JANUARY 2006
Former Housing and Planning minister, Rt. Hon. Nick Raynsford MP has agreed to become the first Chairman of the NHBC Foundation, which has been launched today.
The Foundation, which has been established by NHBC in partnership with the BRE Trust, will invest more than half a million pounds in research and development to support the house-building industry in its first year. It will provide practical assistance to the house-building industry as it provides sustainable homes and plays its part in overcoming the UK's housing shortages.
Nick Raynsford will be supported by an Advisory Board made up of leading figures from the housing sector. Amongst these are Richard Simmons, Chief Executive of Cabe; Professor Steve Wilcox of the Centre for Housing Policy at York University; David Pretty, Chief Executive of Barratt Developments PLC; June Barnes, Chief Executive of East Thames Group.
The first practical example of the Foundation's work is today's launch of a new collaborative website called www.homein.org. The website will pool all available research on Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). It will be the first port of call for contractors, developers, lenders and suppliers to the industry, providing information and advice on the latest building techniques.
At its launch on Tuesday 17th January, Nick Raynsford said:
"The Foundation is a tremendously exciting initiative, which will focus on practical, relevant research to support the industry in rising to the significant challenges ahead.
"This is not going to be a talking shop. We will be mapping current research, looking for the gaps to be filled and identifying workable, bright ideas that, if brought to the market, will make a real difference."
''By levering funds and working with partner organisations and other stakeholders we aim to generate practical support for everyone contributing to the national housing agenda."
Welcoming the initiative, Yvette Cooper MP, Housing and Planning Minister said: " I think the NHBC Foundation can make a big difference by ensuring that the work it does really fits into a wider approach to sustainable communities – not just the bricks and mortar of housing, but actually looking at the way in which housing has to be part of proper communities."