38 Bristol Road, with planning permission being granted in February 2018.

Construction on the £25m project began in May 2018, with 41 of the 159 home being modular – meaning they were constructed in pieces in a factory off-site, transported to Bridgwater and then assembled.

These new homes (on what has been dubbed The Parade) are now being snapped up by local residents, who are taking advantage of their eco-friendly nature and relatively low running costs.

Here’s everything you need to know about the project:

What are modular homes?

Instead of being built on-site from the ground up, modular homes are built in large sections off-site, transported to the development area by lorry and then craned into place by the construction crew.

The modular homes on The Parade come courtesy of Ilke Homes’s factory just outside Knaresborough in North Yorkshire – 250 miles from the site.

While this may not seem particularly green at first glance, this method of construction means fewer total vehicle journeys to and from the site, making them an environmentally friendly option.

Dave Sheridan, executive chairman at Ilke Homes, said: “The Parade development demonstrates the additionality off-site manufacturing can provide UK housebuilding with, especially as the industry continues to grapple with tightening building regulations and increasing government targets.

“The 41 factory-built homes we delivered are some of the country’s most energy-efficient. As the government doubles down on its climate commitments, diversifying the supply of new-build housing will be vital.”

How green are the new homes?

The developers claim the new modular homes are “some of the most energy-efficient in the country” thanks to the high-precision engineering that went into their construction.

Each of the 41 new modular homes achieves at least an energy performance certificate rating (EPC) of ‘B’, though the majority are rated ‘A’ – making them more energy-efficient than 92 per cent of the UK’s existing housing stock.

Their airtight construction means very little heat escapes – meaning the properties on The Parade can be run on as little as £1 a day.

And the homes are backed by the NHBC Build Mark Warranty, so buyers will find it just as easy to obtain a mortgage for them as they would for a house build using more traditional methods.

Parry Morgan, head of construction and delivery for LiveWest, said: “In addition to the increased pace of delivery, modular provide a factory build quality that will see a huge improvement in the customer satisfaction of homes, reducing the number of defects in new properties.

“We were delighted to have worked on this innovative project with Sedgemoor District Council, Keepmoat Homes and Ilke Homes.”

Teresa Harvey, the council’s assistant director for housing, added: “We are always keen to see a mix-and-match approach to house building in Sedgemoor and are glad to be at the forefront of this way of getting people into homes.”

“My home is always warm”

Laura and Paul Rubery had not considered modular housing as an option as they attempted to get onto the property ladder.

But after researching The Parade development, they took the plunge – and have never looked back.

Mrs Rubery said: “We were living with our mother-in-law while saving for a home.

“It is amazing to think these homes are built in a factory and then put on a lorry. You wouldn’t know the difference between these homes and a traditional home.

“We have moved in now and the home is superb. The sound-proofing is second to none, you can hardly hear anything going on outside.

“The other part I have noticed is that my home is always warm. We haven’t needed our heating on for a lot of the winter because these homes are so energy efficient.”

The couple were able to secure a shared ownership home with LiveWest, meaning they can buy more of the property as and when their financial circumstances improve.

Ms Rubery, who works for a car parks supplier in Bridgwater, added: “We moved in two months after my daughter, Lacey, was born. It couldn’t have been better timing.

“Shared ownership was perfect for the position we are in and the aim is to buy more of the property as time goes on.

“My daughter loves it and so does our dog. It couldn’t be more perfect.”

“Having a place of my own means the world to me”

Shared ownership also proved the way to go for Hayley Duddridge, an accounts manager for a Bridgwater solicitors firm.

She had the financial capacity to buy a home, but not the required deposit – a familiar problem in the south west, where average property prices are often ten times the average income.

She said: “My relationship ended so I was looking for a new start and buying a home was part of the plan.

“I earn a half-decent salary, but I didn’t have a lot in the way of savings which made it impossible for me to get a mortgage to buy a home outright. So I looked at other ways and contacted LiveWest to see if they could help.

“They told me about some shared ownership homes they were building on a new development in the town.

“Immediately I knew that was the route I wanted to go down. So I kept in regular touch with them and was delighted when I secured one of the newly-built properties.

“Shared ownership was the perfect route for me and LiveWest made it really affordable. I am actually paying £75 less a month than I was renting my previous home.”

Ms Duddridge used to live in a large Victorian home and suffered as a result of cold and damp problems.

In her new homes she has no such concerns, with warm rooms, a south-facing garden and “amazing” sound-proofing for extra privacy.

She added: “The location is great as well. I don’t drive and it means I can walk to work and it is close to supermarkets and the town.

“I am quite into interior design and I have really stamped my mark on it now.

“Having a place of my own after going through a tricky period in my life means the world to me.”

How can I buy a modular home in Bridgwater?

For more information on The Parade or other sites across the south west, visit www.livewest.co.uk/find-a-home.