Key conference brings experts together to speed up house building
Housing and Planning experts from the Essex Developers Group (EDG) and the South Essex Housing Group discussed how to fix the UK’s ‘broken market’ at a special conference.
Developers, contractors, consultants, local housing companies, housing associations, Essex County Council and district and unitary authorities, descended on Orsett Hall in Thurrock, on 21 November, for the one-day event, entitled ‘fixing our broken housing market’.
Speakers from the public and private sectors focussed on modernisation of the housing industry, modular housing, custom and self-build homes, place making and other innovative topics which champion the Government’s housing strategy ambition to build a new and positive mind-set to house building.
Cllr Sue Lissimore, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “This was a varied and interesting conference which provides a strong focus on the challenges and opportunities for housing growth in Essex.”
To ensure that delegates were able to visualise and be inspired by real housing solutions, a range of tours were available to delegates including a tour of Swan Housing Association’s new modular factory, where they were able to see the precision engineered modular homes being built, as well as find out more about the custom build options available to buyers.
The tours on offer also included St Chad’s site in Tilbury where Gloriana Thurrock Ltd is building 128 homes on a former school site, before a visit to Barking Riverside, a regeneration project including 10,800 new homes.
The conference also saw the presentation of two cheques, worth £500, to students at South Essex College, who won a competition to design an eye-catching logo for EDG, which represents the vision to encourage quality housing growth in Essex.
George Kieffer, Vice Chair of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, and Robert Charnock from the Essex Developers Group, presented the cheques to the winning students, Casey Kaye and Katherine Marshall, and their course leader Steve Bright. Photos of the event were taken by another talented student from South Essex College, Jessica Horne.
Mark Curle, Chair of the Essex Developers Group, said: “As a newly formed group we are keen to ensure that we encourage young talent. An important part of the group’s work is to promote skills and opportunities for young people.
“Therefore we felt this was a fantastic opportunity to get young people involved and raise awareness of our aspirations.”
Angela O’Donoghue, Principal and Chief Executive of the college, added: “We are delighted that our students have benefited from this competition. The Essex Developers Group has provided a unique opportunity for our students to show off their blossoming creative design skills.”
Shared by: Scott Morrow mail@essex.vuelio.uk.com
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