UKTFA welcomes Prescott plans

Deputy prime minister John Prescott’s announcement of plans to build at least 200,000 homes in the south-east – underpinned by new hospitals, schools and transport systems – could spell good news for the timber frame industry.

Bryan Woodley, chief executive of the UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA), said: “Broadly speaking the UKTFA welcomes the statement from Mr Prescott of February 5 entitled ‘Sustainable Communities – Building for the Future’. The UKTFA is committed to sustainability in housing, promoting buildings created from the world’s only truly renewable construction material, timber. The UKTFA also supports the government’s commitment to creating not only housing, but also viable communities, with all the appropriate supporting infrastructure.

“In particular the UKTFA welcomes the government’s support of off-site factory-engineered construction methods for these proposed new houses. In the case of timber frame construction, this offers housing providers the opportunity of speedy erection; limits the need for scarce site skills; utilises accurate, quality-controlled components; reduces ‘snagging’; and requires light foundations that have a less adverse effect on the water table. Future owners and tenants of timber frame homes will benefit from owning and living in warm, quiet, durable, environmentally sound, modern dwellings.”

Mr Woodley added: “In timber frame’s vital task of providing this much-needed, affordable, modern housing, it is important to emphasise that the element of affordability Mr Prescott seeks is derived from the efficiencies of factory fabrication and simplified on-site erection – not from any compromise on quality of product or process for key worker housing. Timber frame housing is quality housing and is recognised on a par with all other forms of standard modern UK construction by major institutional lenders and insurers.”

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