£30 million boost for ‘Construction Corridor’

Housing Minister Esther McVey has announced that the government will boost its zero carbon homes aims with a £30 million boost for the ‘Construction Corridor’.

The funding for Yorkshire, who constitutes a section of the ‘Construction Corridor’, is part of government’s drive to make the North of England the world-leader in the creation of modern, green homes.

Homes England will provide the funding to turbo-charge production at their factory in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. It means that, by next year, 2,000 modular homes will roll off ilke Homes’ production line, rising to 5,000 homes a year within the next five years – making ilke Homes a top 10 UK housebuilder.

McVey recently announced that the government plans to create a centre of excellence in the north for Modern Methods of Construction to help speed-up house building to meet its target of 300,000 new homes being delivered each year by the mid-2020s.

McVey said: “The North of England has the potential to lead the world in the modern methods of construction that are transforming home building. An industry that when matured would be worth £40 billion a year and provide up to 80,000 jobs. We need to fully embrace this.

“This £30 million investment in ilke Homes is a significant step forwards in the development of the ‘Construction Corridor’ - a new hub in the North that is front and centre of building the homes we need. It’s vital we invest in new technology to get Britain building. Homes built using modern methods can be of higher quality, greener and built to last.”

The £30 million is being allocated from the Home Building Fund, a £4.5 billion fund delivered by government housing agency Homes England.