Prescott snubbed

Private housebuilders have snubbed Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's drive to improve construction performance. At last week's Rethinking Construction conference, where firms were urged to donate demonstration projects, no scheme from a private housebuilder was submitted.

Also there was only a handful of housebuilding firms in the audience of over 400 delegates.

Only seven housing projects, out of a total number of demonstration projects of 83 approaching £1 billion in value, were submitted.

Prescott told CJ that he hoped housebuilders would "come on board." Any chance of reversing the snub now rests with the Housing Forum which will be launched on 3 December. The forum was set up as a consequence of Sir John Egan's Rethinking Construction report. Construction minister Nick Raynsford tried to allay fears that private developers would boycott the Egan efficiency drive. Raynsford said the forum would "be the focus for private housing."

The forum is being chaired by Anthony Mayer of the Housing Corporation who said it will bring together customers and providers. It will have a shadow board comprising five of the top housing associations and five of the top housebuilders serving the HA market.

However, according to an official of the House Builders Federation, its members feel alienated. "We have had nothing much to do with Egan or his report. Our members think that nothing much is going to be achieved unless the real issue addressing housebuilders is tackled - and that is the delay in the planning process."

The HBF official added that the federation would be looking towards the Lord Rogers' Task Force, which is examining the issues of building on green and brownfield sites, rather than the Egan movement. The HBF is finalising its response to Lord Rogers and will be submitting its views by the end of this month.