Construction ‘scandal’ shines light on decline in housing quality
Posted on 13/03/2017
A recent scandal involving one of the big national housebuilders has further shone a light on the pressures put on firms to meet the government’s housing targets.
Bovis Homes are to pay £7m to repair poorly built homes sold to customers. Bovis, who built almost 4,000 homes last year, is accused of knowingly selling homes that had problems including faulty plumbing, no guttering and half-finished tiling.
The revelations raise questions about the quality of new-build developments nationwide and regulation of the market.
Michele Wietscher, Director of Newview Windows & Conservatories, comments: “There is a genuine need for more housing but we need to ensure it is of good quality. Buying a house is a big investment and it’s evident some people are being sold the dream and getting a nightmare.
“There needs to be stricter and more transparent building regulations and people should be given the right to inspect their home prior to buying, to ensure they are getting quality accommodation. This wouldn’t need to slow down the build process but just provide more quality control.”
Michele goes on to say that there are intense pressures to hit housing targets combined with several on-going issues affecting the construction industry, and the news about Bovis is one of the symptoms of this.
Michele comments further: “The race is on to build a million new homes by 2020 but the industry is being held back by a mixture of problems that include a shortage of skilled labourers, a lack of space available to build on and consolidation in the market. We’ve called for the government to make this a central priority going forward and for a joined up approach between industry and the public sector.”