A way back home.
Rapid response housing for communities in need.
It’s time to reimagine
It’s time to reimagine
At present, we don’t have enough homes to house all of Britain’s families, and the challenge is more pressing than ever.
With planning and viability hurdles, we know it may take years to scale housebuilding to the level it needs to be. But rather than accepting this as a status quo, we believe it’s a chance to reimagine how we approach temporary housing.
We cannot accept the idea of people living in sub‑standard temporary accommodation for years on end. It’s time to reimagine what temporary accommodation can be. It’s time for a solution that’s more than just a stopgap. A solution that’s safe, warm, self-contained, and most importantly, a space where people can not just exist, but thrive, while we find a way back to their permanent home.
Temporary accommodation should never be a makeshift solution. A hotel room, or a hostel bed, is not a substitute for a home.
In London alone, there are 120,000 households living in temporary accommodation, including 159,000 children, equivalent to one in every classroom.
That is more children than the population of Cambridge. This is costing London boroughs £120 million per month and forcing many of them to the verge of bankruptcy.
This isn’t just a financial issue— it’s a human one. The long-term impact of living in unstable, inadequate conditions can hold families back for years to come. We must do more.
We’re reimagining what it means to provide temporary accommodation. Not just somewhere to stay, but a place to build a future.
A home for now, with a sense of hope for what’s next.
A solution that’s local, close to family, community, and the places that matter. A solution that’s sustainable, using available sites close to local amenities, something that gives a true sense of belonging.
At Wates, we believe in creating lasting change—a ripple effect that uplifts individuals, families, communities, and the country as a whole. Because when we reimagine temporary accommodation, we reimagine opportunity for everyone.
Creating social value, reducing costs for councils
It’s hard to quantify the true value of what stable, high quality temporary accommodation means for people.
But we can estimate the amount of money it will save councils, and the amount of social value it would create for each of the adults and children involved.
Local and central government would save £44,000 per year for each adult currently in private rented accommodation and £63,500 per year if they are in a hotel or B&B.
For each child, the cost savings would be £28,500 per year.
The amount of social value that would be created by moving an individual into high quality transitional housing would be £52,500.
This is only £15,000 less than the value created by settling an individual into a permanent home, which is the ultimate goal.
£44,000
saving per year for each adult in private rented accommodation
saving per year for each adult in per year in a hotel or B&B
£63,500
saving per year for each child in rented accommodation
£28,500
social value created by moving an individual into high quality transitional housing
£52,500
Finding a better way back home
The alternative pathway
Current situation
Let’s help people thrive
Wates and its partners have come together to develop a solution to the temporary accommodation crisis.
Our vision is to unlock rapidly deployable provision of temporary homes through modular construction to improve the lives of families who are in desperate need.
The vision uses aggregated demand to drive the efficiencies that come with scale while ensuring minimum standards in design quality, placemaking and residential amenity.
Wates’ main role is to be an integrator and convener. Our experience of delivering modular homes at scale, alongside our networks with industry leaders provides us with a strong platform to help try and resolve the emergency housing crisis.
This matters to us
Reimagining places for people to thrive is not just our purpose—it’s personal. It influences everything we do, driving us forward with a sense of urgency and determination.
We don’t just solve problems. We create progress. We don’t just build homes. We build the foundations for brighter futures. We don’t just house people. We give them a place to grow, to dream, to live well, and to thrive.
We believe that creating this solution and generating meaningful, constructive conversations is the first step toward real progress.
And it matters to our cities. Recent guidance by the Mayor of London (The Accelerating Housing Guidance Note - 19th December 2024) recognises the role that meanwhile housing can play in meeting housing need.
This playbook outlines the opportunities at each stage of the process— steps we can take to accelerate the delivery of the homes that so many families desperately need. Together, we can create a future where no one is left without a safe place to call home.
The way back home – is a stepping stone
A modular home isn’t the same size as a permanent home. We are not suggesting they should be a replacement. But we do believe that they are better than B&Bs, hotels and hostels and they have significant benefits:
An average new build permanent home
Wates' transitional modular home
A typical bed & breakfast
But we can’t do this alone
This is only the start of the conversation. We are keen to engage with fellow industry professionals, local authorities and others with a commitment to tackle this crisis.
We’re also looking for partners with sites that could be suitable for temporary accommodation. These are usually brownfield and difficult to develop sites.
If you want to collaborate or be part of the solution, get in touch with us.
Get in touch
Mike Dempsey Modular Director
Wates Residential Mike.Dempsey@wates.co.uk
Hugh Jeffery Regional Development Director
Wates Residential hugh.jeffery@wates.co.uk
About Wates Residential
At Wates Residential, we don’t just build homes— we create thriving communities.
Click here to read more about us...
With thanks to our partners
A wonderful team of experts has been feeding into this playbook. We look forward to driving forward a solution, together.
© Wates Group 2025
The current situation is completely untenable. Private landlords are charging exorbitant rents to Councils who have a duty to house families that are currently homeless.
The alternative of staying in hotels or bed and breakfasts, often for several months at a time, has a massive impact on the health and wellbeing of those families. It is also hugely expensive and pushing Councils to the verge of bankruptcy.
Collectively as a society, we need to find an alternative path for these people to take.
People at risk of homelessness are often housed in emergency accommodation initially, to provide them with a roof over their heads. We believe there should be modular transitional homes for them to move into as soon as possible, so they have a home of their own whilst they wait for a permanent home to be available.
By utilising sites that are currently waiting for future regeneration to take place, we can make the best use of land with homes that last 60+ years but can be moved to other locations when necessary.
This alternative pathway has major benefits for the people involved, as well as cost savings for the Councils responsible for housing them.
