The Housing Forum has set up four project groups to deal with weaknesses in the government’s drive for a greater use of off-site manufacturing in the £200m Challenge Fund.

One will commission research into the capacity of the housebuilding sector to provide such homes (HT 3 October, page 16). The second group will look at educating consumers and lenders that off-site techniques are viable investments. A third project will examine the whole-life costs of these projects. The fourth will promote the technological side of factory-built homes, including the safety benefits of building off-site.