UK-GBC React To Government Housebuilding Plans

News is coming from the Conservative Party Conference of new housebuilding measures including a new £3 billion Home Building Fund to provide loans for SME builders, custom builders, offsite construction and essential infrastructure. The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) have responded with careful optimism.

This coincides with the announcement of a strategic partnership between the Supply Chain Sustainability School (SSCS) and UK-GBC. Only last week SCSS issued a Design for Manufacturing and Assembly guide, celebrating the contribution this construction method can make to driving down construction waste.

In his speech to conference attendees, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid, outlined a priority to “create new supply chains using offsite construction.”

Today’s announcement is welcome, but we must focus on quality as well as quantity.

 

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Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive of UK-GBC, said:

“Today’s announcement is welcome, but we must focus on quality as well as quantity. Good design can help reduce carbon emissions and support reductions in public spending though improving health and wellbeing.

“It’s encouraging to see an emphasis on alternative delivery models and supply chain innovation, which can deliver greater social and environmental benefits. Government must now engage closely with industry partners to ensure the measures announced genuinely tackle some of the viability issues experienced on brownfield land. And although Government is well placed to target outcomes, it should leave the market to decide the best construction methods.

“There is already some fantastic innovation going on in the construction sector, much of which aims to improve sustainability as well as ensuring quality. Offsite construction methods have a big role to play in this so I’m delighted that UK-GBC has entered into a strategic partnership with the Supply Chain Sustainability School, who are championing that potential, and seeking to deliver training to the whole supply chain.”