Rapid to deploy - from site inception to occupied in 9-12 months: less with a planning change
Can be relocated to where the need is
Rooms can be delivered to national space standards
Self contained to encourage privacy & safety
Separate bedrooms, kitchen area and private bathroom
It's time to reimagine
Finding a better way back home
Let’s help people thrive
This matters to us
The way back home – is a stepping stone
Creating social value, reducing costs for councils
Steps to find a way back home
But we can’t do this alone
About Wates Residential
Contact
Steps to find a way back home
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Step 01 Identify suitable locations
Due to the nature of modular homes and how they are built, they can be placed on almost any site.
It is important that land identified is suitable for homes, weighed against the usual criteria such as local infrastructure capacity and access to transport links.
But there is a huge opportunity to use sites that are suitable, such as those allocated in local plans for housing, but are awaiting permanent plans to get off the ground.
This could be a site that is well connected to local amenities but is awaiting delivery or part of a larger phased development. It could be a site that is in a great location but on its own is small and development is difficult to achieve with viability issues.
The key to a successful strategy is that local authorities or landowners bring forward a ‘portfolio’ of land with a minimum of 100 homes over a maximum of 5 sites within a borough or locality.
There are many ways to identify suitable land across boroughs quickly and efficiently. With digital platforms like Blocktype for example, which uses AI to assess the feasibility and capacity of sites for temporary and permanent accommodation, quickly and easily.
Step 02 Find the right procurement route
Procurement takes time to get right and there are a variety of options available, and collaboration is key. The use of alliancing forms such as FAC 1 and PPC can drive efficiencies and best practice in public sector procurement, if a contracting option is preferred.
The optimal route is for a lease/ leaseback structure. This allows local authorities to rapidly make a decision whether to use a portfolio of land, providing certainty of outcome within a given timeframe and minimal residual risk.
For a temporary solution, we consider the security to be the module itself and the land to belong to the local authority. Therefore, we just need permission to use the site before installing the modules onto it.
Rent is paid under a “hire/lease” agreement and at the term end, the agreement could be extended, the modules could be relocated or removed. However, having certainty about the outcome at the end of the lease period is very important.
Step 03 Explore grant funding
Local authorities are facing extreme pressures financially and the increasing number of families in emergency and temporary accommodation is pushing more local authorities to the brink of bankruptcy.
This solution could seek to reallocate grant funding from the affordable homes programme that is currently underutilised by local authorities and Registered Providers due to viability issues.
This would allow LAs to obtain Homes England or GLA grant from Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) for temporary accommodation.
Grants are usually allocated for homes at specific sites. However, given the potential for the homes to be relocated, the grant could either “follow” the home to its new location as long as it is still within the same borough or locality.
Or it could be allocated to the site with further grant applicable for any additional homes provided in the permanent condition.
In this instance, the initial grant should be spent on infrastructure to unlock the full development potential of the site e.g. road and utilities improvements appropriate for the overall site capacity.
Step 04 Consider a leasing option
Given the challenges with public sector financing, we are looking to arrange a lease/lease back model to offer local authorities the option to lease a parcel of land for a nominal rent whilst entering into a lease to provide an agreed number of homes for an appropriate duration.
This could be advantageous for a number of reasons including:
Streamlines the procurement approach.
Reduces the risk on asset value by relying on the private sector to deliver a whole life maintenance solution.
Provides significant savings when set against the nightly cost of the emergency homes.
Note: Option for enabling and site works to be undertaken via SPV if required and financed long term.
Step 05 Apply for planning permission
We believe that the planning system could be easily adjusted to support faster and smoother delivery of temporary homes. At the moment, a full or temporary planning application needs to be submitted meaning temporary planning permission can take as long as permanent to secure.
We believe that a new class of Permitted Development Rights (PDR) for temporary homes could ensure the process is more streamlined. The PDR would assure a base standard that the temporary homes will meet, assuring not only a high quality of living environment for the families, but also a minimum level of placemaking to ensure that the homes are considered carefully for the local communities within which they will be situated.
The PDR changes would be similar to the emergency planning measures used across the country to build the Nightingale Hospital during the COVID pandemic.
Our proposed PDR would:
Facilitate temporary development for 5 years with the opportunity to extend.
Require development at least 3 years from the date the application was permitted.
Require the homes to be high quality, meeting the Nationally Described Space Standards (NDSS) and have an EPC rating of A.
Require that all rooms in the homes have sufficient natural light.
Ensure consideration of noise, transport, impact on heritage areas.
Require areas of landscaping across the sites to encourage placemaking.
Limit homes to land already allocated for housing.
Be limited to use as affordable housing.
Require a Prior Approval for larger sites.
We believe this change in legislation is imperative to provide a real pipeline to the offsite industry allowing investment in innovation and growth and facilitate this solution to the temporary accommodation crisis.
Step 06 Streamline site works
To enable the successful installation of modular homes, the site works such as foundations, utilities and infrastructure are critical.
Adopting the same approach as we would on a permanent scheme, we leverage the skills of our experienced design and project management teams to ensure that when the modules arrive, they are efficiently installed and connected to the utilities.
The mindset from the outset is to consider the final capacity of the site, to ensure that where possible, infrastructure deployed can be repurposed for the end use,
for example an appropriately sized utility connection or hard infrastructure such as roads and paths.
Design A scheme is established which suits the needs of the meanwhile use with the flexibility needed for the future use. The brief from the outset is to maximise the circular economy by designing in elements which can be used in the permanent scheme or which are components which can be relocated to the next site with the homes.
Site preparation and foundations The site is prepared to receive the homes. This would include clearing the site, preparing the ground for foundations and
the follow on landscaping. The grading of the site would be set to the requirements of the full site capacity.
