Paul Nash, speaking at the New Statesman Northern Powerhouse Conference
Construction is central to driving the Northern Powerhouse and the burgeoning offsite market can bring major employment and economic benefits to the region.
That was the message from Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) past president Paul Nash, who was speaking to a high-profile audience at the New Statesman Northern Powerhouse Conference in Leeds yesterday.
Appearing on the same stage as Jake Berry, minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Northern Powerhouse, and Lord Prescott, Nash highlighted the importance of construction to the UK and in particular to the north west of England.
Nash pointed to the potentially huge benefits of offsite manufacturing to the area, with the likes of Laing O’Rourke already setting up its Explore industrial park near Worksop, the Legal & General modular homes project just east of Leeds, and Ilke Homes, which aims to build 2,000 new homes annually from its factory in Knaresborough.
Lord Prescott
Explaining how construction acts as a driver for economic growth, employment and social and economic development, he called on the audience to support the development of excellence hubs in the region to exploit the benefits construction can bring.
He said: "We recommend the development of construction innovation and excellence hubs. By bringing together complementary construction skills in close physical proximity we will witness further collaboration between the manufacturers, designers, consultants, main contractors and specialists.
“If there is one region in the UK that offers a potential test bed for this it is the Northern Powerhouse, where design, manufacture and contracting all have deep roots.
“Construction is central to delivering a high-productivity, high quality economy with better opportunities and a better quality of life.
“But we must ensure greater collaboration and understanding of the work our sector does and can do.”
