This timely report is a result of a cross-section of Housing Forum members bringing their experience to bear on a matter that has gone from being important in improving consumer confidence to one where life safety issues have arisen.
In the last couple of years, housing has changed from a topic of relatively low interest to politicians to one that’s become a core policy issue, both through the significant housing need and the tragedy of Grenfell Tower.
An inability to deliver consistent quality is at the heart of all the building failures we have observed and is a matter that we must not lose sight of in the drive to provide the large number of homes society needs today.
In an era when large housing associations and councils will be embarking on major housing construction projects, it is essential the housing construction sector addresses and resolves the issue of quality. What has become clear is an urgent need to change culture and processes.
To this end The Housing Forum has brought together experts from across the supply chain to consider the key risks that the current method of developing and refurbishing residential property poses to truly successful outcomes, particularly for landlord clients and their residents.
Our report reflects some of the themes in Dame Judith Hackitt’s interim report following Grenfell. It focuses on the practicalities of bringing about this culture change through collaborative working, beginning with the way a project is set up through to its handover at completion, better quality assurance regimes and harnessing new technology.
We embrace value management – an exercise that must start at the briefing stage, not when it is too late and becomes merely cost-cutting. There is detailed advice on this activity in Part 1.
If the sector is to improve productivity we must also embrace digital technology and modern methods of construction. System building seems to have been on the cards for decades, but the stars are at last aligning for real change. Part 2 outlines areas the industry needs to invest in if we are to achieve this.
Finally, we need to address the lack of quality control on site, the topic of Part 3. This is an issue that can be improved with immediate effect and we urge clients to adopt suitable mechanisms in their tender documents and contracts and to start to employ clerks of works.
We hope you will agree with the proposals we set out.
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Contributors:
Co-Chair: Andy Tookey, Managing Director
Baily Garner
Co-Chair: Nigel Ostime, Delivery Director
Hawkins\Brown
Read the full report for practical insights and analysis.
You can download it below.