FMB responds to the Labour Manifesto

Following the publication of the Labour Party Manifesto ahead of the December General Election, it was revealed that Labour intent to spend £75M on social housing over the course of a five year period, with the intention being to construct 100,000 council homes per year by the end of Parliament.

Although this prioritisation of housing construction by Labour can be viewed as a positive response to the British housing crisis, some industry leading figures are sceptical about the approach which the party outlined in the aforementioned manifesto, with the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) supporting the intention but doubting the execution.

The Chief Executive of the FMB, Brian Berry stated: “This country is in dire need of a housing revolution to address the critical lack of homes that is hampering the very fabric of our society.

“It is therefore pleasing that Labour are placing the delivery of housing at the forefront of their manifesto commitments. However, if supply is to meet demand, there needs to be a strong collaboration between the public and private sectors as neither can deliver the required upsurge in delivery alone.

“Labour’s manifesto places an overemphasis on the role of the state in supplying homes with very little detail on the role of the private sector in this endeavour.

“One of the primary causes for the housing crisis is the decline in the number and output of small house builders with today’s market dominated by a small number of very large players. Back in 1988, 40 per cent of new homes were delivered by small local building firms compared with a mere 12 per cent today.

“Reversing this decline and unlocking the potential of small house builders by streamlining and simplifying the planning process, improving access to finance, and freeing up small plots of viable land, would go a long way to resolve this critical issue.”

If you would like to read more articles like this then please click here.