Moving a Block of Flats from Southwark to Ealing

Kind & Company is the Principal Contractor managing and delivering a contract to relocate and refurbish a set of modular flats from Southwark to Lambourn Close, Hanwell. Ultimately these will provide good quality emergency accommodation for 16 local homeless households.

Tony Battle, Joint Managing Director said: “Through a rigorous tender process Kind & Company demonstrated it has the complex skills required to relocate and refurbish these modular homes. As the first example of this process in London, we are pleased to be working closely with the original design and manufacturing team, plus logistics specialists to ensure an efficient completion.”

The homes will be modified to create two much-needed five-bedroom family homes, with the rest of the site serving as seven two-bed and seven one-bed flats. Construction work is likely to take six to nine months in total, with a view to having the properties ready to live in from spring 2020.The work will also see the installation of solar panels on the roofs of the adjacent buildings on Lambourn Close, which will help achieve the Mayor of London’s zero carbon target by generating sustainably sourced electricity to sell to the National Grid.

Councillor Peter Mason, lead member for housing, planning and transformation at Ealing Council said: “Moving modular homes is not something that happens often - this is the first demounting and remounting of a modular building in London. The ability to do this is beyond the capability of many councils, so we’re lucky to have the necessary skills to deal with a complex operation like this.”

James Murray. London’s Deputy Mayor of Housing and Residential Development said, "More council housing is essential to tackling London's housing crisis, so it's great to see this innovative project by Ealing Council, which makes excellent use of modern modular flats.”

The original three storey block of flats situated in Wyndham Road, London SE5 was designed and factory built in Krakow (Poland), transported to the UK and erected in 2005. The planning approval was for a limited period and the site is required for a new development. The original building owner, Hyde Housing Association Ltd, agreed to sell the building to London Borough of Ealing. The original Polish designer is now an independent architect but retains access to all the original design documents. The building, when re-erected is being altered internally to provide two larger flats on the ground floor.

Lifting the modules required minimum sized crane suitable for 200 tonnes and a special lifting frame. In addition to the erection of the transported structure, the building is to have new water heaters in all flats, plus replacement of approximately 50% of all panel heaters. Additionally, the two enlarged flats will have new kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms.