For incumbent London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the answer could very well be yes.

According to Property Week, the importance of addressing London – and the U.K.’s – affordable housing crisis was front and center in a discussion on the mayor’s performance among developers and professionals gathered in Cannes.

The message was clear: Khan needs to pick up the pace if he plans on being re-elected.

“But one move could make a striking difference to perceptions of the mayor’s progress – removing barriers and accelerating the use of modular housing for London’s new homes,” said David Sheridan, CEO of Keepmoat.

Sheridan believes that modular housing “is a feature of the normal rather than something that is unusual – but this view will take time to embed.”

“Perhaps it is memories of system-built or prefabricated post-war homes that is holding the capital back – but if London throws off these shackles the rate of house building could increase dramatically and potentially play a big role in Mayor Khan’s re-election,” said Sheridan.

Sheridan says that the group realized that there was much to learn from other sectors, including those that build schools, when it comes to modular construction. The group also came up with a plan for the Greater London Authority to stimulate and invest in modular construction, including working with boroughs to standardize design, secure grant funding, and developing a framework of partners to speed development.

“Output from traditional house building methods is constrained and close to its limit – with the availability of labor only set to tighten further as Britain prepares to leave the European Union,” said Sheridan.

“The answer is in the existence of a number of progressive players delivering modular products that can be applied to different site challenges. These products will add to the supply from traditional house building, not replace it. Modular systems have the potential to accelerate estate regeneration; they can be used to provide new homes on top of existing buildings and on small infill sites. They also offer high-quality homes that can blend into the suburbs.”

Sheridan also believes that modular construction can reduce the upheaval on residents, by offering high-quality housing requiring much shorter construction periods.

“We are talking about installation of up to eight homes a day,” said Sheridan.

He also had a suggestion for the Mayor with regard to re-election.

“With the clock ticking on his mayoralty, there is nothing Mayor Khan could do more effectively to speed up housing supply than making London an exemplar for modular construction over the next three years,” said Sheridan.

For more on modular and prefab housing in the U.K., including China National Building Material Company (CNBM), Barcelona Housing Systems and U.K. housing association Your Housing Group (YHG) joining forces to build six prefab factories that will deliver 25,000 energy efficient homes per year by 2022, click here. ##

 

(Image credits are as shown above.)

 

Submitted by RC Williams to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.