Contemporary art on ourdoorstep (with great cakes)

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12 April 2022

The Slade Centre in Gillingham enjoys a reputation as one of the top visual art spaces in Dorset, says Fanny Charles.

IT is all too easy to imagine that exciting contemporary visual art is only available in big cities – and certainly in this region there is a lot of challenging, cutting edge artwork happening in Bristol. As well as the international Hauser & Wirth arts centre at Bruton and Messums in the Tisbury tithe barn, there are a small number of experienced curators, who are also bringing outstanding work to galleries in unexpected places.
Sladers Yard, a former ropeworks in West Bay – famous for its cute food cabins and the dramatic fossil-rich cliffs – hosts exhibitions by some of the country’s leading painters, ceramicists and sculptors, alongside furniture by the resident designer-maker Petter Southall.
In a farmyard at Child Okeford, Kelly Ross shows work by leading artists of the past 100 years at The Art Stable at Gold Hill Organic Farm – most recently lockdown paintings by one of Britain’s finest portrait artists, Michael Taylor, marking his 70th birthday (see BV, Feb ‘22 issue, p.26).
The Slade Centre, in The Square at Gillingham, in an impressive Edwardian building that was once a department story, shows work by some of the region’s most talented contemporary artists. It was founded by its director, Anne Hitchcock, who was ECO of Wimborne’s Walford Mill Crafts for some years, after an MA at Falmouth and studying at Winchester School of Art.
Recent exhibitions have featured multi-media work (photographs, collages, sketches) by Kirsten Palmer and paintings by Ursula Leach, whose powerful, semi-abstract landscapes often have a provocative environmental message.
Originally on the first floor, the gallery has moved to the lighter and more visitor-friendly ground floor. There is also a cafe which serves a range of teas, great barista-style coffee, supplied by Reads Coffee Roasters of Sherborne, milk from Madjeston Milk Station, pastries and sausage rolls from Somerset’s Lievito Bakery, and
cakes by Sam Ross’s Gillingham- based Lavender Blue bakery.

Impressions
The new exhibition at The Slade Centre, running from 2nd April to 7th May, is Impressions, with work by four North Dorset-based artists, painters Eric Bailey and Jane Barnard, printmaker Victoria Garland and ceramicist Caroline Hughes. The work on show reflects the individual responses of the four artists to wildlife, landscapes and coastlines. The works, through shape, colour, mood, glaze and texture, convey their
impressions of the diversity in the world around us.
The Slade Centre also offers a range of facilities from office suites and meeting rooms to art classes and exhibition space – call 01747 821480.

by Fanny Charles

Do what you love, love what you do

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Editorial team

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11 April 2022

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From childhood birds’ nest collections to interpretation boards and book covers (via life-size rhinos and Gromit), Maria Burns shares with Edwina Baines how her love of the Dorset countryside has shaped her career.

Much of Maria Burns’ most popular work is available to purchase through her Etsy shop

As children, we talk about what we want to be ‘when we grow up’. It’s a dream of the future, something we can put off for years before it becomes a reality. The majority of us have no idea what the future actually holds. But for a lucky few, it’s a straightforward answer: having spent her childhood in Purbeck exploring the stunning natural habitats and wildlife around her and painting what she could see, Maria Burns was never in any doubt about what she would do.
We chatted in the garden of her home near Wareham, in the “sanctuary” of her beautiful studio: “My father was a policeman. He joined the force at the age of 15 and was posted to Wareham when I was four: I get my strong work ethic from him.

Getting a ‘proper job’
“As children we went on lots of walks. We spent all our childhood on the beaches, looking in rock pools and developing an interest in nature. “I had a friend whose father was an ecologist and we made a little museum in his garage out of our collections of fossils and old bird’s nest. We used to charge the neighbours to come
and look! I was always drawing at school and would get told off for doodling all the time.”
Despite her father’s misgivings about her earning ability and the need for a ‘proper job’, she went on to train as a natural history illustrator at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design. On leaving college, Maria worked as a graphic designer for Poole Tourism, which “gave me a good grounding”.
She subsequently set up Maria Burns Illustration & Design and now has 30 years of freelance illustration and graphic design experience behind her.

