The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
has launched a new inquiry into Modern Methods of Construction
(MMC) and their potential role in boosting housing
supply.
Modern Methods of Construction utilises a range of approaches,
such as off-site manufacturing and improvements to the
supply-chain, and is intended to produce more, better quality
homes in less time. Compared to more traditional forms of house
building, MMC can improve predictability of work and costs,
mitigate material shortages and the impact of developments on the
local area. According to the Government’s Industrial Strategy,
MMC has the potential to reform the residential construction
sector so as to meet its target of 300,000 new homes each year,
and 1 million between 2017 and 2020.
There have been challenges to implementing the strategy more
widely. The Government has identified inconsistent demand in the
housing sector and lack of collaborative construction supply
chains in expanding MMC practices. The HCLG Committee found in a
previous inquiry, Capacity in the
Housebuilding Industry, that increased use of MMC would
require greater Government support to give “lenders, consumers
and builders the confidence to use new methods”.
This new inquiry will look at the benefits achieved by
housebuilders who have used MMC techniques and some of the
drawbacks that have been experienced. It will examine how
national and local government can support the use of MMC by and
encourage innovation in the sector.
Launching the inquiry, Committee Chair MP commented:
“The Government has acknowledged that the housing market is
broken and that a variety of strategies need to be deployed to
deliver the boost in housing supply so vitally needed. The
increased use of modern methods of construction may be a
significant element of this and it is therefore important that we
understand their potential and effectiveness, and exactly how far
they can go in supporting the Government’s ambitions. Equally we
must ensure that modern methods are built to last. The radical
changes to housing construction of the mid-twentieth century
failed to survive five decades. This cannot be repeated.
“During this inquiry, the HCLG Committee will look at how MMC has
been implemented so far. Has it proven to be more suitable to
certain kinds of developments or certain size of housebuilding
company. Most importantly, we will be assessing how it can be
used more widely, or improved, to deliver the quantity of high
quality, affordable that is so badly needed in the UK.”
Terms of reference
The Committee is inviting submissions on:
- What are the benefits of MMC, and how can they sustainably
boost the housing supply?
- What are the primary risks to increasing the use of MMC?
- How could the Government, Homes England and local authorities
(a) increase demand for MMC to meet its homebuilding targets and
(b) support the construction industry in increasing the use of
MMC?
- How can small and medium sized housebuilders better utilise
MMC, including to support innovation and competition in the
construction industry?
- How can challenges related to access to finance (for both
homebuyers and developers) be overcome.
The deadline for written submissions is 30 January
2019. Submissions can be made on the Committee’s
website here.
