Work is underway on a groundbreaking development in Moreton-in-Marsh that will provide low-cost, eco-friendly homes.

The new homes are all being built off-site in a factory before being transported to the town and lowered into place. The Stockwells site was previously a street of 24 non-traditional properties that had been built in the 1950s as a quick solution to the housing shortage of the time. But in recent years their condition had deteriorated and now we are regenerating the street by building 28 new two- and three-bedroom homes to replace them. The former properties have already been demolished and we are now laying the groundwork and putting the foundations in place ready for the delivery of the factory-built homes.

The new homes, which will all be available to rent when completed, are being built by our modern methods of construction (MMC) partner ilke Homes in their Yorkshire factory. They’ll be transported to the site and installed over an eight-week period in spring 2023.

Regeneration project manager Millie Nicholls said: “This is the first development of its kind for us in the Cotswolds, providing homes built in offsite in a factory. Homes built using modern methods of construction such as this are going to become much more commonplace in the years ahead as developers seek to make homes more sustainable.

“We’re now preparing the site for the delivery of the homes, which are already being built in the factory. At a time when rising energy prices are contributing to a cost-of-living crisis, we’re proud that these homes will be among the most energy efficient we have ever built. And they’ll all be available for local people to rent once they are completed next year.”

The development is being part-funded by a £550,000 grant from Cotswold District Council to provide additional sustainable features such as solar panels and air source heat pumps.

Cllr Joe Harris, leader of Cotswold District Council, said: “I am thrilled that this development is now underway and thanks to the investment the Council has provided, the homes will be built in a way which will reduce their carbon impact which is good for tackling climate change and significantly lower the cost of energy bills for tenants. Providing affordable homes is very important to us but it’s not just about rent, it’s about living costs too.”