Modular off site building could help solve UK Housing shortage

The Institute of Mechanical Engineers’ new report suggests that pre-fabricated or ‘flat-pack’ homes could help to end the housing shortage in the UK which is putting property prices beyond the reach of many first time buyers.

The UK House Building: Manufacturing Affordable Quality Homes report calls on Government to support investment in the off-site construction industry to allow it to innovate and expand in order to meet the growing challenge of imports. It says this could be achieved through the Government providing help to develop the skills and infrastructure of the sector, which will help the UK’s housing shortage and also strengthen the economy by creating jobs.

The report also advises the Government to reverse policies, which discourage the construction of quality, sustainable housing – building regulations and planning policies should put long-term sustainability and affordability as priorities by creating progressive and challenging standards for energy and resource efficiency, through life-cycle assessment.

The IME study argues that the Code for Sustainable Homes should not be allowed to relaxed but instead developed; fully integrating it’s principles into building regulations.

The report says that the more opportunities should be opened up to self-builders, local authorities and housing associations in order to diversify the UK house building industry. It recommends that by 2020, there should be at least as many houses built by these groups as there is by traditional commercial building companies – 125,000 a year in England. By 2030, self-builders alone should be reaching this annual target.

Dr Tim Fox, Lead Author of the report and Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: “The UK is in the middle of an acute housing crisis. Current annual construction levels are typically less than half of the estimated 250,000 new homes this country needs built every year through to at least the 2030s.

“The new Government needs to demonstrate real ambition, leadership and innovation, not make small piecemeal changes, if it is going to solve the UK’s housing crisis. Overhauling the way the UK constructs homes could be the quickest and most effective way of doing this.

“Off-site construction technologies have advanced greatly in recent years and can offer shorter build times, better quality, better energy efficiency, less waste, and lower costs for buyers.

“Government should also provide incentives to encourage self-builders, local authorities and housing associations to build more homes and introduce regulation to discourage builders from building small dwellings with poor energy efficiency and environmental performance.

“People living in the UK deserve affordable quality homes and it is about time that consumers had more say on the quality, design and size of their homes. Self-build is one very effective route to achieving this.”

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