Industry-led review group looks at offsite manufacture

The government has commissioned a new review group to examine how off-site manufacturing can assist in delivering more housing as part of the £10bn economic stimulus package unveiled this week.

The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have asked Professor John Miles from Cambridge University and Professor Nick Whitehouse of Oxford Brookes University to put together a pan-industry review group.

The group – described by Whitehouse as a “Star Chamber” of industry leaders – will be tasked with putting together a report and concrete proposals that can influence the 2013 budget. Draft proposals could be ready by the end of the year.

In his statement to parliament yesterday, DCLG secretary of state Eric Pickles said: “Off-site construction can create skilled jobs, improve the quality of homes and ultimately bring down costs. An industry-led group convened by DCLG and BIS will look in detail at the barriers holding back the growth of this part of the sector and how increased use of such techniques can be incentivised.”

Speaking to CM, Professor Whitehouse said potential review group members had been identified, but not yet approached. “This report has to be inclusive if it’s to be valued. We will be looking at the technical and business aspects to offsite manufacture rather than fiscal aspects [such as tax incentives] but you can’t separate the two entirely,” he said.

Applegreen Homes’ new three-bedroomed modular homes benefit from offsite manufacture

Offsite manufacture has been a growing feature in construction for over a decade, with the proportion of the building fabric created offsite reaching 80% in leading projects, such as Laing O’Rourke’s Cheesegrater.

But despite numerous demonstration projects and initiatives, such as the £60,000 house competition, house building has largely remained loyal to traditional methods.

Whitehouse said the group would examine whether the uptake of offsite in other sectors of the industry could be mirrored in house building. “Offsite has already had influence on house building compared to a few years ago, but there are further efficiencies that can be achieved. We are looking to see where there can be further gains – these might be in value [to improve affordability] or in other areas.”

In a statement, Richard Ogden of campaign organisation Buildoffsite, said: “We welcome the government’s announcement that an industry-led advisory group is being established to review any barriers that get in the way of the increased use of offsite construction methods within the UK housing market and to come up with proposals. 

“Across much of the construction market clients, designers and constructors have for many years been introducing offsite manufactured components and systems into their projects as they seek to make significant improvements in build quality, in productivity, sustainability and improved value for money. We believe that offsite solutions will potentially have much to offer the home building market.

“The Buildoffsite organisation will be following the work of the advisory group with great interest and we will contribute evidence as the opportunity arises.”