West Midlands Mayor finds out more about modern methods of construction in Walsall factory visit

LoCaL Homes, an award-winning advanced offsite housing manufacturing facility in Walsall, recently received a high-profile visit from a trio of Tory politicians.

Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street CBE, Cllr Adrian Andrew, Deputy Leader of Walsall Council, local MP Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) and their staff were given a tour around the LoCaL Homes factory to learn more about modern methods of construction (MMC) and the products which LoCaL Homes manufacture.

Mike Doolan, Sales and Partnership Manager at LoCaL Homes, chaired a discussion with the visiting delegation around the future of closed panel timber frames and the opportunities and barriers in housebuilding using MMC.

He said: “It was fantastic to welcome Andy Street CBE, Cllr Adrian Andrew and Wendy Morton MP to our manufacturing site in Walsall.

“I was proud to show our visitors the high-quality timber frame panel we make in the heart of the Black Country and demonstrate how they have been used to build homes in the West Midlands and beyond.”

The visit comes ahead of the introduction of the Future Homes Standard – a set of rules which will ensure that new homes built from 2025 produce 75-80% less carbon emissions. LoCaL Homes is already manufacturing its Eco-200 timber frame panels for a number of developments housing associations and contractors across the country to achieve the standard ahead of time.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, added: “Housebuilding has been one of the West Midlands’ best success stories in recent years, with record numbers of homes being built, the vast majority of them on brownfield land. This has kept us on course to achieve our target of building 215,000 new homes by 2031.

“But as we look to continue that success we must also think about how housebuilding can help tackle the climate emergency and support the region’s ambition to be net zero by 2041.

“We want to see greater use of Advanced Manufacturing in Construction so we can not only build homes faster but more sustainably.

“It was fascinating to see LoCaL Home’s  manufacturing process. It is a wonderful example of West Midlands innovation and exactly the sort of approach to construction that can not only build a cleaner, more sustainable economy but also create the hi-tech, green industries of the future, creating well-paid and secure jobs for local people.”

Wendy Morton MP said: “At the end of a busy week in my constituency, it was great to visit LoCaL  Homes  in Aldridge. They excel in manufacturing offsite solutions for various buildings such as bungalows, houses, apartments, care homes, and schools.“LoCaL Homes are shaping the future of housing solutions, and providing local skills employment opportunities.”