{"id":95520,"date":"2021-07-01T09:51:33","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T08:51:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=95520"},"modified":"2021-07-01T09:51:33","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T08:51:33","slug":"uk-housing-construction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/planning-construction-news\/uk-housing-construction\/95520\/","title":{"rendered":"The future of UK housing and the construction industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been a turbulent period for the construction industry over the past year. With the ongoing pandemic and the continuing uncertainty surrounding post-Brexit trade deals, it has been somewhat difficult for companies to plan their projects<\/h2>\n

In this article, The Access Group<\/a> talks about the future of UK housing and the construction industry, and explores how housebuilders can prepare as we look ahead.<\/p>\n

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    300,000 homes per year<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The target of building over 300,000 houses a year<\/a> was set back in 2017 by the then chancellor Philip Hammond. This was further emphasised in the 2019 Conservative manifesto to \u201cincrease the number of homes being built\u201d and stressed the need to rebalance the housing market towards more homeownership. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 saw the delivery of houses reach numbers not seen in over three decades<\/a>. So, what does this mean for the construction industry? Afterall, the government\u2019s post-Covid recovery aim is to \u201cbuild, build, build\u201d.<\/p>\n

    It should go without saying that this will present a number of opportunities for housebuilders<\/a>, with more contracts being awarded for large housing projects. However, this has been coupled with a considerable skills shortage \u2013 workers are retiring sooner than they are being recruited. Does the industry have the talent to cope with the increasing demand?<\/p>\n

    For now, projects are having to make do with the skill sets that are currently available. This means that managers are having to really think about how to allocate their human resources. Project management software<\/a> is increasingly being adopted as it has the most accurate data available – making decision-making easier and ensuring things run more smoothly.<\/p>\n

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      Booming housing market<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Traditionally Stamp Duty is normally paid on houses over \u00a3125,000. However, over the last year, the government has increased this threshold to properties over \u00a3500,000. This may be a contributing factor to an \u2018incredible demand<\/a>\u2019 for houses and, in turn, an increase in the cost of building work<\/a> on UK homes.<\/p>\n

      The extra projects being undertaken for new builds and renovations has meant demand for essential materials such as concrete and timber has dramatically increased. Reports have suggested that record surges have been found in the price of timber, bricks and steel. This has been exacerbated by the combined impact of Brexit and the ongoing pandemic.<\/p>\n

      While the uptake of additional projects is exciting for housebuilders, the competition for materials will increase the time it takes for them to be completed. This means that firms should be more focused on how they manage their supply chains<\/a>. By utilising the right software, such as EasyBuild, managers can have the most up to date information at hand – very helpful in being able to minimise the risk of material shortages<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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        The Future Homes Standard<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        At the beginning of 2021, the government published the outcome of its \u2018Future Homes Standard\u2019 consultation. This looked to make changes to regulations in improving the energy efficiency of new homes.<\/p>\n

        The new Future Homes Standard<\/a> has stated that all new homes built from 2025 will produce 75-80% less carbon emissions than homes delivered under current regulations. So how will this be implemented?<\/p>\n