Foundations are subject to the site specific ground conditions, and where possible, relocatable foundations (including screwpiles and JackPads) will be used.
Utilities Utilities are sized to be appropriate for the homes set out in the capacity study. Utilities are set up prior to modular homes landing on site. A bespoke strategy is provided per site to reduce buried services and maximise ability to reuse. Using above ground service conduits for example will reduce cost in the long run and minimise site works.
Step 07 Harness the power of the supply chain
We seek to combine their manufacturing expertise with our development management capabilities.
Manufacturers are located nationwide and can therefore provide coverage across the country, with a focus on the main urban centres. All manufacturers are BOPAS accredited or equivalent and deliver dwellings that are stackable, re-usable, highly energy efficient and can be moved multiple times.
The individual dwelling cost varies from c.£120k-£170k depending upon customer requirements on sizing and specification requests.
All of them have the ability to balance design quality, cost efficiency and pace of manufacture. We can also accelerate delivery programmes when multiple manufacturers are utilised on larger sized schemes.
Cost, quality, track record in residential schemes, financial due diligence, geographical coverage, health & safety and sustainability credentials are all important aspects of our supply chain.
Manufacturers we have identified include:
There is a well developed, mature supply chain, which serves a wide range of sectors within the UK. There is also capacity for to increase supply rapidly, which will happen when the demand is realised.
We have prepared for this by undertaking extensive technical and financial due diligence across the existing market. We have established a framework of volumetric modular manufacturers, capable of delivering the performance and specification parameters that we have set out in partnership with our design experts.
Step 08 Install the homes
Wates and its partners have worked to consider what a high quality modular home needs to have in order to be fit for the future.
There are various options that we have also explored to start to develop an offer that can be flexed to the needs of individual local authorities and housing associations.
Standard Wates approach to design, play book & pattern book which unlocks offsite manufacturing
Built to Nationally Described Space Standards (NDSS), with an option for 75% or 85% of NDSS if needed by using bunk beds
Delivered to meet or exceed building regulations
Low embodied carbon with options to achieve Net Zero Carbon through “bolt on” sustainable products/material options
Targeting EPC-A and homes will utilise technologies including air source heat pumps as well as solar panels on the roofs, amongst others
Homes are to be delivered in line with the forthcoming environmental standards relating to the Future Homes Standard
All homes are fully warrantable
A “plug & play” approach to services with everything pre-installed before the modules
Wates can manage the transportation and installation of the modules
We strongly recommend treatments to the elevations and facades to enhance the aesthetic of the home to ensure placemaking and community cohesion
Landscaping opportunities such as movable planters and street furniture should be considered
All homes are capable of being stacked up to 3 storeys
Manufacturers provide a range of façade options (brick slip or non-combustible plank), and staircases for 2 and 3 storey developments
The greatest cost-efficiency is realised upon moving the dwelling multiple times, avoiding the need to purchase a unit a second time
Step 09 Deliver healthy homes
At the core of our proposed solution is a commitment to quality of life. Wates is a signatory of the Town and Country Planning Association’s Healthy Homes principles so any development we do must meet them.
These principles specifically seek to ensure the health and wellbeing of residents.
Fire safety All homes must be safe in relation to the risk of fire.
Liveable space All homes must have, as a minimum, the liveable space required to meet the needs of people over their lifetime, including adequate internal and external storage space.
Access to natural light All homes must have access to natural light in all main living areas and bedrooms.
Inclusive, accessible and adaptable All homes and their surroundings must be designed to be inclusive, accessible, and adaptable to suit the need of all.
Access to amenities, nature and transport All homes should be built within places that prioritise and provide access to sustainable transport and walkable services, including green infrastructure and play space.
Climate resilient All homes must demonstrate how they will be resilient to a changing climate over their full life time.
Reduction in carbon emissions All homes must secure radical reductions in carbon emissions in line with the provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008.
Safety from crime All homes must be built to design out crime and be secure.
Limit light and noise pollution All homes must be free from unacceptable and intrusive noise and light pollution.
Thermal comfort All homes must be designed to provide year-round thermal comfort for inhabitants.
Affordable and secure homes Local authorities must plan for secure and affordable housing needs to help meet the long-term health, safety and wellbeing of residents, with affordability based on income levels.
Prevent air polution All homes must minimise and not contribute to unsafe or illegal levels of indoor or ambient air pollution.
Step 10 Have a maintenance plan in place & consider their next move
Like any homes, modular homes need to be managed and maintained properly, to ensure they provide high quality accommodation for the long term. The homes are specified to meet a 60+ year design life, and to ensure that this is realised, a clear maintenance regime needs to be followed.
This can be undertaken by a local authority, however we believe that the optimal approach is that the provider of the homes retains responsibility for undertaking the maintenance throughout the lifecycle of the asset.
This approach ensures that the high quality environment is enjoyed by the residents for many years, and provides certainty when the homes are relocated from site to site.
Once the meanwhile site housing the modular homes becomes available for development, there are so many opportunities for the modular homes.
They can:
Respond to emergency home shortages in other areas.
Provide high quality decant homes for large-scale estate regeneration projects.
Deployed to industry for temporary work force accommodation.
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A way back home.
Temporary accommodation should never be a makeshift solution. A hotel room, or a hostel bed, is not a substitute for a home.
In London alone, there are 120,000 households living in temporary accommodation, including 159,000 children, equivalent to one in every classroom.
That is more children than the population of Cambridge. This is costing London boroughs £120 million per month and forcing many of them to the verge of bankruptcy.
