'Ready-built' Grantham council homes 'ready to move into by summer'

Ten innovative modular homes in Grantham are now nearing completion.

The development of the one-bedroom units on Kinoulton Court form part of South Kesteven District Council’s £30 million commitment over the next five years to deliver social housing across the district.

The newly-applied brick slip cladding completes the exterior, aiming to make them look and feel like traditionally built homes but with the advantages of a modern construction.

The modular format creates energy efficient homes with lifetime features.

SKDC cabinet member for housing Councillor Robert Reid said he is delighted with progress and hopes they will be ready “for people who need them most” by the summer.

He said: “People can now see they are clearly not identikit homes and that they blend well into each local area.

“We are expecting them to be complete by the start of the summer. They arrived with kitchens, bathrooms, pipework and electrics already fitted so all that is left is the decorating and some exterior work.”

When ready, the modular homes will be allocated to people on the housing register who need somewhere to live.

The houses were lifted into place by crane in January.

Affordable housing is in short supply across the country and South Kesteven is no exception.

However, residents living nearby objected to the development and say they have been left “devastated” by the build.

Sammy Greensmith lives on adjoining Hornsby Road.

She said: “They are an invasion on our privacy. The flat walls literally start a mere few feet from our back fences. I appreciate there is a serious need for housing but this shouldn’t be at the expense of the people already residing here.”

After being contacted by the Journal when the homes arrived in January, a spokesperson for SKDC said: “To address privacy concerns raised by residents in neighbouring properties the plans were designed to ensure overlooking was kept to a minimum.”