Academics from the University of Manchester have called for more support for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) to address the challenges in UK housing construction
The research, produced by Dr Suzanne Peters, Professor Jonatan Pinkse, and Professor Graham Winch, comes at an important critical time, as the government has backtracked its goal of constructing 300,000 homes yearly.
MMC is critical to housing construction
The article, published by The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit, mentioned three critical barriers to the expansion of MMC.
The authors also expressed concern over the shortage of construction skills.
“To deliver at pace and meet quality standards, both offsite and onsite aspects of MMC require skills and understanding that differ from traditional methods – with offsite work requiring more factory-specific skills and onsite skilled labour requiring more precise methods than traditional construction,” wrote the authors.
“Until both aspects are properly skilled, the deployment of MCC will be marred by delays and quality issues,” they continued.
Getting approval from local authorities to build new properties is also a major issue for housing construction in the UK. This step is the most unpredictable and time-consuming part of the building process, especially when using MMC.
The authors argue that problems are caused by understaffed planning departments, the political nature of regulations, and constant changes, leading to uncertainty and delays.
The government needs to take a less cautious approach
The researchers also suggest that the construction industry is slow to change and reluctant to take risks in adapting to new methods and materials.
The authors argue for a full-scale MMC-oriented skills agenda. They explain: “Bringing MMC to a site requires specialised skills to ensure projects are successfully completed. More skilled and semi-skilled labour and construction management teams need to better understand and deliver on the unique requirements of MMC, including more precise tolerances to incorporate MMC into the completed house.”
The authors suggest overhauling current planning processes to speed up regulatory approval for new developments. They argue that the existing system is inflexible and unpredictable, leading to delays for MMC projects.
The researchers recommend incentivising builders through favourable taxation, grants, improved land access, and regulations to boost the use of MMC. They stress the government’s influence as a significant client in the housing and construction sector, capable of driving change.
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