This isn’t just a financial issue— it’s a human one. The long-term impact of living in unstable, inadequate conditions can hold families back for years to come. We must do more.
saving per year for each adult in per year in a hotel or B&B
saving per year for each adult in private rented accommodation
saving per year for each child in rented accommodation
social value created by moving an individual into high quality transitional housing
People at risk of homelessness are often housed in emergency accommodation initially, to provide them with a roof over their heads. We believe there should be modular transitional homes for them to move into as soon as possible, so they have a home of their own whilst they wait for a permanent home to be available.
By utilising sites that are currently waiting for future regeneration to take place, we can make the best use of land with homes that last 60 years but can be moved to other locations when necessary.
This alternative pathway has major benefits for the people involved, as well as cost savings for the Councils responsible for housing them.
Wates and its partners have come together to develop a solution to the temporary accommodation crisis.
Our vision is to unlock rapidly deployable provision of temporary homes through modular construction to improve the lives of families who are in desperate need.
The vision uses aggregated demand to drive the efficiencies that come with scale while ensuring minimum standards in design quality, placemaking and residential amenity.
Reimagining places for people to thrive is not just our purpose—it’s personal. It influences everything we do, driving us forward with a sense of urgency and determination.
We don’t just solve problems. We create progress. We don’t just build homes. We build the foundations for brighter futures. We don’t just house people. We give them a place to grow, to dream, to live well, and to thrive.
We believe that creating this solution and generating meaningful, constructive conversations is the first step toward real progress.
This playbook outlines the opportunities at each stage of the process—steps we can take to accelerate the delivery of the homes that so many families desperately need.
Together, we can create a future where no one is left without a safe place to call home.
Due to the nature of modular homes and how they are built, they can be placed on almost any site.
It is important that land identified is suitable for homes, weighed against the usual criteria such as local infrastructure capacity and access to transport links.
But there is a huge opportunity to use sites that are suitable, such as those allocated in local plans for housing, but are awaiting permanent plans to get off the ground.
This could be a site that is well connected to local amenities but have contamination issues. It could be a site that is in a great location but on its own is small and development is difficult to achieve with viability issues.
The key to a successful strategy is that local authorities or landowners bring forward a ‘portfolio’ of land with a minimum 100 homes over a maximum 5 sites within a borough or locality.
There are many ways to identify suitable land across boroughs quickly and efficiently. With digital platforms like Blocktype for example, which uses AI to assess the feasibility and capacity of sites for temporary and permanent accommodation, quickly and easily.
Procurement takes time to get right and there are a variety of options available, and collaboration is key.
The use of alliancing forms such as FAC 1 and PPC can drive efficiencies and best practice in public sector procurement, if a contracting option is preferred.
The optimal route is for a lease or leaseback structure. This allows local authorities to rapidly make a decision whether to use a portfolio of land, providing certainty of outcome within a given timeframe and minimal residual risk.
Having certainty about the outcome at the end of the lease period is very important.
Local authorities are facing extreme pressures financially and the increasing number of families in emergency and temporary accommodation is pushing more local authorities to the brink of bankruptcy. So it is critical to provide a solution which can benefit from available grant with options for a long-term finance route.
We anticipate that local authorities will be able to seek Homes England or GLA grant from the Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) for the homes that we are proposing to deliver.
Grants are usually allocated for homes at specific sites. However, given the potential for the homes to be relocated, the grant could either “follow” the home to its new location as long as it is still within the same borough or locality it was originally allocated for, or it could be allocated to the site with further grant applicable for the additional homes provided in the permanent condition.
If this basis is used, the initial grant should be focused on infrastructure which is designed to unlock the full development potential of the site for instance roads and utilities appropriate for the overall site capacity.
Alternatively, if the grant is used for infrastructure, the grant should be linked to supporting housing on a specific site. This should ensure support for both permanent homes in the long-terms and temporary homes in the immediate term.
Standard Wates approach to design, play book & pattern book which unlocks offsite manufacturing
Built to Nationally Described Space Standards (NDSS), with an option for 75% or 85% of NDSS if needed by using bunk beds
Built to Nationally Described Space Standards (NDSS), with an option for 75% or 85% of NDSS if needed by using bunk beds
Low embodied carbon with options to achieve Net Zero Carbon through “bolt on” sustainable products/material options
Targeting EPC-A and homes will utilise technologies including air source heat pumps as well as solar panels on the roofs, amongst others
Delivered to meet or exceed building regulations
Standard Wates approach to design, play book & pattern book which unlocks offsite manufacturing
A “plug & play” approach to services with everything pre-installed before the modules
Targeting EPC-A and homes will utilise technologies including air source heat pumps as well as solar panels on the roofs, amongst others
Wates can manage the transportation and installation of the modules
All homes are fully warrantable
Landscaping opportunities such as movable planters and street furniture should be considered
Manufacturers provide a range of façade options (brick slip or non-combustible plank), and staircases for 2 and 3 storey developments
Like any homes, modular homes need to be managed and maintained properly, to ensure they provide high quality accommodation for the long term. The homes are specified to meet a 60 year design life, and to ensure that this is realised, a clear maintenance regime needs to be followed.
This can be undertaken by a local authority, however we believe that the optimal approach is that the provider of the homes retains responsibility for undertaking the maintenance through out the lifecycle of the asset.
This approach ensures that the high quality environment is enjoyed by the residents for many years, and provided certainty when the homes are relocated from site to site.
Once the meanwhile site the homes are on comes forward for development, there are so many opportunities for the modular homes.
They can:
Respond to emergency home shortages in other areas.
Provide high quality decant homes for large-scale estate regeneration projects.
Deployed to industry for temporary work force accommodation.
Mike Dempsey Modular Director
Wates Residential Mike.Dempsey@wates.co.uk
Hugh Jeffery Regional Development Director
Wates Residential hugh.jeffery@wates.co.uk
A way back home.
