Shortlees Development Completed 18 Weeks Ahead of Schedule

Connect Modular and Cunninghame Housing Association announce early completion of their modular development in Shortlees, Kilmarnock, delivering 101 homes in 104 weeks.

The largest modular low-rise, affordable housing development in Scotland has been completed within budget and a staggering 18 weeks ahead of schedule.

The ground-breaking £17million project was successfully delivered by Connect Modular for Cunninghame Housing Association with the support of East Ayrshire Council and funding from The Scottish Government. The programme was originally 122 weeks, already a betterment on traditional construction. Refinement in Connect Modular’s off-site manufacturing processes as the project progressed has achieved delivery in only 104 weeks, with tenants moving in, in stages, from week 50.

The development at Shortlees is testament to the advantages of modular construction, offering sustainable, cost-effective, and high-quality housing solutions tailored to the specific needs of the community. By leveraging innovative methods of modular construction, Connect Modular has significantly minimised the construction timeline while ensuring the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship.

“We are proud to have completed this development for Cunninghame Housing Association at Shortlees, Kilmarnock, significantly ahead of schedule, and to have provided 101 families with new high-quality, affordable homes. This achievement really highlights the efficiency and excellence of modular construction,” said Jennifer Higgins, CEO of Connect Modular.

“Cunninghame, TCS Construction Consultants and Connect Modular collaborated well as a team, showing dedication to meeting the housing needs of communities in a timely and impactful manner”.

Linda Anderson, Interim Group CEO for Cunningame Housing Association commented “Our experience working with Connect Modular to deliver these fantastic new homes has been hugely positive. We feel privileged to have delivered these much-needed homes within an area of Kilmarnock which has a very healthy demand for new affordable housing. Feedback from our tenants has been incredibly positive, particularly in relation to the quality and standard of finish, the spacious and bright layout of the houses and excellent storage throughout”.

Linda went on to say, “The Association would not have been able to deliver this new development without the support of the Scottish Government and East Ayrshire Council who allocated significant funding to allow the project to proceed. We have created a wonderful new estate in this area of Kilmarnock and demonstrated what can be achieved through effective partnership working”.

New Shortlees development resident, Sarah Walker recounts their experience of moving into the development “Our lives have been completely transformed since moving into our new home. As both myself and my daughter are wheelchair users, our previous property presented numerous challenges with its limited space.

“Our new amenity bungalow has been a game-changer. The design is perfect, offering generous space both inside and outside, which allows easy manoeuvrability for our wheelchairs. Since settling in, we have also noticed a significant reduction in our electricity bills, which is great!

“It’s incredible to think that we received a phone call in late June last year, offering us one of these bungalows, even though the construction had not yet commenced. Thanks to the impressive efficiency of the construction process, we were able to move into our new home on August 19th, just a short time later”.

The collaboration between Connect Modular and Cunninghame Housing Association has been a resounding success, setting a new standard for efficient and sustainable housing development in the region. The completion of this project not only addresses the pressing demand for affordable housing but also sets a precedent for future affordable developments in terms of the speed that modular construction offers.