Bristol looks to build MMC pipeline

Bristol is among a number of major cities exploring the idea of pooling demand for homes in order to encourage factory-built housing.

Bristol’s elected mayor Marvin Rees (pictured), speaking at this week’s Bristol Housing Festival, said the topic had been discussed with the nine other major English cities – known as the “Core Cities” group – as well as the emerging “Western Powerhouse” group including Bristol, Cardiff and Newport.

Rees told Housing Today that modern methods of construction were a vital “tool” to increasing the supply of new homes, but that in order for the sector to achieve critical mass “we realise cities need to work at scale.”

Rees said: “These conversations have been going on, certainly with the combined authorities, and the core cities. That conversation about how do we begin to move together as a whole to benefit from the increased scale in our markets.”

Regarding the Western Powerhouse, he said: “We are working together on issues of regional transport and connectivity – we’ve identified that we can move together. There are some challenges we can take together that we are less able to take on as individual cities.”

Rees comments came after construction consultant Mark Farmer, chief executive of Cast, had used his conference address to talk about the importance of the public sector aggregating demand for factory-built homes in order to get the sector off the ground.

“If we’re going to get innovation to work that involves manufacturing, you’re not going to do it with small infill sites, unless you parcel it up in an interesting way.

“The aggregation point is really important, and the devolution agenda provides authorities the opportunity to convene aggregation with housing associations and ultimately the private sector,” Farmer said.

In recent months Bristol has announced plans for MMC housing schemes with both Ikea backed modular firm BoKlok as well as modular housing firm ZEDPods, the business spun out of the architect practice behind the pioneering off-site scheme BEDZed.