McVey brands north of England as the new ‘Silicon Valley’
Housing minister, Esther McVey has launched her new ‘centre of excellence’ for modular housing across the north of England.
McVey believes the north of England has the potential to become a world leader in delivering modern, high-quality homes.
McVey said: “We must invest in this new technology. It’s as simple as that the benefits are clear. Some modular homes can be built in a factory over a week. And assembled on site in a day.
“Industry has told us some homes built using modern methods can have 80% fewer defects and heating bills up to 70% lower.
“Homes built using modern methods can be of higher quality, greener and built to last. I want to see a housing green revolution. In the north of England where the first industrial revolution began.
“With our emphasis on safety, quality and beauty, we could be the global leaders in housing standards.
“And if we get it right, once the industry matures it could be worth an estimated £40 billion to this country. A new post-Brexit industry.
“To build all these new homes we will need a brand-new workforce to make these homes offsite. The north of England has the potential to be the construction capital of the country for this new technology, and we need to fully embrace this.
This could be a new hub. Think Silicon Valley. The ‘construction corridor’.”
