Algeco calls on Government to rethink delivery of immigration housing
The Times newspaper reported today that Britain’s construction companies are being encouraged to help build detention accommodation for migrants.
Headlines read: ‘Rush to build cheap migrant accommodation as Channel crossings rise. Construction firms offered lucrative contracts to fill gap left by hotels’.
A concern to many is that the Government appears to be relying on conventional on-site construction to delivery additional accommodation, when it could be achieved by offsite in up to half the time and with better value.
The announcement comes after a record 22,000 migrants crossed the Channel last year. As a result, there is now a critical lack of accommodation and immigration services are having to rely on increasingly expensive and unsatisfactory hotels.
Present capacity of immigration detention centres is 2,500, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has set a target of almost doubling the number to at least 4,500 by March 2024 to implement proposals in the latest bill.
It is the reason why Algeco is encouraging the Government to prioritise the offsite sector, which it believes is the only practical and cost effective method of reaching the March target.
Algeco UK is already supplying turnkey Rapid Deployment Accommodation, which can be ready for hand over in around half the time of a conventional on-site build. The secure living accommodation and welfare facilities are available in a range of standard designs and include laundry, catering and self-catering blocks, communal areas, and many more options.
With a simple site install process, the accommodation areas can be built in a single or 2-storey formats. The modules are fully relocatable and require minimal foundations.
James Withey, Managing Director at Algeco Offsite, said: “We urge the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Rishi Sunak to embrace offsite to meet their target. Our Rapid Deployment Solutions exists as a standard specification and can be delivered fast and to factory build quality control processes.”
For over 60 years, Algeco has been supplying high-quality permanent offsite and modular construction solutions to a range of sectors and is now the leading brand across Europe.
Algeco UK OSS are able to offer our Rapid Deployment Accommodation. Our off the shelf standard designs include laundry blocks, catering and self-catering blocks, communal areas, and many more.
We urge the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Rishi Sunak to not reinvent the wheel but to take MMC standard solutions which can be delivered faster and to factory build quality control processes. We have samples available should you wish to visit one of our 3-manufacturing facilities across the UK.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and indeed our Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, please reach out and contact Algeco UK OSS on 0113 393 6900 or wayne.yeomans@algeco.com.
Algeco and parent company Modulaire Group are owned by Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with over $600 billion of assets under management.
