“Invest before the peak”, Turner urges industry

The housing industry needs to grow not only its capacity to build, but its capacity to build well.

That was the view shared by NHBC Chief Executive Officer Paul Turner at this year’s HBF Housing Market Intelligence Conference in London on Wednesday.

Providing the perspective of the UK’s leading provider of warranty and insurance for new-build homes, Turner used his keynote speech to explain that any increase in activity must not come at the cost of lower standards.

He said: “We all need to work to ensure that quality is not sacrificed for volume – because everyone deserves a quality home.

“That requires a rethink about capacity so we can ensure it grows at the same pace as delivery.

“By improving skills, supervision, supply chains and assurance ahead of a surge in output, the industry can build more homes while adapting to new regulation, new technologies and changing requirements.”

Turner went on to urge builders, developers, subcontractors, policymakers and other stakeholders to “invest before the peak” and “use today’s lower-volume environment to build quality capacity before the next major expansion”.

He highlighted NHBC’s ongoing £100m investment in training hubs across the country, where apprentices become site-ready through an accelerated programme of learning in a real-world environment, as an example of industry-led projects to boost capacity.

And while acknowledging that the implementation of regulation could be made “more coherent”, Turner explained it was up to those attending the conference to “convert that certainty into a connected system of quality assurance”.

“Quality begins with buildable and compliant design,” he added.

“It depends on approved materials and controlled substitution, it requires competent supervision, inspection and workmanship, and it needs a safe handover into long-term customer satisfaction.

“The industry can enhance this by investing in skills ahead of demand, standardising intelligently where repeatable processes improve outcomes, and using insight to change what we design and deliver for the better.”

Turner was one of multiple speakers to address the audience, including Home Builders Federation CEO Neil Jefferson, the Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Chris Whitty and David Smith, Economics Editor at the Sunday Times.