UK developers to help country prefabricate its way out of housing shortage
Berkeley Homes, a developer that says it can build a house in 20 days and erect on site in half a day, will prefabricate up to a quarter of its homes in a factory
A major UK housebuilder will prefabricate up to a quarter of its homes in a factory, in the latest attempt by the construction industry to tackle the country’s housing shortage.
Berkeley Homes, which builds 4,000 homes a year, is planning to create a facility in Kent this year where builders will work to produce up to 1,000 houses and flats annually, which will then be craned on to sites.
Another company, nHouse, is setting up a factory in Peterborough with the capacity to build 400 homes a year, complete with light fittings, bathrooms, bookshelves and kitchens. Production is expected to start this month.
It claims it can build a house in 20 days in the factory, which can then be erected on site in half a day. Several other developers, including Legal and General and Urban Splash, have also launched prefab home divisions.
Fears of a shortage of skilled construction workers caused by an ageing workforce and an exodus due to Brexit are part of the reason for the revival of prefabrication, which last provided a significant number of homes after the second world war.
The government has set a target of building 300,000 homes a year by the middle of the next decade. Despite recent increases in activity, the last annual figure was 190,000.