A social housing provider has agreed a partnership to deliver 41 ultra-low carbon homes to an East Lancashire housing estate, marking the first time they have opted for factory-built housing.

The deal between Together Housing and TopHat, a modular house builder, will see an initial 10 timber-framed homes delivered to the Shadsworth area of Blackburn, with a further 31 set to be delivered as part of the scheme’s second phase.

The site has already been granted full planning permission by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

As part of the agreement, TopHat will precision-engineer the homes along production lines at their 140,000 sq. ft manufacturing facility in Foston, Derby, and they will be transported to the site and installed within a matter of hours after completion.

Every home being delivered will be net zero-carbon, meaning no operational emissions will be produced from heating and utilities.

This is achieved through exceptional building fabric and the incorporation of low-carbon technologies such as solar panels and battery storage.

When combined, these efficiencies will help to drastically reduce a home’s carbon footprint while helping to cut energy bills.

Across the UK, there are 1.2 million modular houses on council waiting lists due to the speed and energy efficiencies.

Together Housing recently won a national award for their work to replace 183 gas boilers with energy-efficient and environmentally friendly ground source heat pumps at the Daisyfield Towers scheme in Blackburn.

The housing association plans to spend £120m on green energy projects across its 37,000 homes, and to date has completed more than 3,000 renewable energy projects as it aims to halve its operational carbon impact by 2030.

Andrew Shepherd, managing director at TopHat, said: “TopHat’s strategic partnership with Together Housing will quickly ramp up the delivery of highly energy-efficient homes for members of society that are most exposed to the cost-of-living crisis.

“TopHat and Together Housing are kindred spirits, having both committed whole-heartedly to decarbonising housing and building high-quality homes. We look forward to delivering this initial scheme for the people of Blackburn.”

Caroline Grosvenor, group director for place shaping at Together Housing Group, said: “Delivering high-quality new homes on our estates with minimal disruption to our residents is an essential element of our Placeshaping programme.

“The progressive modular methods used by TopHat contribute to our ambition to deliver new homes with minimal carbon impact, providing renewable energy for the household and lead the way in creating greener social housing.

“We are thrilled to see this partnership develop as we continue to invest in our local communities.”

TopHat is due to start installing the homes from March 2024.