Maria Burns in her studio, working on some current Natural History watercolours, with some of her Poole Tourism work plus ‘Tropi-canis’ Gromit on the shelf behind. Image – Edwina Baines

From nature to Gromit
Rather than work in London (as most illustrators do), Maria is at home in the Purbecks, where the variety of coast and countryside provides her with everything she needs for inspiration: “It just feels right being here.” she says. Maria’s talent and versatility enable her to be involved in a huge range of fascinating projects and her body of work incorporates a variety of styles.
As well as the more traditional watercolour natural history and historical illustrations, she ranges from decorative bold images using mixed media collage techniques to, more recently, digitally produced artwork.
In Bristol, the Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal “Gromit Unleashed 2” Public Art Trail featured Maria as one of the official artists who decorated the Shaun the Sheep figures and other Gromit characters.

In 2018, Maria’s ‘Tropi-canis’ Gromit was part of the Gromit Unleashed 2 art trail in Bristol, which featured 60 giant sculptures designed by high-profile artists, designers, innovators, and local talent. Sculptures were positioned in high footfall and iconic locations around Bristol When raffled in aid of Bristol Children’s Hospital, ‘Tropi-canis’ Gromit raised £37,000

The Trail featured giant fibreglass sculptures which were positioned in high footfall and iconic locations around Bristol and the surrounding area.
Maria’s ‘Tropi-canis’ Gromit (above) , sponsored by the House of Fraser, raised £37,000 for Bristol Children’s
Hospital. The model was “filled with zingy colours, sweet fruits, agile flamingos, and a friendly toucan, to provide a dash of the Caribbean’!” There is also a T-shirt, which comes with a set of pens for children to colour him in “It was a wonderful project to be part of,” chuckled Maria, “But it began to get out of control when I had endless animals delivered to the house. The worst part was when my husband came home
from work to find, in the lounge, two life-size rhinos that I was painting for Paignton Zoo and two Aardman animation ducks in the kitchen! I didn’t have my own space at the time so the animals had to be in the house. At that point my husband decided to build my studio. He thought it was the end of the animals – but
I had to tell him that I’d also agreed to do an elephant, anotter, a pig and a giant bear …
These have been lovely projects to be part of because so much money has been raised for charity and wildlife causes.”

On Maria Burn’s desk; some of her recent Natural History watercolour studies

Boards and books
Maria has ‘found her niche’ by combining all her interests, skills and knowledge to specialise in producing
natural history and interpretation boards sited on footpaths, nature reserves and historical sites. Working with the Broadstone Neighbourhood Forum to create five large interpretation boards detailing the history and natural history of Broadstone Village was a year- long project and involved a huge amount of research before she could start the design and illustration.
There are now interpretation boards at various locations in Dorset including Holton Heath Station and the Wareham Walls Trail – it gives Maria great pleasure to walk past and see visitors reading the information.
One of my own favourite summer walks is along the Priest’s Way from Worth Matravers to Swanage
(included in the BV’s stunning coastal walk featured in the January issue here). Little did I know that it was Maria who had designed the waymarkers, leaflets and information boards along the route.
A regular contract involves painting stunning illustrations in The English Garden magazine for garden landscaper and writer Non Morris’s monthly column; and an exciting current project in Maria’s busy timetable is to design dust jackets and illustrations for successful novelist Rachel McLean, whose six books in the Dorset Crime series include The Corfe Castle Murders and The Fossil Beach Murders.
Maria feels that her already- wide-ranging skills are constantly adapting and changing; she is always learning.

Where to find Maria’s work
Purbeck Arts Week (28th May – 12th June) will involve a joint exhibition at Rollington Barn. Maria’s work can also be found at Purbeck Artisan Yard, Wareham. A visit to her Etsy shop gives an idea of what will be on show – you can purchase Maria’s most popular designs on prints, illustrated maps, greetings cards, cushion covers and even a mindfulness book – ‘Unclouding – Clearing the Way to a Brighter Outlook’ – something we can all hope for at the moment.

Interview by Edwina Baines [email protected]

LLTL – the local scheme aiming to change the nation’s shopping habit

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Editorial team

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11 April 2022

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The Love Local, Trust Local scheme is far more than a local producer’s award. As it enters its third season, founder Barbara Cossins explains.

Love Local Trust Local (LLTL) is a Dorset-based not-for-profit organisation, focused on developing an accreditation mark which truly supports local farmers, fishermen, growers and small independent producers.

