NEWS  

April, 2005

DON’T FALL FOR PRESCOTT’S QUICK FIX

"A quick fix rather than a long-term solution,” says Neil Turner of Bovey Construction in response to John Prescott’s challenge to the housing industry to produce a £60,000 house. The Ashburton-based construction firm, which won the regional 1994 Built In Quality award, warns potential house buyers that innovations that bypass traditional skills might not prove the cost-effective solution they seek.

“We must balance an initial low cost against the longer-term costs of cutting corners,” said Bovey Construction’s managing director. He points out that it is just six months since the Deputy Prime Minister sided with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, which reported that 83 per cent of modern houses in its London survey were mediocre or worse. According to Mr Prescott then, “Quality is as important as quantity in creating sustainable communities that will stand the test of time.”

But quality is clearly suffering. The most recent survey by the Housing Forum, which is funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, found that the incidence of defects or snags in the home increased by 90 per cent in 2003. “And this is not because of small specialist construction firms, but national house builders. Those cited in the review were big names in the house building industry,” says Mr Turner.

Now that the average new home has 118 defects on inspection, there has been a rapid growth in the number of snagging firms, which produce reports for disgruntled house buyers. As new homes are exempt from the Sale of Goods Act 1994, this is a major problem for those who believe new is best. In contrast, individuals who employ a specialist builder to refurbish an existing property can buy for peanuts a legally binding contract that effectively eliminates the possibility of poor workmanship.

According to Mr Turner, what is needed is an imaginative response that brings high-quality housing within the grasp of all. He points out that nationwide there are many commercial properties being used as charity shops, redundant flats above shops and properties in depressed areas earmarked for demolition. “An effective, significant grant-funding programme could provide high-quality homes and preserve our architectural heritage, while pumping life back into our towns and cities.”
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