Rapid response housing for communities in need.
It’s time to reimagine
It’s time to reimagine
At present, we don’t have enough homes to house all of Britain’s families, and the challenge is more pressing than ever.
With planning and viability hurdles, we know it may take years to scale housebuilding to the level it needs to be. But rather than accepting this as a status quo, we believe it’s a chance to reimagine how we approach temporary housing.
We cannot accept the idea of people living in sub‑standard temporary accommodation for years on end. It’s time to reimagine what temporary accommodation can be. It’s time for a solution that’s more than just a stopgap. A solution that’s safe, warm, self-contained, and most importantly, a space where people can not just exist, but thrive, while we find a way back to their permanent home.
Temporary accommodation should never be a makeshift solution. A hotel room, or a hostel bed, is not a substitute for a home.
In London alone, there are 120,000 households living in temporary accommodation, including 159,000 children, equivalent to one in every classroom.
That is more children than the population of Cambridge. This is costing London boroughs £120 million per month and forcing many of them to the verge of bankruptcy.
This isn’t just a financial issue— it’s a human one. The long-term impact of living in unstable, inadequate conditions can hold families back for years to come. We must do more.
We’re reimagining what it means to provide temporary accommodation. Not just somewhere to stay, but a place to build a future.
A home for now, with a sense of hope for what’s next.
A solution that’s local, close to family, community, and the places that matter. A solution that’s sustainable, using available sites close to local amenities, something that gives a true sense of belonging.
At Wates, we believe in creating lasting change—a ripple effect that uplifts individuals, families, communities, and the country as a whole. Because when we reimagine temporary accommodation, we reimagine opportunity for everyone.
Creating social value, reducing costs for councils
It’s hard to quantify the true value of what stable, high quality temporary accommodation means for people.
But we can estimate the amount of money it will save councils, and the amount of social value it would create for each of the adults and children involved.
Local and central government would save £44,000 per year for each adult currently in private rented accommodation and £63,500 per year if they are in a hotel or B&B.
For each child, the cost savings would be £28,500 per year.
The amount of social value that would be created by moving an individual into high quality transitional housing would be £52,500.
This is only £15,000 less than the value created by settling an individual into a permanent home, which is the ultimate goal.
£44,000
saving per year for each adult in private rented accommodation
saving per year for each adult in per year in a hotel or B&B
£63,500
saving per year for each child in rented accommodation
£28,500
social value created by moving an individual into high quality transitional housing
£52,500
Finding a better way back home
The alternative pathway
Current situation
Let’s help people thrive
Wates and its partners have come together to develop a solution to the temporary accommodation crisis.
Our vision is to unlock rapidly deployable provision of temporary homes through modular construction to improve the lives of families who are in desperate need.
The vision uses aggregated demand to drive the efficiencies that come with scale while ensuring minimum standards in design quality, placemaking and residential amenity.
Wates’ main role is to be an integrator and convener. Our experience of delivering modular homes at scale, alongside our networks with industry leaders provides us with a strong platform to help try and resolve the emergency housing crisis.
This matters to us
Reimagining places for people to thrive is not just our purpose—it’s personal. It influences everything we do, driving us forward with a sense of urgency and determination.
We don’t just solve problems. We create progress. We don’t just build homes. We build the foundations for brighter futures. We don’t just house people. We give them a place to grow, to dream, to live well, and to thrive.
We believe that creating this solution and generating meaningful, constructive conversations is the first step toward real progress.
And it matters to our cities. Recent guidance by the Mayor of London (The Accelerating Housing Guidance Note - 19th December 2024) recognises the role that meanwhile housing can play in meeting housing need.
This playbook outlines the opportunities at each stage of the process— steps we can take to accelerate the delivery of the homes that so many families desperately need. Together, we can create a future where no one is left without a safe place to call home.
The way back home – is a stepping stone
A modular home isn’t the same size as a permanent home. We are not suggesting they should be a replacement. But we do believe that they are better than B&Bs, hotels and hostels and they have significant benefits:
An average new build permanent home
Wates' transitional modular home
A typical bed & breakfast
But we can’t do this alone
This is only the start of the conversation. We are keen to engage with fellow industry professionals, local authorities and others with a commitment to tackle this crisis.
We’re also looking for partners with sites that could be suitable for temporary accommodation. These are usually brownfield and difficult to develop sites.
If you want to collaborate or be part of the solution, get in touch with us.
Get in touch
Mike Dempsey Modular Director
Wates Residential Mike.Dempsey@wates.co.uk
Hugh Jeffery Regional Development Director
Wates Residential hugh.jeffery@wates.co.uk
About Wates Residential
At Wates Residential, we don’t just build homes— we create thriving communities.
Click here to read more about us...
With thanks to our partners
A wonderful team of experts has been feeding into this playbook. We look forward to driving forward a solution, together.
© Wates Group 2025
The current situation is completely untenable. Private landlords are charging exorbitant rents to Councils who have a duty to house families that are currently homeless.
The alternative of staying in hotels or bed and breakfasts, often for several months at a time, has a massive impact on the health and wellbeing of those families. It is also hugely expensive and pushing Councils to the verge of bankruptcy.
Collectively as a society, we need to find an alternative path for these people to take.
People at risk of homelessness are often housed in emergency accommodation initially, to provide them with a roof over their heads. We believe there should be modular transitional homes for them to move into as soon as possible, so they have a home of their own whilst they wait for a permanent home to be available.
By utilising sites that are currently waiting for future regeneration to take place, we can make the best use of land with homes that last 60+ years but can be moved to other locations when necessary.
This alternative pathway has major benefits for the people involved, as well as cost savings for the Councils responsible for housing them.
