Pre-fabs are back — but just forget those postwar boxes

A development of ultra-modern pre-fabs is to be built in affluent Brook Green, west London.

Ten “Rational Houses” have been approved, with six available to buy from as little as a 30 per cent share. Hammersmith & Fulham council will retain the rest.

The factory-made panels are a far cry from the asbestos and concrete ones used in postwar pre-fabs. Faced in brick, they have a middle layer of insulation and the inside finish depends which room the panel is destined for.

In the first project of its kind in this country, they are winched into position in days.

The homes will be priced at £345,000 to £370,000 for a one-bedroom property, and £390,000 to £410,000 for two bedrooms. Buyers on the low-cost scheme will need at least £115,000 for the smallest units.

Only those now on the council’s Home Buy register can apply. Andrew Johnson, cabinet member for housing, said the innovative construction and design “maximises the limited space available”.