Small sites are important for local economies On the eve of the local elections for four new regional metro mayors the housebuilding industry is pressing the successful candidates to boost housing delivery. Ambitious targets for small sites needed Metro mayors should use their powers to buy land for housing Mayors should ensure colleges offer targeted skills in construction England’s four new metro mayorsare being urged to use new powers ahead of schedule to help address the housing crisis by the [...]

SME builders give thumbs up to Homes England’s small sites category   SME developers key for regional growth More SME housebuilders will apply to develop land managed by Homes England now that there is a small sites category, claims the building industry. New small sites category for 20-70 new homes Homes England hopes to attract more regional SME developers SME housebuilders key for local economic growth and jobs SME housebuilders are optimistic Homes England’s new small sites categoryfor schemes of 20 [...]

UK steel vital for the country’s green economy SMEs housebuilders are worried the current global tariff war will create economic uncertainty and damage the UK steel industry. UK steel vital for supporting the country’s low-carbon economy Raw materials for making steel could drop in price post US tariffs Steel is a crucial housebuilding product US tariffs create uncertainty for smaller builders in the UK The SME housebuilding industry is anxiously waiting to see what effectsUS import tariffs will have on [...]

BNG review urgently needed to help SMEs speed up housing delivery SMEs are optimistic proposed ‘rolling reforms’ to environmental regulation will lead to a review of biodiversity net gain and nutrient neutrality rules that are holding up housebuilding. 3,500 complex environmental regulations will be streamlined Continuous regulatory reform to be pursued A single planning portal for advice from all agencies SME builders back rolling reform of UK’s complex environmental regs Smaller developers hope ‘rolling regulatory reforms’proposed in a new government [...]

New levy on top of existing developer tax is unnecessary SME housebuilders are being encouraged to lobby their local MPs to support a campaign for the building safety levy to tax product manufacturers. Product manufacturers, especially those involved in the Grenfell Tower disaster, should pay Housebuilders constructing schemes of less than 50 homes should be exempt Levy will add between half to one per cent on the sale cost of a home Smaller housebuilders urged to lobby MPs to make [...]

Unclear how proposed changes will work The building industry has described reforms to planning as a step in the right direction but lack of dedicated small sites for development and planning fee increases still pose major challenges for SME housebuilders. Smaller sites should be included in local housing plans Statutory consultees scope to be curtailed Judicial reviews to be streamlined Planning reforms leave SME housebuilders out of the picture Builders won’t be getting ‘shovels in the ground quicker’ to build [...]

Commonhold set for mixed-use developments Housebuilders back plansfor commonhold ownership for new build flats claiming this will boost urban density by giving consumers confidence to buy such properties. Commonhold would ban leases giving residents outright ownership Mixed-use developments with offices or shops could be included Commonhold is widespread for apartments in Scotland, Europe and the US Housebuilders back ban on leaseholds for newly built flats Housebuilderssupportplansto ban leaseholdson new flats and mixed-use developmentsas they say it will help the government [...]

SMEs could be hardest hit by shortage of installers Ambitious targets for half of the UK’s 28m housing stock to have heat pumps by 2040 will be difficult to realise without more qualified installers or government support for the easier to instal air-to-air pumps. 70,000 people are qualified to install air-to-air heat pumps Just 2,000 are qualified to install air-to-water systems Government boiler replacement grants should be extended to all types of heat pumps Heat pumps for half of the [...]

Programme offers on-site two-week placement The housebuilding industry hopes its latest site manager course will go some way to redressing the gender imbalance where just four per cent of people in this role are women. 16 per cent of the workforce are female but only four per cent are site managers Eleven major housebuilders are supporting training programmes to increase numbers 52 sites across England, Wales and Scotland will be offering hands on experience Housebuilders expand training to boost female [...]

Southeast housebuilders could be particularly badly hit SME housebuilders are concerned they will be caught up in the new building safety levy to be introduced in September for cladding remediation, yet for-profit housing developments tied to the public sector will be exempt. For-profit housing built by housing associations will be exempt Sites of ten plus homes will be liable Fear that four per cent tax on annual profits of over £40m will be lowered to £10m Housebuilders of smaller low-rise [...]

An influential committee has written to the government urging them to consider how they can help SMEs when drawing up guidance and criteria for green belt reviews. Identity of grey belt sites lost in wider green belt reviews Grey belt sites lose allure for SME developers Green belt reviews should focus on helping SMEs Government urged to review green belt with SME developers in mind SME builders should be at the forefront when reviewing the green belt, the house of [...]

A lack of planning officers could be one of the biggest obstacles for hitting the Government’s target of 1.5m new homes by 2029, warns the Homebuilders Federation. 2,200 planners needed to speed up applications 80 per cent of councils are operating below capacity Most major planning applications exceed 13-week timescale More planning officers needed to hit 1.5m new homes target Building 370,000 new homes a year is unattainable unless the Government funds training and recruitment of more planning officers, the [...]