Modular homes on council block rooftops approved

An innovative scheme to build more than 200 modular homes for social rent on the rooftops of existing council blocks has been given the go-ahead.

Newham Council mayor Rokhsana Fiaz and her cabinet approved the proposals made by the council’s wholly owned housing company, Populo Living.

Populo has been the given the green light to progress with phase one of the programme, using around ten council owned blocks which have the potential to deliver more than 200 new homes. An initial assessment of the Council’s existing housing stock suggests at least 500 homes can be delivered quickly using this method, with the potential for more.

Analysis by Populo suggests that the zero-carbon modular homes could reduce the cost of building social housing by up to 25%.

Fiaz said: “This exciting project will help deliver new affordable homes whilst reducing our carbon footprint and costs for the Council. I am committed to delivering more than 1,000 new social rent homes by March 2022. I’m proud that the Council is embracing innovative technologies to deliver high quality, new, affordable homes quickly. This project has huge potential to deliver thousands of homes across the borough over the next few years.”