Housing minister Esther McVey has pledged £38.2m towards building 2,000 new homes using techniques like off-site factory construction as part of what she is calling a “housing green revolution”.
Speaking to industry leaders in Sheffield today, McVey will say that the north of England, which she has dubbed “the construction corridor”, has the potential to become a world leader in modern methods of construction (MMC).
The government housing agency, Homes England, will split the £38.2m funding between six local authorities to speed up the construction of 2,072 homes across the country.
The use of modern methods increases construction speeds by an average of 40 per cent, according to the agency.
The funding has been awarded from the £350m Local Authority Accelerated Construction programme.
McVey will say: “Some modular homes can be built in a factory over a week. And assembled on site in a day.
“Industry has told us some homes built using modern methods can have 80 per cent fewer defects and heating bills up to 70 per cent lower.
“Homes built using modern methods can be of higher quality, greener and built to last.
“I want to see a housing green revolution. In the north of England where the first industrial revolution began.”
She will say that if the UK can lead the way in this sector, the industry could be worth £40bn.
McVey is calling for developers to link up with academics to advance share expertise.
Homes England chief executive Nick Walkley says: “[We see] enormous benefits to MMC – from allowing high-quality homes to be built more quickly to addressing labour and skills shortages and improving energy efficiency – so it’s vital that there is continued investment in it.”
MMC Working Group chair Mark Farmer says: “The UK has a fantastic opportunity to become a true world leader in the advanced manufacturing of new homes.
“We urgently need to better assure building safety, improve quality, reduce carbon and offer much more consumer choice and protections.
“These improvements will only be achieved if we fundamentally readdress the way we design and deliver new homes.”
Source: mortgagestrategy
