50% of Housing Associations to adopt MMC in next 5 years

After numerous MMC detailed reports, much pontification in the UK, Savills report our Housing Associations are to increase build using MMC. But what about the other 50%?. And what is the reason for not 100%? is this down to lack of appetite due to access to education, accessibility to unlimited supply chain? only by working with the UK's answer to MMC? Sourcing quality supply chain takes commitment, years travelling thousands of miles per year alone, substantial investment in time therefore cost.

Without appetite nothing will happen

On the basis of 'half full' not 'half empty' my opinion of collaborative working with overseas won't change, the UK is decades behind the curve unfortunately unable for OSM's provide anywhere near the production capacity to help solve our housing crisis. An unproven 'prototype led existence' it appears with a very small handful of financially backed OSM’s struggling to meet client demand. Don't get me wrong there are those UK OSM's that will thankfully grow with clients to provide solutions, over time, including progressive Light Gauge Steel factories we have met and are encouraged very much by their attitude towards growth & sustaining quality. Same goes for overseas commitment who will need to consider Premier/LABC/BOPAS to be considered so having substantial investment, sheer experience, great customer attention still requires accreditation to deliver to British standards. Not a problem on the basis supply chain build already in Scandinavia, where product that is over engineered somewhat build for far colder temperatures, which can be adapted to suit and increasing warmer weather. The piece of the puzzle they need to consider is how to deliver, simply collaborating with experienced UK partners.

The National Housing Federation reports "Housing need in England is acute. The country needs to build 340,000 new homes a year, including 145,000 social homes, but only 43,000 affordable homes were built in 2017/181.

Housing associations want to get these homes built. In 2018/19, we built 45,6042 new homes, 27% of all new homes delivered in England. In 2017/18 we invested £10bn in new housing, with £1bn coming from government grant3. We form new partnerships and plan long-term programmes of housebuilding. Yet this is a long way short of the 145,000 social homes needed each year. There are substantial external challenges that hold housing associations back. The price of land, the flattening housing market and, most critically, limited government grant all make building new social homes more difficult."

I am genuinely interested to know which OSM’s both HA’s and LA’s have visited or plan to visit over the next 5 years and the decisions they make which technology they deem more suitable, sourcing partnerships which will tick their procurement nuances. None of the OSM’s I know, represent in the Baltics, where I live or other countries (50 factories across the world) have met them so what is their experience based on? UK factories that are full of capacity currently? There is currently no comparison production capacity wise v overseas.

Changing attitudes to home ownership are reinforcing these demographic trends and therefore the way we build using MMC be whatever solution 3D Volumetric, SIPS, CLT, Hybrid etc. Savill's report on Student Accommodation "In the UK and Ireland, first time buyers have been impacted by more stringent mortgage lending requirements. The aspiration for home ownership hasn’t gone away, but the better quality purpose-built rental product on offer is making renting a desirable option, rather than a last resort."

Encouraging news of course that London Centric Berkeley Group has said it will start production at its volumetric housing factory in Ebbsfleet next year, and has hired 40 staff to run the facility. Which is great PR for the OSM industry, I wish them well. But what about the disaster stories talked about with factories spending millions and no further towards production roll-out yet? Deep pockets don't necessarily determine success.

Meanwhile overseas mega-plant OSM's wishing to explore the UK, a multitude of foreign investment funds knocking on our door asking for advice to help launch.