A new quality control scheme for factory-built housing will force manufacturers to build flood-resistant homes or risk not being able to secure insurance.
The certification programme, planned by construction research body BRE, follows growing concern that 120,000 of the 200,000 homes planned for the Thames Gateway growth area sit in a flood plain.

BRE is to launch the programme with the Association of British Insurers and the Council of Mortgage Lenders, who are worried about the durability of off-site manufactured homes.

Under the plan, BRE will inspect designs and declare them safe for mortgage lenders and insurers.

If the designs fail, insurers and mortgage lenders may choose not to offer their products on those homes.

Jeremy Hodge, director of research for BRE Certification, the BRE subsidiary that oversees certification schemes, said flood protection was the prime issue. "Modules sitting on the ground floor should have the ability to withstand a flood every once in a while."

The Building Regulations place no responsibility on builders to make homes safe from flooding as it is considered a planning issue.

Patrick Dorman, managing director of OSM company Space 4, said: "We fail to why prefab homes should have to meet different standards to other buildings."

The certification scheme is to be launched at construction industry conference Interbuild on 25-29 April.

Source

Housing Today