Two of social housing's most influential figures expressed deeply divided opinions at the Urban Summit about the future provision of prefabricated housing
Sir John Egan, who chaired the 1998 panel that produced the seminal paper Rethinking Construction, said "most of our buildings will be done in factories over the next few years".

He said off-site manufactured housing would be popular and that Britain needed "world class architects producing beautiful factory-built homes".

But respected academic Anne Power, who is leading work for Birmingham council into how it can progress following its failed stock transfer earlier this year, disagreed. Speaking at a later summit session, she said: "OSM – it just won't happen.

"We should learn from the Scandinavians who provide standard parts that builders can manipulate [in different buildings]."