The LLTL initiative arose due to concerns over the integrity of food labelling in the UK – allowing the consumer to understand how their food has been farmed, processed and packed – and is driven by the belief that all farmers and producers should be working to the same ethical and welfare standards. The Cossins family are fifth generation farmers, and when they open their gates for Open Farm Sunday they take the opportunity to talk to as many people as possible about the food they eat. Visitors love knowing the story of their food, the miles it has travelled and that they are buying & eating genuine local produce. But the most – repeated question is always “how do we know that the food we buy every week really is what it says it is?”.

“We should all be concerned about lower quality food imports, and low standards of animal welfare.” says LLTL founder Barbara Cossins “We should all be supporting – and promoting – locally and ethically produced food. Current food labelling, even the Red Tractor symbol, aren’t stringent nor transparent enough. It is time for a fresh initiative which endorses high ethical standards, full provenance and complete traceability.”
The ‘Love Local Trust Local’ scheme aims to educate consumers on how to trust food labelling – where to look, what it really means and why shopping local matters. Alongside this, LLTL helps farmers and growers promote their produce across their locality. It is all about Quality, Honesty and Proximity.

LLTL is growing quickly and has already run two highly successful Love Local Trust Local annual food awards (see the website for the latest information on the upcoming 2022 awards www.lovelocaltrustlocalawards.co.uk). Many local companies are now supporting these important
local awards, keen to be associated with the scheme.
The LLTL team would love the opportunity to talk to you, and explore ways in which your business can benefit from being associated with this critical initiative and the positive profile it is generating. There are a number of ways in which anyone can get involved – do just give us a call on 07831 184920 or email Barbara at [email protected]

There are 14 LLTL 2022 award categories:
• Dairy
• Cheese
• Honey
• Jams
• Chutneys & Condiments
• Meat
• Fish
• Bakery (Sweet)
• Bakery (Savoury)
• Farm Shops
• Drinks
• Innovation & Diversification
• Conservation & Environmental Impact
• Business Development Award

Sponsored by: Blanchards Bailey – Law for Life
Blanchards Bailey are a Dorset based law firm specialising in commercial and private law. Recognised by the Legal 500 as one of the top firms in the south west.

Deputy Pre–School Manager | Miborne Port Primary School

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Editorial team

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11 April 2022

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Deputy Pre–School Manager

Grade 13, scale point 6 Hourly rate: £10.38 £16,577 per annum Hours: 35
Monday – Friday 8am – 3.30pm Term time plus 2 weeks

An exciting opportunity to join the strong team at Milborne Port Primary School and help shape the future of our early year’s provision.

The school governors are looking to appoint a Deputy Pre-School Manager to work alongside the Manager at The Beeches Pre-School from September 2022.

Applicants must be committed to creating an exceptional learning environment that offers the best for every child and meets all the aims of Milborne Port Primary School.

Please contact the School Business Manager Claire Brown on: [email protected] for an application form and job description.

Closing date: Monday 25th April 2022
Interviews: Week beginning 3rd May 2022

All completed applications should be returned to the school email address above.

Milborne Port Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share in this commitment.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check and medical clearance.

Key Stage 2 Class Teacher – Maternity Cover | Milborne Port Primary School

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Editorial team

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11 April 2022

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Key Stage 2 Class Teacher
(Maternity Cover)
Fixed Term, Full Time
From: September 2022 – May 2023 or on return of the post holder. Salary Range: MPS/UPS

The Headteacher and Governors are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic and inspirational Key Stage 2 class teacher to join our team and provide maternity cover.

The successful candidate will:

have high expectations of all pupils
be passionate about teaching and learning
have a thorough knowledge of the Primary Curriculum and a wide range of teaching strategies
be committed to collaborative working and ongoing professional development

In return we can offer a warm, friendly and growing school with hardworking and well- behaved children, dedicated and supportive staff and governors, and opportunities for continual professional development.

Milborne Port Primary School is maintained by Somerset County Council. It serves a community of almost 3,000 and the number on roll is currently 162. In summer 2017 its Ofsted inspection resulted in confirmation of the previous ‘good’ judgement.

Milborne Port Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share in this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Visits to the school are welcome, please telephone the school office to arrange a suitable time and date. For an application form and recruitment pack, please contact Mrs S Stephenson, [email protected].

All applications should be completed electronically and returned to Mrs S Stephenson, [email protected]

Start Date: September 2022

Closing Date: Midday on Friday 22nd April 2022

Interviews: week begining 3rd May 2022

Fast & the farmer-ish? | Farm Tales

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Editorial team

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10 April 2022

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Dull tractor driving tests completed by annoying young farmers do not ‘prime time exciting entertainment’ make, says a disappointed Andrew Livingston.