Rapid to deploy - from site inception to occupied in 9-12 months: less with a planning change
Can be relocated to where the need is
Rooms can be delivered to national space standards
Self contained to encourage privacy & safety
Separate bedrooms, kitchen area and private bathroom
It's time to reimagine
Finding a better way back home
Let’s help people thrive
This matters to us
The way back home – is a stepping stone
Creating social value, reducing costs for councils
Steps to find a way back home
But we can’t do this alone
About Wates Residential
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Steps to find a way back home
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Step 01 Identify suitable locations
Due to the nature of modular homes and how they are built, they can be placed on almost any site.
It is important that land identified is suitable for homes, weighed against the usual criteria such as local infrastructure capacity and access to transport links.
But there is a huge opportunity to use sites that are suitable, such as those allocated in local plans for housing, but are awaiting permanent plans to get off the ground.
This could be a site that is well connected to local amenities but is awaiting delivery or part of a larger phased development. It could be a site that is in a great location but on its own is small and development is difficult to achieve with viability issues.
The key to a successful strategy is that local authorities or landowners bring forward a ‘portfolio’ of land with a minimum of 100 homes over a maximum of 5 sites within a borough or locality.
There are many ways to identify suitable land across boroughs quickly and efficiently. With digital platforms like Blocktype for example, which uses AI to assess the feasibility and capacity of sites for temporary and permanent accommodation, quickly and easily.
Step 02 Find the right procurement route
Procurement takes time to get right and there are a variety of options available, and collaboration is key. The use of alliancing forms such as FAC 1 and PPC can drive efficiencies and best practice in public sector procurement, if a contracting option is preferred.
The optimal route is for a lease/ leaseback structure. This allows local authorities to rapidly make a decision whether to use a portfolio of land, providing certainty of outcome within a given timeframe and minimal residual risk.
For a temporary solution, we consider the security to be the module itself and the land to belong to the local authority. Therefore, we just need permission to use the site before installing the modules onto it.
Rent is paid under a “hire/lease” agreement and at the term end, the agreement could be extended, the modules could be relocated or removed. However, having certainty about the outcome at the end of the lease period is very important.
Step 03 Explore grant funding
Local authorities are facing extreme pressures financially and the increasing number of families in emergency and temporary accommodation is pushing more local authorities to the brink of bankruptcy.
This solution could seek to reallocate grant funding from the affordable homes programme that is currently underutilised by local authorities and Registered Providers due to viability issues.
This would allow LAs to obtain Homes England or GLA grant from Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) for temporary accommodation.
Grants are usually allocated for homes at specific sites. However, given the potential for the homes to be relocated, the grant could either “follow” the home to its new location as long as it is still within the same borough or locality.
Or it could be allocated to the site with further grant applicable for any additional homes provided in the permanent condition.
In this instance, the initial grant should be spent on infrastructure to unlock the full development potential of the site e.g. road and utilities improvements appropriate for the overall site capacity.
Step 04 Consider a leasing option
Given the challenges with public sector financing, we are looking to arrange a lease/lease back model to offer local authorities the option to lease a parcel of land for a nominal rent whilst entering into a lease to provide an agreed number of homes for an appropriate duration.
This could be advantageous for a number of reasons including:
Streamlines the procurement approach.
Reduces the risk on asset value by relying on the private sector to deliver a whole life maintenance solution.
Provides significant savings when set against the nightly cost of the emergency homes.
Note: Option for enabling and site works to be undertaken via SPV if required and financed long term.
Step 05 Apply for planning permission
We believe that the planning system could be easily adjusted to support faster and smoother delivery of temporary homes. At the moment, a full or temporary planning application needs to be submitted meaning temporary planning permission can take as long as permanent to secure.
We believe that a new class of Permitted Development Rights (PDR) for temporary homes could ensure the process is more streamlined. The PDR would assure a base standard that the temporary homes will meet, assuring not only a high quality of living environment for the families, but also a minimum level of placemaking to ensure that the homes are considered carefully for the local communities within which they will be situated.
The PDR changes would be similar to the emergency planning measures used across the country to build the Nightingale Hospital during the COVID pandemic.
Our proposed PDR would:
Facilitate temporary development for 5 years with the opportunity to extend.
Require development at least 3 years from the date the application was permitted.
Require the homes to be high quality, meeting the Nationally Described Space Standards (NDSS) and have an EPC rating of A.
Require that all rooms in the homes have sufficient natural light.
Ensure consideration of noise, transport, impact on heritage areas.
Require areas of landscaping across the sites to encourage placemaking.
Limit homes to land already allocated for housing.
Be limited to use as affordable housing.
Require a Prior Approval for larger sites.
We believe this change in legislation is imperative to provide a real pipeline to the offsite industry allowing investment in innovation and growth and facilitate this solution to the temporary accommodation crisis.
Step 06 Streamline site works
To enable the successful installation of modular homes, the site works such as foundations, utilities and infrastructure are critical.
Adopting the same approach as we would on a permanent scheme, we leverage the skills of our experienced design and project management teams to ensure that when the modules arrive, they are efficiently installed and connected to the utilities.
The mindset from the outset is to consider the final capacity of the site, to ensure that where possible, infrastructure deployed can be repurposed for the end use,
for example an appropriately sized utility connection or hard infrastructure such as roads and paths.
Design A scheme is established which suits the needs of the meanwhile use with the flexibility needed for the future use. The brief from the outset is to maximise the circular economy by designing in elements which can be used in the permanent scheme or which are components which can be relocated to the next site with the homes.
Site preparation and foundations The site is prepared to receive the homes. This would include clearing the site, preparing the ground for foundations and
the follow on landscaping. The grading of the site would be set to the requirements of the full site capacity.
