In an article published on Wednesday (11 May) by Inside Housing, Jules Birch asks: what exactly could make factory-built housing viable?  

Jules rightly points out that any growth in modern methods of construction (MMC) will come from the rented sector (private and social) rather than for sale - whether that is a fair reflection on MMC or not that is the reality.

What exactly could make factory-built housing viable? Our MMC clients will be shouting "orders" and large ones, please! 

In the social housing sector, MMC orders have generally been a succession of 'test/project/example' handfuls of developments that won't create a sector; frequently only when the landlords are forced to do so either by funding rules or the confines of a particular site.

Perhaps that isn't surprising when the cost of MMC can, depending on the locality, be higher than traditional methods.

But given the significantly lower running costs, especially when such properties are to be rented to people who struggle with the rising cost of heating their homes, there is a strong argument for a genuine commitment to MMC.