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Ikea plans 200 flatpack homes in Bristol
Bristol Council’s cabinet has approved plans to use Ikea’s modular housing company to deliver its first UK homes.
Ikea, which is a co-owner of modular development company BoKlok along with construction firm Skanska, has agreed to a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the council to work in partnership to deliver 200 homes over the next five years. The new homes will be situated on a council-owned site on Airport Road to the south west of the city.
The report put forward to the cabinet on 1 October stated that “BoKlok has spent over 18 months researching their UK strategy and has identified Bristol as an ideal location in which to invest”.
In June, BoKlok agreed a deal with West Sussex council to build 162 homes in the seaside town.
The company is an experienced house builder in Sweden and this development offers Bristol an opportunity to test their system in the UK.
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The scheme is anticipated to be a trail of Bristol City Council’s new housing strategy to bring more innovation into house building, and it will qualify for Homes England funding because of the incorporation of modern methods of construction (MMC) within the build.
It will also act as a “proof of concept” site for BoKlok to be able “to demonstrate that BoKlok can deliver on their public aims while working in collaboration with local authorities to serve the housing needs of the city with regards to housing, placemaking and mixed communities”.
Marvin Rees, mayor of Bristol, said: “At the festival’s launch a year ago, we said we would invite ideas from all over the world and be imaginative in solving the city’s housing emergency. This is exactly what BoKlok will bring with these exciting plans.
“We are also exploring how Bristol City Council might acquire a number of these new homes as part of our commitment to providing more social housing.”
Gregor Craig, president and chief executive at Skanska UK, said: “Skanska’s purpose is to build for a better society and BoKlok will broaden our offer in the UK with sustainable, quality homes at a low cost. Skanska has been actively involved in Bristol for many years, building or refurbishing over 50 schools in the area.
"So, I am delighted that these plans for BoKlok would extend our association with the city.”
The plans form part of what is called the Bristol Housing Festival, a five-year project supported by the council as well as Bristol and Bath Regional Capital, WECA and The Shaftesbury Partnership to road test in real-world scenarios existing concepts, as well as innovative solutions to housing design and delivery.
The innovations include use of smart technology and off-site manufacturing.
The non-binding agreement would still necessitate the council to secure the provision of affordable housing on a site-by-site basis.
#IHchat programme on Housing Day 2019
Tuesday 8 October is #HousingDay and Inside Housing is hosting a whole day of live Twitter Q&As with senior sector figures, including a live video conversation with Alison Inman and David Orr.
Tweet your questions to the panellists using the hashtag #IHchat at the times below:
8am – 8.45am: An introduction to #HousingDay
Leslie Channon, housing consultant and #HousingDay organiser – @LeslieChannon
Barry Malki, housing consultant – @barrybehaved
Chair: Carl Brown
9am – 9.45am: The next 100 years of council housing
Dominic Beck, cabinet member for housing, Rotherham Council - @Dominic_E_Beck
Emma Lindley, housing strategy lead, Ashfield District Council – @Emma_Lindley
Paul Smith, cabinet member for housing, Bristol City Council – @BristolPaul
David Renard, chair of the economy, environment, housing and transport board, Local Government Association – @CllrDavidRenard
Chair: Nathaniel Barker
10am – 10.45am: Providing the right homes in the right places
Alan Brunt, chief executive, Bron Afon Community Housing – @albrunt
Sheron Carter, chief executive, Habinteg Housing Association – @CarterSheron
Paul Hackett, chief executive, Optivo – @PaulHackett10
Tracy Harrison, chief executive, Northern Housing Consortium – @tjharrison1
Amy Nettleton, assistant development director – sales and marketing, Aster Group – @amynettleton1
Chair: Jack Simpson
11am – 11.45am: In conversation with Kate Henderson
Kate Henderson, chief executive, National Housing Federation – @KateNHF
Chair: Peter Apps
12am – 12.45pm: How can we tell a better story about social housing?
Victoria Dingle, tenant non-executive director, Soha Housing – @Victoria_Dingle
Steve Hayes, head of communications, Citizen – @SteveH_Citizen
Paul Taylor, innovation coach, Bromford – @PaulBromford
Boris Worrall, chief executive, Rooftop Housing – @BorisJWorrall
Chair: Carl Brown
1pm – 1.45pm: The homelessness and rough sleeping crisis
Faye Greaves, practice and policy officer, Chartered Institute of Housing – @FayeGreavesCIH
David Bogle, chief executive, Hightown Housing Association – @David_Bogle
Chair: Lucie Heath
2pm – 2.45pm: The regulatory landscape
Jonathan Walters, deputy chief executive, Regulator of Social Housing –@JonathanW_RSH
Jenny Osbourne, chief executive, Tpas – @TPASJenny
Steve Douglas, group chief executive, Aquila Services Group – @Steve_Altair
Chair: Gavriel Hollander
3.15pm - 4pm: IH Live video chat - the future role of social housing
Alison Inman, board member, Colne Housing, Saffron Housing and Tpas – @Alison_Inman
David Orr, chair, Clarion – @DavidOrrCBE
Chair: Nathaniel Barker
