The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has restated its commitment to off-site manufacture in social housing, brushing off criticism that the controversial techniques should first be tested in the private sector.
The ODPM was responding to a recent report by the Commons select committee on housing, planning, local government and the regions (HT 7 February, page 15). In its formal response to the enquiry into affordable housing, published last Thursday, the ODPM predicted that advances in the social sector would spread to the private sector, not vice versa.

The department's record to date has been chequered, as it has struggled to spend the £80m of approved development programme funds earmarked for pre-assembly and timber- and steel-frame systems through the Kickstart programme.

Private sector take-up of OSM has been slow, with only a handful of the mainstream housebuilders – such as Westbury and its Space4 factory – showing much enthusiasm.

However, about one-third of the homes built through the Housing Corporation's £300m Challenge Fund are to be constructed using non-traditional techniques.

The ODPM also rejected the select committee's proposal to curb the right to buy by allowing councils to suspend the system in regeneration areas.

Source

Housing Today