RICS recommends off-site housebuilding

The RICS has called for more off-site construction of houses to cope with the shortage of housing supply.

In a new report, The Future of UK Housebuilding, it also suggests using recycled materials and ’segmented’ homes that can easily be extended.

Dr Chris Goodier, Loughborough University, primary author of the paper, said: “The need for more new homes in the UK has never been more critical than it is today.

“However, at current construction levels, an annual deficit of around 80,000 is a pressing concern.

“While there is no quick fix to the problem, it is important that the government and industry consider more innovative solutions to development.

“Without them, problems such as overcrowding, undersupply and unaffordable housing seem set to continue.

“UK housebuilding has long been associated with expensive, time consuming methods and can mean that environmental standards are difficult to maintain.

“More innovative, modern off-site and modular designs are not only extremely cost effective, but can be constructed with ease in a very short period of time.

“Furthermore, many major mortgage providers are already willing to lend against these structures, which has been a problem in the past, meaning that first-time buyers could find them a highly practical way of getting onto the property ladder.”

Laing O’Rourke is thought to be considering plans to build an off-site housing plant in the UK.