Since the Department for Education sparked chaos last Thursday by warning of the risks around aerated concrete in 156 schools, school nurseries and further education colleges, the modular buildings hire company has been inundated with inquiries from schools desperate to secure temporary classrooms.
The crisis has shone a light on a little-known corner of the construction world.
Modular buildings, which can range from converted shipping containers to bespoke portable cabins, are popular on big infrastructure projects, where they can be bolted together and dismantled rapidly.
"We have definitely seen an increase in enquiries over the last few days," said a spokesperson for Algeco.
Algeco said it had received "numerous enquiries" from academies, schools and main contractors, particularly in south-east England.
"We expect to receive more enquiries over the coming days and weeks via the CCS [Crown Commercial Service] modular buildings framework," it said.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin September 06, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin September 06, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Closing borders Electoral pressures put EU's freedom of movement under threat
In 2015, when more than 1.3 million people headed to Europe, mostly fleeing a brutal war in Syria, the response of Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, was to say: \"Wir schaffen das\" (\"We can manage this\"), and open the country's borders.
Fight does not end here, say critics, as Wimbledon wins the go-ahead to expand
Wimbledon's controversial plans to build 39 new tennis courts have been given the green light after a deputy mayor of London ruled that the \"very significant benefits\" of the scheme outweighed any potential harm to the environment.
Sue Gray Advisers to the PM are often targets of sniping but is it sustainable?
For someone who was not even in Liverpool for the Labour party conference, Sue Gray was the subject of a remarkable amount of conversation.
Revealed Alli gave PM a further £16,000 gift of clothing
Keir Starmer was given a further £16,000 worth of clothes by the Labour peer Waheed Alli, which was declared as money for his private office, the Guardian can reveal.
Tributes paid to 'one of a kind' in seven decades on stage and screen
Maggie Smith, the prolific, awardwinning actor described by peers as being \"one of a kind\" and possessed of a \"sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent\", has died aged 89.
Diplomacy Netanyahu insists Israel is winning on 'seven fronts'
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, shrugged off global appeals for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza yesterday, using a defiant speech at the UN general assembly to denounce the world body as an \"antisemitic swamp\" and insist Israel is \"winning\" its multi-front wars.
Van Gogh's Sunflowers in new protest as climate activists jailed
Climate activists threw tomato soup over two Sunflowers paintings by Vincent van Gogh yesterday, just an hour after two others were jailed for almost the same protest action in 2022.
Met Office issues wind warning after rains bring flooding
The Met Office has issued a warning for strong winds tomorrow as parts of the country were still recovering from heavy rain and flooding yesterday.
Blind contestant's Strictly cha-cha-cha inspires visually impaired to get on dancefloor
It may be early days, but Strictly Come Dancing's breakout star so far this season is also the show's first blind contestant, Chris McCausland.
Labour's non-dom policy has 'basic errors' copied from Tories, say Whitehall sources
Labour's flagship \"non-dom\" policy was largely copied and pasted from the Conservatives even though it contains \"basic errors\" and risks damaging the UK's financial sector, Whitehall sources have told the Guardian.