HBF Technical Conference 2024

Great opportunities and changes at the HBF Technical Conference

The industry has a “great opportunity” to create smart, comfortable homes “fit for the future”, Richard Lankshear, the Future Homes Hub’s programme director, said today (September 18).

Speaking at the Home Builders Federation’s Technical Conference in Birmingham, Lankshear gave an overview of the intense change housebuilders are experiencing under the net zero and environmental agenda.

He looked at how the Hub was responding as the industry’s collaborator to build the homes of the future, taking a long-term view on carbon, water, nature and other elements and keen to help set the industry’s own targets through agreed metrics.

He noted the new government’s keen focus on housebuilding and its phrase: “Making the norm, not the exception”.

The expectation on the industry was “not just about quality, but building strong, sustainable, low carbon developments. This fits nicely with the work the Hub is doing”.

Lankshear pointed to the Hub’s “manifesto” - its One Plan document published last year. “This is the challenge – we know we need to build more homes, but at the same time there is an existential crisis around climate change. We’ve also got an absolute nature crisis going on.” The UK was the least biodiverse country in Europe, Lankshear said.

There were these often opposing issues to overcome, but “the opportunity is great. If we do get it right, we can deliver brilliant homes that are comfortable to live in, are simple and smart to manage, are planet friendly and are fit for the future”. These would be homes built for people “of a new generation”, featuring clean technology.

This goal would require identifying the right skills and ensuring the Hub’s work aligned with the government’s plans.

Also speaking at the conference as part of a utilities panel, Julie Spinks, md of Water Regs UK, said Ofwat had taken in the Hub’s work on water in creating its upcoming environmental incentives framework. This will involve housebuilders paying a levy and receiving money for fitting water efficient fixtures and fittings.

Spinks also reminded delegates of DEFRA’s water efficiency roadmap which includes its water efficiency labelling scheme, due to be implemented at the end of 2025, depending on the new government’s movements. Under the scheme, fixtures and fittings will be awarded a rating for water efficiency.

Spinks also said there “would come a point” when water efficiency and reuse would “need to be” part of Building Regulations. Here, there was the consumer challenge. “Most consumers don’t believe we’ll run out of water.” And, as with other aspects of housebuilding, there was a skills gap.

Also on the utilities panel, Adam Swaine, TriConnex’s director of sales, talked about pressure on the grid as it moves to electric.

There was a “bucketload of [projects] clogging up the grid”, with TriConnex seeing some newly purchased sites unable to connect until 2038.

However, Swaine said, the National Grid was poised to “review the queue”, so “shovel ready” sites would be in a good position. “There’s positivity coming. The network is being readjusted. The National Grid will reshuffle the pack.”

Paul Newman, technical director of the Structural Timber Association (STA), presented on the Timber in Construction Roadmap, the initiative launched between the Conservative government and timber sector to drive timber use in construction.

Newman commented that of the seven priority themes of the roadmap, “innovation seems to be the easy one”. But boosting skills in the sector was the “biggest challenge”. Here, he pointed to the STA’s installer training scheme.

Newman expressed some uncertainty over whether the new government would embrace the roadmap as keenly. “The previous government was supportive of the roadmap. The new government’s not sure what it wants.”

But STA was “working on contingencies” to allow it to still focus on the most important aspects of the roadmap, if government interest were to wane.

Dr Julie Bregulla, chief operations officer of the British Board of Agrément, presented on the construction production regulation changes that were announced on September 2. The CE mark for construction products in Great Britain will now continue to apply beyond the June 30 2025 deadline that the previous administration had set.

The government will also withdraw the “outdated” national classification system for fire resistance BS 476, replacing it with the more rigorous European standard of BS EN 13501.

Andrew Dabin, NHBC’s standards and policy manager, gave details of the new chapter on modern methods of construction (MMC) which will be added to its Standards for next year. This would “build confidence” in the build method.

Brian Stevenson, NHBC’s major projects senior manager, talked through the other, minor changes to the 2025 Standards.

Other speakers included HCR Hewitson’s Colin Jones, who looked over the Building Safety Act and what is now required, with the Grenfell inquiry’s last report possibly indicating further reform.

Robin Waddell, Greenbelt Group’s business development director, talked about sustainable drainage systems, Greenbelt’s adoption of them and site examples.

Lee Greatorex, HSE’s HM inspector of health and safety, presented on health and safety in construction. Paul Hutchens and Claire Enstone, respectively ceo and director of technical at Eco 2 Solar, addressed supply chain challenges relating to housebuilders and the Future Homes Standard.

Andrew Neilson, Openreach’s partnership director strategic infrastructure customers, John Marsh, chief operating officer of BUUK and Katy Taylor, GTC’s regional sales manager, completed the utilities panel.

Please contact us at events@house-builder.co.uk if you have any queries.