Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) conference in Manchester on 25 June, Dave Sheridan, executive chairman, ilke Homes, said that housing associations could speed up delivery and improve quality by embracing offsite manufacturing (OSM)
ilke Homes has launched a guide explaining how factory-built homes for families and young professionals could ease the housing crisis.
Recognising the need to produce a range of housing for different income levels, ilke Homes manufactures customisable, precision-engineered homes to suit housing associations and listed development partners alike. All homes are fully mortgageable and are backed by the NHBC Buildmark warranty.
The new guide, entitled ‘It all stacks up’ explains how precision-engineered homes are far greener and more energy efficient than typical new build construction. It goes into detail about volumetric housebuilding – where houses are engineered in a factory, with complete modules being transported to sites and then assembled.
Official data from Homes England for the year to 31 March 2019, shows there were 45,692 housing starts on site and 40,289 housing completions delivered through programmes managed by Homes England outside of London – the highest for nine and four years respectively. Yet only a tiny fraction of these were built using OSM – something many experts believe needs to change.
Dave Sheridan, executive chairman of ilke Homes, said: “Housing associations are now being recognised for their ability to deliver at scale and to play a vital role supporting those most in need. We’re keen to help them build better quality housing and to do so quicker, ensuring that together we support the government’s housing delivery ambitions.”
Sheridan, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the housing sector, believes that there is an opportunity to step up delivery of affordable homes deadlines and use grant funding in a clever way. Being only 21 months out from the original Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme (SOAHP) deadline, if an RP hasn’t started on a scheme yet, they could even complete by March 2021, for example, if they made it a volumetric scheme.
ilke Homes’ guide to volumetric housebuilding can be downloaded here. Hard copies will be available on request at the ilke Lounge at CIH and during and at the MMC stage.