I was a teenager in an age before Netflix and other streaming platforms, and my evenings were spent consuming whatever the BBC decided to produce and release on BBC Three. I was exactly their target audience, so for me, the channel was great.
I was excited then to hear the channel had relaunched recently (the BBC bigwigs opted to move its content online in 2016). There have been multiple complaints that the channel is predominantly showing old reruns, but I was pleased to see in the TV guide that there was some original content targeted at farmers.
That was, however, until I watched it.

Top Gear meets Countryfile?
‘The Fast & The Farmerish’ was painful viewing, to say the least. Radio 4’s Farming Today program had described it as ‘Top Gear meets Countryfile’, but I would say it had all the farming content of Countryfile (not much) and the (lack of) humour and excitement of Chris Evans’ short-lived Top Gear era.
The show consists of two teams going head-to-head in tractor driving challenges; it’s essentially Scrapheap Challenge, but with none of the mechanical intellect or entertainment.
I’ll be honest – the first episode was such awful viewing that I have only actually watched 30 minutes of the whole series.
The pain was partly down to the farmers featured on that first episode; the ladies’ team called The Diva Drivers took on three of the most insufferable lads from Somerset, calling themselves The Check Shirt Choppers, with hair cuts that suggest Covid lockdowns sent all their local barbers into permanent closure.

Dullness in a tractor
Frankly, the show was never going to work. As I have mentioned previously (see ‘it’s officially the most dangerous industry’ from The BV Sep 21), farming is the UK’s most dangerous industry to work in. I think the BBC knew that they couldn’t be encouraging young kids to jump London buses in their Dad’s 1980s Massey
Ferguson. So instead the show is a procession of boring tasks like reversing, or driving through water. Simply dull viewing. Looking at the positives, I have a lot of time and respect for the show’s presenter Tom Pemberton. His YouTube channel ‘Tom Pemberton Farm Life’ is well worth a follow if you are actually
looking for decent, informative agricultural content.
I am unsure how much creative control he has on the show, but I hope he had nothing to do with the naming of it at least; without a doubt the worst name for a show I’ve ever heard. I encourage the work of the BBC
and implore them to keep shaking the agricultural tree – there is some decent content ripe for eating.
The world of farming is filled with weird and interesting characters; there’s something about the isolation of agriculture or the abundance of fresh air that breeds a special type of human that the world wants to see.
Be prepared for a lot more, too – Clarkson’s Farm began a TV renaissance for the countryside.
But not everything will be the next Mona Lisa… I think the Fast and the Farmerish proved that.

by Andrew Livingston

Sponsored by: Trethowans – Law as it should be

Wayne recommends: On the subject of politics …

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Editorial team

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10 April 2022

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“Given what is going on in the world today, this month’s selections have a political theme. A fascinating and timely book by Oliver Bullough on how our capital became Londongrad, and an incisive account of the second most powerful unelected woman in the UK today.” – Wayne

Butler to the World : How Britain became the servant of oligarchs, tax dodgers, kleptocrats and criminals by Oliver Bullough, £20

How did Britain become the servant of the world’s most powerful and corrupt men? From accepting multi-million pound tips from Russian oligarchs, to enabling Gibraltar to become an offshore gambling haven, meet Butler Britain … In the immortal words of former US Secretary of State Dean Acheson, ‘Britain has lost an empire and not yet found a role.’ But the funny thing was, Britain had already found a role. It even had the costume. The leaders of the world just hadn’t noticed it yet. Butler to the World reveals how the UK took up its position at the elbow of the worst people on Earth: the oligarchs, kleptocrats and gangsters. We pride ourselves on values of fair play and the rule of law, but few countries do more to frustrate global anti-corruption efforts. We are now a nation of Jeeveses, snobbish enablers for rich halfwits of considerably less charm than Bertie Wooster. It doesn’t have to be that way.

