Yorkon News Archives

08/01/2003 – Yorkon doubles production capacity for affordable housing

Modular building manufacturer and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has doubled production capacity for its living accommodation module at its 60-acre manufacturing centre in York.

The move is in response to the surge in demand for modular housing following the success of the acclaimed Murray Grove apartments for Peabody Trust. The scheme, manufactured by Yorkon, was the UK's first multi-storey affordable housing development to be built in a factory.

The Government's announcement that 3.8m homes must be built in Britain within 25 years, is also having a significant impact on the demand for modular construction for both public and private sector housing.

"We are currently working with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as part of the Off-site Manufacturing Working Group to examine ways in which the Government can help housing associations deliver modular homes", said Keith Blanshard, Director and General Manager of Yorkon.

"High profile award-winning schemes such as Murray Grove in London and Sixth Avenue in York have radically changed the perception of modular housing. The benefits of faster construction, significantly improved quality and flexibility in terms of design are well appreciated. What we need now are more enlightened developers to challenge conventional methods of building and give us the volume to achieve beneficial economies of scale."

With the introduction of a new dedicated production line, Yorkon now has the capacity to manufacture up to 600 apartments a year, a figure which could increase further in line with the rising demand for off-site construction.

Yorkon is currently working on a second development for Peabody Trust to create 53 affordable apartments for shared ownership on a brownfield site in Stoke Newington. Also on site in London is a 30-apartment scheme developed by East Thames Housing Group, and a number of other projects are at design stage.

Demand for off-site construction in other sectors is also increasing. Yorkon's work with Tesco is expanding to include standalone Tesco Express stores in addition to supermarkets on petrol forecourts and a string of new projects are underway in the fast-food, health, transport and education sectors.

Editor's Notes

Yorkon's award-winning modular building system is an efficient alternative to traditional site-based construction, which saves time, is safer, quieter and cleaner, guarantees quality and minimises disruption during construction.
Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a factory environment, using technology similar to car production, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days.