ZED PODS Hosts Lloyds Banking Group CEO and Key Stakeholders at Bristol’s Marshall Walk — Turning Policy into Action

ZED PODS was delighted to welcome Charlie Nunn, CEO of Lloyds Banking Group, along with Councillor Tony Dyer, Nick Hibberd and Sonia Furzland from Bristol City Council, Stephen Peacock, Chief Executive of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority; Jeremy Sweetland, Project Director & Founder of Housing Festival and other distinguished guests to our Marshall Walk development in Bristol on 28 May 2025.

Photo credit: Lloyds Banking Group

This pioneering development comprises 12 zero-operational-carbon, one-bedroom, social-rent modular homes, featuring roof-mounted solar panels, heat pumps, and triple-glazed windows and doors. It is built on a previously underutilised brownfield plot - a former concrete hardstanding urban land parcel in Inns Court.

The visit coincided with the UK Government’s latest housing announcement, which includes the launch of a ‘Small Sites Aggregator’ pilot and new proposals to support SME housebuilders through simplified planning, eased biodiversity requirements, and tailored financial tools. These reforms are positioned to help unlock smaller brownfield sites that have long been underutilised due to pre-development costs and viability challenges.

While the latest announcement is encouraging, ZED PODS is already delivering results on the ground. Working in partnership with Bristol City Council, our “Marshall Walk” project is a live demonstration of how MMC, SME innovation, and cross-sector collaboration can deliver zero-operational-carbon, affordable homes on constrained sites - quickly and effectively. As a leading modular house builder, ZED PODS specialises in high-quality, superior energy efficient homes designed by our inhouse design team, manufactured offsite in our UK factory and built by our inhouse operations team under a full turnkey package of works

Tom Northway, Founder and Chairman, said “In 2020, ZED PODS delivered one of the first modular developments in Bristol “Hope Rise” which has become recognised as an exemplar affordable Net Zero brownfield development. We are proud to be back in Bristol with our scheme at Marshall walk - showcasing how innovative, zero-carbon homes can be delivered on constrained urban sites - providing high-quality, sustainable housing where it’s needed the most”

Our offsite-manufactured homes meet and exceed Future Homes Standard requirements, while dramatically reducing community disruption and construction timelines.

With finance, planning complexity, and viability still major barriers for many smaller housebuilders, ZED PODS is helping bridge the gap between policy and delivery, with live projects that meet today’s urgent housing needs.

As the government looks to support SME growth and small site development, Marshall Walk offers a blueprint for how it can be done at pace, with purpose, and in partnership.