28 COMMENT
so that we can build a picture of our members’ output. All this data, along with the annual House Builders’ Survey later in the year, help to build a picture of market conditions for SME housebuilders – a sector we know is not heading in the right direction, delivering only 10% of new homes compared to 40% just over 30 years ago.
The FMB is working hard to put forward a voice for our housebuilding members and is in regular contact with those responsible for housing at national and devolved government level. Given current government actions, such as the Housing Secretary Michael Gove calling in one major development for being too ‘generic’ for the area it was sited, they must start looking seriously at SMEs as part of the solution to the housing crisis. Small, local housebuilders excel in delivering high quality, diverse in design homes, far from the ‘cookie cutter’ type
of schemes that we have become all too used to across the UK.
PLANNING FEES
The future of planning fees is currently being considered by the Government, with a few ideas on how they’ll look recently consulted on, but one thing seems clear, they will likely be increasing. However, our members have made clear that they do not feel enough progress has been made in Local Planning Authorities regarding the speed of applications to justify a rise in costs.
There is a clear need for extra resourcing in planning teams and this is well understood by local housebuilders who are on the front lines of a creaking planning system. For many years FMB members were supportive of increases to planning fees and even championed it. But, given the poor state of the small house building market; the rise in costs
from new regulations; and increasingly strained relationships with local planning teams, they do not feel a rise in fees, taken out of the pockets of small house builders, is ustifi ed. The overnment must think carefully at the damage a rise in fees may in ict on small housebuilders, and produce a meaningful plan on what support it will provide to boost their output.
WHAT NEXT?
Housing is clearly ramping up the agenda, it’s rarely out of the headlines. The lack of action to build new homes is seemingly fi ltering down into public discourse, which can often be the most potent incentive for any government to act. A bold plan going into party conferences would be nice to see, or even an outline plan ahead of the election next year, but I don’t hold out much hope. We’ll have to wait and see.
SMALL, LOCAL HOUSEBUILDERS EXCEL IN DELIVERING HIGH QUALITY, DIVERSE IN DESIGN HOMES, FAR FROM THE ‘COOKIE CUTTER’ SCHEMES
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