Rockfield Mews, Anfield

The home of Liverpool Football Club is now home to a new Modular development thanks to Wetherby’s Modular Façade System, Your Housing Group and modular housing specialists, ilke Homes Ltd.

The new development, situated close to the Reds’ home ground in Anfield, is a first for Your Housing Group and was partly funded by Homes England. The development of the site, known as Rockfield Mews, saw seven two-bedroom new homes built inside ilke Homes’ factory and positioned into place by crane.

Your Housing Group set out to help meet the growing demand for quality, affordable homes and with modular construction continuing to drive innovation in the industry due to modular homes’ superior energy efficiency; Your Housing Group felt it was time to add this to its portfolio of investments already made within the area.

Wetherby’s Modular façade systems have been specially designed for assembly in a factory-controlled environment and with a flexible approach to finish options, it means that this build complements the already existing community.

The location of this project created an additional challenge due to it being positioned in an already built-up housing estate with narrow access roads. Because it was important to deliver the project with minimal disruption to local residents, a modular build was the ideal solution as this allowed all of the units to be completed at ilke Homes’ factory in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire before being transported to the site. Assembling the homes in ilke Homes’ factory controlled setting also meant that they could be constructed to a higher build quality than homes using traditional methods.

Engie was appointed to construct the development and was responsible for the preparation of the site infrastructure, foundations and external works. When the site was ready for construction, the new homes were stored a short distance away and were delivered to site one at a time. Once a unit was safely positioned, the next one could be delivered until all 14 units were in place and complete. This allowed the residents maximum access to their homes and little interference with daily life.

Wetherby’s modular brick slip system utilises a unique tongue and groove interlocking, high-density EPS insulation board to provide superior strength, high impact resistance and protection against water ingress. This modern method of construction allows for less waste than traditional construction and significantly reduces installation time and the need for skilled labour.

The development was designed by Your Housing Group in conjunction with modular housing specialist, ilke Homes.

The project was complete with a selection of Wetherby’s brick slips including Tivoli to the five houses in the middle, Cream Stock to the two end houses, and feature bands consisting of Merida Grey and Merida Red to all the houses.

Brian Cronin, Group Chief Executive of Your Housing Group said: “This new development is another step forward in the incredible regeneration of Anfield, and a new beginning for Your Housing Group in delivering homes using modular construction methods. The modular homes will enable us to deliver quality homes in less time and drive efficiencies.“

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “The regeneration of Anfield is one of the great success stories of the past decade – with thousands of lives transformed by a commitment to providing quality housing. It’s been delivered thanks to a fantastic public-private sector partnership that has worked very closely with the community to create a healthier environment in which to live, work and visit. I’m delighted Your Housing Group has now begun this new phase of building affordable, quality modular- built homes. The Anfield approach is very much at the heart of our economic strategy for the next decade, as we aim to give thousands more families across the city, and their children, a better home and start in life.”

Gabrielle Berring, director of loans at Homes England, said: “We are really pleased that Your Housing is making its first move into modular housing with Homes England’s support at this exciting development in Liverpool. It’s also good news that the modular homes are being built by ilke Homes, in which Homes England made a strategic investment as part of our commitment to accelerating the use of modern methods of construction.”