I read Richard Ogden’s article “Fast build nation” (26 March, page 32) with interest

Many years ago, when I was a design engineer in full-time employment, I recall reading an article about McDonald’s building a restaurant in a few days ... this fuelled my initial interest in offsite construction all those years ago!

Now I have been self-employed for more than nine years and have been fortunate enough to gain work within Unite Modular Solutions and Corus Living Solutions, the two most advanced manufacturing facilities in the UK. Why does Richard Ogden believe we need to go to Poland to build modules and transport them here? As a spokesperson for the UK’s “Buildoffsite” initiative, I find it a little worrying that we aren’t able to believe in and support those UK businesses and the employment that goes with it.

We do not have to move factories overseas to remain competitive, let alone pay the cost to the environment of transporting stuff unnecessarily. We need people to invest in the UK for the longer term. I would happily arrange a tour around one of my previous employer’s factories for Richard to get his head around the fact that we can do it in the UK!

Andrew Deane

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