A DEVELOPMENT by an Oldham-based housing association has been shortlisted for a leading regional housing award.

The scheme by First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO), which encompasses 12, energy-efficient, two-bedroom apartments on Stephenson Street, is in the running to pick up the award for Best Approach to Modular Housing at the Northern Housing Awards.

The apartments have been manufactured at a facility in Heywood by the Rochdale-based modular building specialists MultiBuild UK (MMC).

Each home has been created at the factory – complete with timber studwork internal walls, pre-fitted insulation and plasterboard, plumbing, electrics and kitchen – before being lifted into place with a crane and assembled by MultiBuild UK’s team at the Stephenson Street site.

Brickwork is currently being added to the exterior of the three-storey building, together with a truss roof, to give the appearance of a traditionally built block of apartments and work is ongoing to finish the interiors.

The homes are due for completion in September.

The £1.4m development is part of FCHO’s strategy to deliver 1,100 affordable, high quality, low carbon homes in Oldham and surrounding areas by 2026 to help meet growing demand, with 700 homes still to be delivered.

To help prevent fuel poverty and support FCHO customers to save money on utility bills and minimise their carbon footprint, the homes will be EPC rated B.

Modular housing sees homes created 60 per cent faster than properties built using traditional building methods and reduces the amount of construction waste.

Joel Owen, FCHO director of development said: “As in many other parts of the country, there’s a shortage of affordable housing locally and we’re working hard to address this.

“MultiBuild UK’s modular system is helping us bring forward at pace more energy efficient, social homes that will make a difference to local people and futureproof our stock, and I’m delighted the approach has been shortlisted for this award.”

Alistair Cameron, managing director at MultiBuild UK said: “The Stephenson Street scheme is a strong example of how we can help developers and housing providers deliver sustainable new homes and overcome challenges relating to costs, high-density residential areas, difficult topography, historic use of brownfield sites, site safety and quality which may otherwise impact viability and deliverability of low volume schemes.”

Winners of the Northern Housing Awards will be announced on May 17.