Foundations are subject to the site specific ground conditions, and where possible, relocatable foundations (including screwpiles and JackPads) will be used.
Utilities Utilities are sized to be appropriate for the homes set out in the capacity study. Utilities are set up prior to modular homes landing on site. A bespoke strategy is provided per site to reduce buried services and maximise ability to reuse. Using above ground service conduits for example will reduce cost in the long run and minimise site works.
Step 07 Harness the power of the supply chain
We seek to combine their manufacturing expertise with our development management capabilities.
Manufacturers are located nationwide and can therefore provide coverage across the country, with a focus on the main urban centres. All manufacturers are BOPAS accredited or equivalent and deliver dwellings that are stackable, re-usable, highly energy efficient and can be moved multiple times.
The individual dwelling cost varies from c.£120k-£170k depending upon customer requirements on sizing and specification requests.
All of them have the ability to balance design quality, cost efficiency and pace of manufacture. We can also accelerate delivery programmes when multiple manufacturers are utilised on larger sized schemes.
Cost, quality, track record in residential schemes, financial due diligence, geographical coverage, health & safety and sustainability credentials are all important aspects of our supply chain.
Manufacturers we have identified include:
There is a well developed, mature supply chain, which serves a wide range of sectors within the UK. There is also capacity for to increase supply rapidly, which will happen when the demand is realised.
We have prepared for this by undertaking extensive technical and financial due diligence across the existing market. We have established a framework of volumetric modular manufacturers, capable of delivering the performance and specification parameters that we have set out in partnership with our design experts.
Step 08 Install the homes
Wates and its partners have worked to consider what a high quality modular home needs to have in order to be fit for the future.
There are various options that we have also explored to start to develop an offer that can be flexed to the needs of individual local authorities and housing associations.
Standard Wates approach to design, play book & pattern book which unlocks offsite manufacturing
Built to Nationally Described Space Standards (NDSS), with an option for 75% or 85% of NDSS if needed by using bunk beds
Delivered to meet or exceed building regulations
Low embodied carbon with options to achieve Net Zero Carbon through “bolt on” sustainable products/material options
Targeting EPC-A and homes will utilise technologies including air source heat pumps as well as solar panels on the roofs, amongst others
Homes are to be delivered in line with the forthcoming environmental standards relating to the Future Homes Standard
All homes are fully warrantable
A “plug & play” approach to services with everything pre-installed before the modules
Wates can manage the transportation and installation of the modules
We strongly recommend treatments to the elevations and facades to enhance the aesthetic of the home to ensure placemaking and community cohesion
Landscaping opportunities such as movable planters and street furniture should be considered
All homes are capable of being stacked up to 3 storeys
Manufacturers provide a range of façade options (brick slip or non-combustible plank), and staircases for 2 and 3 storey developments
The greatest cost-efficiency is realised upon moving the dwelling multiple times, avoiding the need to purchase a unit a second time
Step 09 Deliver healthy homes
At the core of our proposed solution is a commitment to quality of life. Wates is a signatory of the Town and Country Planning Association’s Healthy Homes principles so any development we do must meet them.
These principles specifically seek to ensure the health and wellbeing of residents.
Fire safety All homes must be safe in relation to the risk of fire.
Liveable space All homes must have, as a minimum, the liveable space required to meet the needs of people over their lifetime, including adequate internal and external storage space.
Access to natural light All homes must have access to natural light in all main living areas and bedrooms.
Inclusive, accessible and adaptable All homes and their surroundings must be designed to be inclusive, accessible, and adaptable to suit the need of all.
Access to amenities, nature and transport All homes should be built within places that prioritise and provide access to sustainable transport and walkable services, including green infrastructure and play space.
Climate resilient All homes must demonstrate how they will be resilient to a changing climate over their full life time.
Reduction in carbon emissions All homes must secure radical reductions in carbon emissions in line with the provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008.
Safety from crime All homes must be built to design out crime and be secure.
Limit light and noise pollution All homes must be free from unacceptable and intrusive noise and light pollution.
Thermal comfort All homes must be designed to provide year-round thermal comfort for inhabitants.
Affordable and secure homes Local authorities must plan for secure and affordable housing needs to help meet the long-term health, safety and wellbeing of residents, with affordability based on income levels.
Prevent air polution All homes must minimise and not contribute to unsafe or illegal levels of indoor or ambient air pollution.
Step 10 Have a maintenance plan in place & consider their next move
Like any homes, modular homes need to be managed and maintained properly, to ensure they provide high quality accommodation for the long term. The homes are specified to meet a 60+ year design life, and to ensure that this is realised, a clear maintenance regime needs to be followed.
This can be undertaken by a local authority, however we believe that the optimal approach is that the provider of the homes retains responsibility for undertaking the maintenance throughout the lifecycle of the asset.
This approach ensures that the high quality environment is enjoyed by the residents for many years, and provides certainty when the homes are relocated from site to site.
Once the meanwhile site housing the modular homes becomes available for development, there are so many opportunities for the modular homes.
They can:
Respond to emergency home shortages in other areas.
Provide high quality decant homes for large-scale estate regeneration projects.
Deployed to industry for temporary work force accommodation.
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A way back home.
Temporary accommodation should never be a makeshift solution. A hotel room, or a hostel bed, is not a substitute for a home.
In London alone, there are 120,000 households living in temporary accommodation, including 159,000 children, equivalent to one in every classroom.
That is more children than the population of Cambridge. This is costing London boroughs £120 million per month and forcing many of them to the verge of bankruptcy.