‘Brilliant’ Marina Hyde, Guardian
’A savage analysis of Britain’s soul. As essential as Orwell at his best’ Peter Pomerantsev’

First Lady: Ihttps://shop.winstonebooks.co.uk/products/9781785907500ntrigue at the Court of Carrie and Boris Johnson by Michael Ashcroft, £20

Carrie Johnson is not only the consort of the Prime Minister; she is also considered to be the second most powerful unelected woman in Britain after the Queen. Since she moved into Downing Street in July 2019, questions have been raised about her influence, her apparent desire to control events, and the number of her associates who have been appointed to positions of standing. Are these concerns justified?
In this carefully researched unauthorised biography, Michael Ashcroft scrutinises Mrs Johnson’s colourful family, her attempt to become a professional actress, and her early decision to work in politics. Long before she moved into No. 10, Mrs Johnson made a name for herself as a Conservative Party press aide before becoming a special adviser to two Cabinet ministers and eventually director of communications at Conservative campaign headquarters. Aside from politics, she is the mother of two young children and
campaigns in the fields of the environment and animal welfare. Carrie Johnson is a very modern prime ministerial spouse. This book offers the electorate the chance to assess exactly what role she plays in Boris
Johnson’s unpredictable administration and why that matters.

In 2022 Winstone’s celebrates 10 years as Sherborne’s Independent Bookseller.
Winstone’s has won the ‘British Book Awards South West Bookseller of the Year’ four times and was
winner of the ‘Independent Bookseller of the Year’ national award in 2016. Owner Wayne Winstone
was previously one of the three judges for the Costa Prize for Fiction, and in 2018 Wayne was
selected as one of the top 100 people in the Bookseller’s Most Influential Figures listing.

Meet your local: Provenance,Tisbury

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Editorial team

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10 April 2022

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This month Rachael Rowe visited Provenance, a beautiful village shop-with-a-difference in Tisbury, run by ex-Fortnum & Mason buyer Sam Rosen Nash.

When Halstock village shop first opened in 1991, the idea of community-run shops relying on volunteers was at that time visionary.

A delicious smell of fresh baking greets me when I arrive at Provenance. There’s a table laden with pastries, cakes and jars of tempting produce. I look closer, and owner Sam Rosen Nash welcomes me from the kitchen, having just baked a batch of sausage rolls. “Everything you see with a Provenance sign was made by us.”

What’s your story?
“I was a senior buyer at Fortnum and Mason and also ran a consultancy business. “When the pandemic struck, I was sat at home with my son, wondering what the next steps would be. Many suppliers I dealt with in the South West had lost their markets as restaurants were shut. By chance, a dear friend had just bought this shop and offered to rent it to me if I could make a go of it. So in September 2020, we opened the business.
“Our unique selling point is that we make everything ourselves or source from the South West. Most of our produce comes from within a 30-mile radius. We also didn’t want to compete with others on the High Street in Tisbury. “For example, we have a good butcher, and there’s a fabulous deli. At Provenance, we either make it here or source it locally. “If you want French cheese, you won’t find it here, but the deli does an excellent range. I think being respectful to other businesses is very important.”

Sam Rosen Nash make home-cooked foods using seasonal produce on the premises – and admits she can’t make enough sausage rolls and quiches!

What’s cooking?
“I make home-cooked foods using seasonal produce on the premises. I can’t make enough sausage rolls and quiches! I’m part Turkish Cypriot, so using lots of flavours is important to me.”
Sam shows me the rows of jams. “I’m not a jam person, but our jams have a dual purpose. For example, the plum and vanilla go well with game. And my rhubarb and star anise is excellent with smoked fish.”

How many are in the team?
“There are five of us. We’re a small team, and we also do catering.”

What’s flying off the shelves right now?
“Our kimchi and fermented products. And our curds” Sam shows me a colourful jar of parsnip and horseradish kimchi. Below it are jars of Persian Pomegranate Curd and salsas, all made by Provenance.
“And then there’s our ready meals …”
If your idea of a ready meal is a bland lasagne in a plastic container, Provenance is entirely different. Sam explained: ”I cook three choices each week. Half are frozen, and the others are fresh, so there’s always a
good selection in the shop. For example, this week, there’s a Mere Trout fish pie. And there’s also a sticky pork dish. The containers are all compostable. Simply put them in the oven, and the two holes in the container let out steam but keep the food moist. And all these meals freeze.”

Sam admits she’s ‘not a jam person’. But her preserves are dual-purpose: “plum and vanilla goes well with game. And my rhubarb and star anise is excellent with smoked fish”

Old fashioned service
There’s a steady stream of customers, some returning empty jars and bottles (discount for returned bottles), making a beeline for the freshly baked goods. Sam takes time to talk to everyone, and that’s clearly
something important to her. “It’s important to take time with people, especially now. I love meeting people and working in the community.”

