Complex restoration work has begun on a Birmingham colony of post-war bungalows - which look frozen in time. Moseley's pre-fabricated houses were only designed to last 10 years, replacing homes destroyed by bombing in World War 2 - but a number of the 17 left standing remain occupied.
The vast majority of the 150,000-odd prefabs distributed nationwide had been torn down by the 1970s. But this row in Wake Green Road, Moseley, stood strong, and 16 of them, owned by Birmingham City Council, were awarded grade II-listed status in 1998.
But nearly 80 years after the war, the homes are falling below modern day living standards. As we reported last year, significant funding was required to refurbish them, and the prefabs' future was uncertain. But this week the council confirmed to BirminghamLive that restoration works have started.
READ MORE: Moseley prefabs: The families who live there and love them
Fencing was pictured outside some of the pre-fab homes last week, and the local authority have confirmed this is because they are starting a pilot programme of restorative work. Painstaking work has started on two of the properties, and will be rolled out to a further seven throughout the year.
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: "Restoration works have begun on the project, and we are on track to start the main work at the beginning of May 2023.
"Work is expected to be completed in March 2024. We have now commenced on the first two properties as pilots and we will then roll out the remaining seven empty properties throughout the year."
Work will include:
- Full internal fit-out with new bathrooms, kitchens, flooring, and decoration
- New electrical and mechanical/piped services installation
- New concrete floors
- Restoration of existing Crittall windows
- Installation of secondary glazing
- New replica front and rear doors
- New porch canopies to front doors to match original 1940’s design
- New insulation throughout, along with plasterboard wall and ceiling linings
- External repairs
- Cut back gardens and install new uniform picket fencing
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