22 modular homes for homeless families planned for car park on Meteor Way

A car park on the edge of the city centre may be turned into vital temporary accommodation (TA) for Chelmsford homeless families. The council’s Cabinet approved the installation of twenty-two new modular houses on Waterhouse Lane car park on Meteor Way and an adjacent vacant site. The units would add an extra nine 3-bedroom and thirteen 2-bedroom houses to the city’s supply of emergency housing, giving a lifeline to local families at one of the most difficult times of their lives.

Purpose-built units are sustainable and quick to build

A planning application will soon be submitted for the development of the sustainable two-storey units at the site on Meteor Way. The modular homes are designed for people who need a safe and secure home, purpose-built to be energy efficient, with solar panels and underfloor heating. Crucially, they can also be delivered much more quickly than traditional builds. As well as providing a higher standard of accommodation for homeless households, the modular units will replace the need for the same number of expensive private lets, which could be miles away from friends and family in Chelmsford.

Infrastructure works to get the site ready for these units will be covered by a £250k grant from the Government’s Brownfield Release Fund. This funding allows councils to clear empty buildings, former car parks and industrial land to make way for new homes.

The modular homes are deigned to be energy efficient and comfortable

Tariffs at nearby car park to change to help Waterhouse Lane users

Waterhouse Lane is one of the council’s least used car parks, with an average occupancy of around 26% on weekdays. The plot, which runs alongside Central Park, is a 20-minute walk to the city centre and seen as a less desirable parking option by shoppers and commuters because of its distance from the High Street.

The site is better used by local clubs and community groups at the weekend and as part of the plans, new, affordable short-stay tariffs will be introduced at the larger Coval Lane car park to offer an alternative to drivers who would usually use Waterhouse Lane. Coval Lane, is just a 400m walk from Meteor Way, with no busy roads to navigate.

Tackling Chelmsford’s growing need for TA a priority

There are currently more than 500 Chelmsford homeless households living in temporary accommodation while they wait for a permanent home. The top three reasons for homelessness in Chelmsford are eviction by family or friends, so-called ‘no fault’ evictions by private landlords and domestic violence. Councils have a legal duty to provide emergency housing for those who meet essential homelessness criteria, which might include being at risk of abuse, having children and an established local connection to the area.

The national housing crisis, caused by sharply rising rents and lack of supply, has greatly increased the number of people in temporary accommodation in the district. This extra demand is helping to create a significant shortfall in council finances: the net cost of TA to the council is expected to be around £5.2m for the coming year, up from £1.4 million just five years ago. It’s hoped adding more sustainable accommodation will reduce the council’s reliance on expensive private rentals.

“

“Finding more creative ways to better help homeless residents who come to us at their most vulnerable is one of our biggest challenges. Imagine that you have lost everything, only to be placed miles away from your support networks, your child’s school or your place of work because councils have nowhere to house you. That’s the reality for some Chelmsford residents who find themselves far from all they know at the lowest point in their lives.

“We can’t fix the housing crisis overnight, but developments like this in the centre of Chelmsford can make a huge difference to families, mitigating some of the trauma of losing a home and everything that comes with that. Every year, the number of people who need our help is growing. We can’t tackle this problem by doing the same thing we are doing now. We need to think more imaginatively about how we make the most of the space we have.”

Cllr Lynne Foster, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Chelmsford

Affordable housing also in the pipeline

As well as households in temporary accommodation, 1,800 more are in overcrowded or unsatisfactory housing, waiting for a home that meets their needs. The city council, with housing associations, is planning to build more than 70 new affordable homes on its land over the next couple of years for people on Chelmsford’s housing register. Other accommodation is also being delivered through the planning system, with 35% of new developments expected to be affordable homes. The CHESS Homeless Turning Point project is also bringing 24 modular self-contained units for single homeless adults to the district, with support and life skills staff on site.