Sustainable construction to help housing crisis
Friday, 28 January 2011 2:33 PM
Traditional construction will need to make room for more cost-effective and sustainable building methods if the UK's shortage of affordable housing is to be overcome, experts have suggested.
According to an independent report commissioned by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), current house-building rates are around 80,000 new homes below the level required to meet demand and tackle affordability issues.
The research highlights a series of low-cost housing solutions, which it claims could significantly ease national shortages and ensure that affordable housing is more readily available to both local authorities and first-time buyers.
It suggests that by making use of recycled materials and innovative structural design, homes can be built quickly and much more cheaply, with a smaller impact on the environment.
The report's primary author, Loughborough University's Dr Chris Goodier, commented: "The need for more new homes in the UK has never been more critical than it is today.
"However, at current construction levels, an annual deficit of around 80,000 is a pressing concern. While there is no quick fix to the problem, it is important that the Government and industry consider more innovative solutions to development.
"Without them, problems such as overcrowding, undersupply and unaffordable housing seem set to continue," he concluded.
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