The UK government has announced it’s plan to get Britain moving again; by using construction. A number of initiatives were launched, one of the lesser reported actions was Eric Pickles call for a new industry led group to look into the barriers hindering the growth of off-site construction in the UK.

At Smith and Wallwork we have embraced off-site construction, in particular the use of cross laminated timber, and we see a great future for this quick, clean and low carbon build method.

However, in our rush to change construction to a manufacture led process (potentially buying in buildings in kit form from distant regions) we should not forget the local craft led roots of our industry. We believe that the industry has to embark on a long journey of re-skilling designers, manufacturers and builders to think local; allowing communities to truly benefit when the developers move in.