Councillor Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, has described 13 new modular council owned homes in Barking as ‘marvellous’ following a tour of a show flat this week.

Cllr Rodwell said: “There’s a myth that modular homes are just a cheap type of prefab but from what I have seen here today at Sugden Way, nothing could be further from the truth.

“These new flats look absolutely marvellous and will provide well built, top quality homes for local people.”

The new homes were manufactured in a Dorset factory by Rollalong and are being built in Sugden Way, Barking, as part of a development managed by Be First for Barking and Dagenham Council.

Iain Ferguson, Commercial Director at Be First said: “At Be First we’re embracing the latest technology to build top quality new homes fast and deliver them at rents the people of Barking and Dagenham can afford.”

Clive Harris, Construction Manager at offsite modular manufacturer Rollalong, said: “This is a very exciting project which will provide a range of high-quality, affordable housing for people in Barking and Dagenham, and we’re delighted with our progress so far.

“There is a shortage of housing in the borough and our modular alternatives to traditional construction offer a real opportunity to address the shortfall in approximately half the time.”

The new homes will be completed next month. They feature one, one bed flat, eight two bed and four three bed flats.

You can here the discussion between Cllr Rodwell and Iain Ferguson here.