Julian House: Our modular homes journey

Joanne Lumb, Development Manager for Housing at the South West homeless charity Julian House, reflects on their experience developing modular homes, supported by Commonweal.

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Photo credit: Armstrong Architecture

Julian House had been investigating the concept of a modular housing development for supported housing for several years. One major blocker was the lack of suitable land and, given that the charity had no budget for purchasing any, we were at the mercy of the land-owning local authorities and/or faith groups to come forward with options. 

In 2023, we were offered a couple of sites in Somerset owned by the local authority. Both looked really promising and we had reached a point where we needed to do further site investigation and explore options with an architect. Later in 2023, we reached out to Commonweal via their ‘Call for New Ideas’ funding programme, where we received a grant to explore our modular model further.

We were very fortunate to be awarded the funding, which enabled us to complete extensive investigations, architects drawings and surveys; cover planning costs; employ a planning consultant; and make a phosphate credit offset deposit (which was a mandatory part of submitting the planning application!). 

After a few months of delays with the planning application, and an eventual referral to planning committee, unfortunately, our planning application for four type-one volumetric modular homes was unsuccessful. A change in government shifted key support for our project and we decided not to appeal. 

However, all was not lost! The Commonweal-funded feasibility study had enabled us to apply for, and secure, funding from Homes England’s Single Homeless Accommodation Programme (SHAP). This provided Julian House with £299k capital contribution and three years revenue funding to provide wraparound support to residents. 

When the planning to create modular homes was refused, we re-approached Homes England to see if we could utilise the awarded funding in another way. We made a proposal to purchase four one-bed properties where we could deliver the same supported housing outcome using existing standard housing stock, and we were delighted that they agreed. 

We are now very close to completing on three out of the four properties we acquired, and the fourth one will be completing in the coming weeks! It may not be the outcome we expected, but we have still created an amazing opportunity to help vulnerable adults. 

In addition to this positive outcome, we have the learned experience from the investigations, consultations, public meetings, planning committees’ and all the architects’ drawings from the feasibility process for the modular homes, which remains a high priority as a project Julian House want to deliver in the near future. 

It was a bumpy journey, and I hope our report mapping out our model homes concept can help others navigate the early part of their journey into the world of planning/consultation and perhaps give hope that when all feels lost, there is always a way!