Tell us about your local suppliers.
“Our coffee comes from The Roasting Party in Winchester. Milk is from Church Farm here in Tisbury. The pork comes from WS Clarke & Sons in Sixpenny Handley. And our lamb is from Alvediston. We also sell Charles Dowding’s salad leaves.”

What has been your biggest challenge?
“Opening up in lockdown was hard. And right now, it’s hard to predict sales because of rising costs. Packaging is increasing in price as well as energy costs.”

What are you most proud of?
“I love my little shop, and the customers. And all the products we make ourselves. It’s lovely to have our repeat customers. You see them buying something, and they come back for more. All the recipes are mine. My big thing is flavour.”

“I love my little shop, and the customers. And all the products we make ourselves.. All the recipes are mine. My big thing is flavour.”

What’s next for the business?
“We’re moving into catering events. We have a couple of weddings booked for later this year. And we’re starting to work with wholesalers for our products.”

Having sampled the sausage rolls and sticky pork, this shop is impossible to walk out of empty – handed.

Provenance is at 2, The Square,
Tisbury, Wiltshire.
www.provenanceonline.co.uk/

by Rachael Rowe

Would you consider a Prefabricated home?

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Editorial team

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9 April 2022

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We’ve come a long way since the temporary post-war emergency housing gave prefabricated a bad name, says Rupert Hardy, chair of North Dorset Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE)

Proposal for Boklok UK Housing Estate CGI

Some of us still remember the stigma surrounding ‘prefab’ housing. In the post-war years, prefabricated homes were seen as a temporary solution to the housing crisis.
Many weren’t intended to last more than a decade, were poorly made and insulated … but surprisingly are still standing. Their lack of appeal was also related to British housebuilding’s traditional use of brick and stone, rather than northern Europe’s use of wood, which lends itself to prefabrication.
Building standards have moved on considerably since the 1940s when an indoor bathroom was considered
a luxury. Modular homes on sale today are energy- efficient, built to last and quick to assemble. CPRE often
complains about excessive housing targets, but there is clearly a need for more genuinely affordable and social housing.
Modular homes should be 10-20% cheaper than traditionally built homes, once scale economies have been
achieved. Although there are few on sale in North Dorset now, this is likely to change.

The eco credentials
We are of course also faced with a climate emergency and modular homes can boast eco-friendly credentials, using sustainable materials and construction methods, incorporating features such
as enhanced insulation, solar panels and heat pumps.
Many are made of wood, the most sustainable building material with the lowest carbon footprint. They are
therefore more environmentally friendly and cheaper to run. Off-site construction also requires fewer builders, thus addressing one of the housing industry’s major challenges.
Modular building offers a lower carbon footprint as there are fewer lorry deliveries to the site, which has a
pleasant knock-on effect of people living nearby being less affected.
In other European countries such as Germany, factory- made modular homes are common. In Sweden more
than 80% of detached houses use prefabricated timber elements.

Urban Splash are building 406 modular homes at Inholme, in the Midlands, with 60% being affordable housing, including 60 homes for older persons. The development won the prestigious National Housing Design Awards 2020. Buyers can configure the internal layouts to create their own space before being precision-built inthe company’s factory, fitted with bathrooms and kitchens and delivered and assembled in just a few days.

Flat pack housing?
Things are changing here in the UK too, and political support is also growing. Of the 200,000 homes built in the UK each year, only 15,000 are modular but it is anticipated that this will now start to rise rapidly.
Insurance giant Legal & General have opened a factory in Leeds, with the intention of producing 4,000 units a year; housing associations are expected to be major customers.
Worthing Council in Sussex have signed up with BoKlok, a company jointly owned by IKEA, to build 162 flats
on its own land – 70% of the properties are being sold using its innovative affordability model, which analyses how much residents can afford after tax and monthly living costs have been deducted. Standard features will include heat pumps and enhanced insulation.
In the East Midlands at Inholm, Urban Splash are building 400 modular homes with heat pumps that use 67% less energy to build compared to a traditionally built unit.
Sleepy Dorset may be slow to emulate other authorities, but even here change is expected soon. Many peoples’ sons and daughters trying to get a foot on the housing ladder deserve no less. For many, the future
will be prefrabricated.

RURAL MATTERS – monthly column from the CPRE