This isn’t just a financial issue— it’s a human one. The long-term impact of living in unstable, inadequate conditions can hold families back for years to come. We must do more.
saving per year for each adult in per year in a hotel or B&B
saving per year for each adult in private rented accommodation
saving per year for each child in rented accommodation
social value created by moving an individual into high quality transitional housing
People at risk of homelessness are often housed in emergency accommodation initially, to provide them with a roof over their heads. We believe there should be modular transitional homes for them to move into as soon as possible, so they have a home of their own whilst they wait for a permanent home to be available.
By utilising sites that are currently waiting for future regeneration to take place, we can make the best use of land with homes that last 60 years but can be moved to other locations when necessary.
This alternative pathway has major benefits for the people involved, as well as cost savings for the Councils responsible for housing them.
Wates and its partners have come together to develop a solution to the temporary accommodation crisis.
Our vision is to unlock rapidly deployable provision of temporary homes through modular construction to improve the lives of families who are in desperate need.
The vision uses aggregated demand to drive the efficiencies that come with scale while ensuring minimum standards in design quality, placemaking and residential amenity.
Reimagining places for people to thrive is not just our purpose—it’s personal. It influences everything we do, driving us forward with a sense of urgency and determination.
We don’t just solve problems. We create progress. We don’t just build homes. We build the foundations for brighter futures. We don’t just house people. We give them a place to grow, to dream, to live well, and to thrive.
We believe that creating this solution and generating meaningful, constructive conversations is the first step toward real progress.
This playbook outlines the opportunities at each stage of the process—steps we can take to accelerate the delivery of the homes that so many families desperately need.
Together, we can create a future where no one is left without a safe place to call home.
Due to the nature of modular homes and how they are built, they can be placed on almost any site.
It is important that land identified is suitable for homes, weighed against the usual criteria such as local infrastructure capacity and access to transport links.
But there is a huge opportunity to use sites that are suitable, such as those allocated in local plans for housing, but are awaiting permanent plans to get off the ground.
This could be a site that is well connected to local amenities but have contamination issues. It could be a site that is in a great location but on its own is small and development is difficult to achieve with viability issues.
The key to a successful strategy is that local authorities or landowners bring forward a ‘portfolio’ of land with a minimum 100 homes over a maximum 5 sites within a borough or locality.
There are many ways to identify suitable land across boroughs quickly and efficiently. With digital platforms like Blocktype for example, which uses AI to assess the feasibility and capacity of sites for temporary and permanent accommodation, quickly and easily.
Procurement takes time to get right and there are a variety of options available, and collaboration is key.
The use of alliancing forms such as FAC 1 and PPC can drive efficiencies and best practice in public sector procurement, if a contracting option is preferred.
The optimal route is for a lease or leaseback structure. This allows local authorities to rapidly make a decision whether to use a portfolio of land, providing certainty of outcome within a given timeframe and minimal residual risk.
Having certainty about the outcome at the end of the lease period is very important.
Local authorities are facing extreme pressures financially and the increasing number of families in emergency and temporary accommodation is pushing more local authorities to the brink of bankruptcy. So it is critical to provide a solution which can benefit from available grant with options for a long-term finance route.
We anticipate that local authorities will be able to seek Homes England or GLA grant from the Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) for the homes that we are proposing to deliver.
Grants are usually allocated for homes at specific sites. However, given the potential for the homes to be relocated, the grant could either “follow” the home to its new location as long as it is still within the same borough or locality it was originally allocated for, or it could be allocated to the site with further grant applicable for the additional homes provided in the permanent condition.
If this basis is used, the initial grant should be focused on infrastructure which is designed to unlock the full development potential of the site for instance roads and utilities appropriate for the overall site capacity.
Alternatively, if the grant is used for infrastructure, the grant should be linked to supporting housing on a specific site. This should ensure support for both permanent homes in the long-terms and temporary homes in the immediate term.
Standard Wates approach to design, play book & pattern book which unlocks offsite manufacturing
Built to Nationally Described Space Standards (NDSS), with an option for 75% or 85% of NDSS if needed by using bunk beds
Built to Nationally Described Space Standards (NDSS), with an option for 75% or 85% of NDSS if needed by using bunk beds
Low embodied carbon with options to achieve Net Zero Carbon through “bolt on” sustainable products/material options
Targeting EPC-A and homes will utilise technologies including air source heat pumps as well as solar panels on the roofs, amongst others
Delivered to meet or exceed building regulations
Standard Wates approach to design, play book & pattern book which unlocks offsite manufacturing
A “plug & play” approach to services with everything pre-installed before the modules
Targeting EPC-A and homes will utilise technologies including air source heat pumps as well as solar panels on the roofs, amongst others
Wates can manage the transportation and installation of the modules
All homes are fully warrantable
Landscaping opportunities such as movable planters and street furniture should be considered
Manufacturers provide a range of façade options (brick slip or non-combustible plank), and staircases for 2 and 3 storey developments
Like any homes, modular homes need to be managed and maintained properly, to ensure they provide high quality accommodation for the long term. The homes are specified to meet a 60 year design life, and to ensure that this is realised, a clear maintenance regime needs to be followed.
This can be undertaken by a local authority, however we believe that the optimal approach is that the provider of the homes retains responsibility for undertaking the maintenance through out the lifecycle of the asset.
This approach ensures that the high quality environment is enjoyed by the residents for many years, and provided certainty when the homes are relocated from site to site.
Once the meanwhile site the homes are on comes forward for development, there are so many opportunities for the modular homes.
They can:
Respond to emergency home shortages in other areas.
Provide high quality decant homes for large-scale estate regeneration projects.
Deployed to industry for temporary work force accommodation.
Mike Dempsey Modular Director
Wates Residential Mike.Dempsey@wates.co.uk
Hugh Jeffery Regional Development Director
Wates Residential hugh.jeffery@wates.co.uk