Brandon Lewis, the Housing Minister, recently announced that the government has a target of constructing one million homes by the end of this Parliament in 2020. However, an industry report has found that only just over 50% of the required homes were built in the past three years. This shows that significant improvements need to be made in the industry in order to meet the new target. Can this target actually be met, and how can house builders and others within the industry contribute to the success?
The Housing Crisis
There is undoubtedly a need for a substantial number of new homes to be built in this country. The government has now set a target of building one million properties across England before 2020. According to a report released by the National Housing Federation (NHF), from 2011 to 2014 only 457,490 properties were built, compared to the 974,000 that it states were needed.
If we are to meet the target set by the government, there will need to be changes made across the industry. Some of these areas, such as issues surrounding planning permission and a shortage of skilled workers, are out of the direct control of builders. However, there are parts that they can have more involvement with, including ensuring there is a good supply chain so that projects are not held up unnecessarily.
Efficient Stock Management
Managing the use and ordering of stock on a construction site is an important element of the project. Without an understanding of what is coming in and when supplies are required, work could be halted because employees don’t have the necessary items to carry out the job.
It’s beneficial to keep a log of all the items that are necessary and have an inventory system so that you’re aware of when items need reordering. This helps deliveries to be made as efficiently as possible. Stock won’t be building up, but it will be there when necessary.
Working closely with your supplier will ensure that goods are available when required. These can often be delivered the next working day or on a timed delivery to enable a smooth construction process with minimal interruptions.
Effective Planning
Over the past few years the government has introduced changes to the planning system to make it more efficient. This includes the 2012 National Planning Policy Framework, which has helped to see a large increase in the number of successful applications. It’s important with house-building projects that all the necessary planning applications are submitted in good time to prevent elements being held up because the relevant permission is not yet available.
With such an ambitious target to meet in the construction industry, it’s important that all areas run as efficiently as they possibly can. Stock ordering and planning might seem insignificant in the wider picture, but every little element can build up to help meet the target of one million homes.