Off-site to get government push

A host of big-spending government departments have said they will use offsite construction ahead of traditional methods on their upcoming capital programmes.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said the government wants “to improve the cost effectiveness, productivity and timeliness of infrastructure delivery” and promised that it will “use its purchasing power to drive adoption of modern methods of construction, such as offsite manufacturing”.

The transport, health, education, justice and defence departments will all adopt “a presumption in favour of offsite construction by 2019” across suitable capital programmes, Hammond added.

Last year’s report into the construction industry by Mark Farmer said much more off-site work was needed to combat skills shortages.

Farmer said: “This is extremely significant. Government has listened to the call for the leadership of the construction modernistaion challenge.”