ONS: London needs to build 844,000 new homes – ilke Homes CEO Bjorn Conway comments

Following the ONS’ announcement that London will need to build 844,000 new homes in the next 25 years to cope with demand, Bjorn Conway, CEO of ilke Homes commented:

“The ONS’ announcement that we need to build an extra 844,000 new homes within the next 25 years is a jarring reminder of the current difficulty to build enough homes to meet demand. If the industry is to rise to the challenge of increasing London’s current housing total by 24%, Government and industry must come together to dramatically develop our approach to both planning and construction.

“With planning approval rates for large sites taking an average of 5 years, this process needs to speed up, so housebuilders can start building homes quicker for those who need them. Additionally, it takes around six months to build the average single-family home – which is far too long.  Modern methods of construction, such as offsite manufacturing, can drastically reduce timeframes. At ilke Homes we build high-quality housing, of the same standard as a traditional-build, in two weeks – and can install six homes a day onsite. Only by looking at innovative ways to speed up the process of homebuilding will we be able to address the housing crisis and deliver the number of homes needed by Londoners.”