AN East Lancashire designer will this week see his vision of ‘instant homes’ become a reality in Blackburn as he starts to recruit 300 workers by next summer.

Ian Chew’s modular houses, built in a factory and put up in days, are the first of their kind.

The steel-framed, brick-clad semi-detached properties are being erected in Monmouth Road.

The scheme, commissioned by social housing provider Twin Valley Homes, has sparked national and international interest.

Greenvale Homes want a similar project in Lomas Lane, Rawtenstall.

Mr Chew’s Easybase Home Limited is also talking to the New Zealand Government about helping tackle the housing crisis in Earthquake-devastated Christ Church.

Founded seven years ago in Bacup, Easybase moved with 18 staff to the Whitebirk Industrial Estate in Blackburn this April.

The firm has since taken on two apprentices and, with four more housing associations nationwide interested in the instant homes, hopes to expand its workforce to 250 to 300 over the next 12 months.

Mr Chew is determined to provide jobs for local people and training for 20 to 30 enthusiastic young individuals as apprentices. He founded the company in his home town in 2006 and spent two years devising a design for modular housing based on existing conservatory technology.

The completed homes are removed from the factory and transported in sections on flatbed trucks.

Mr Chew said: “We have already taken on apprentices with a view to recruiting at least another 20 over the next few weeks.

“We are also looking to have a recruitment drive which will take local unemployed people and place them in full time employment.

“Once the production of the houses is at full capacity we intend to have between 250 and 300 people employed.

“We are currently in talks with the New Zealand Government with regards to helping them tackle the housing crisis in Christ Church.”

He added: “One of the advantages of a factory-built house is the construction process is not at the mercy of the weather.” Twin Valley Homes will make the homes available for rent and by the end of summer.

The company have just launched a range of house extensions which can be erected in three days at a fraction of the price of traditional build.