The Federation of Master Builders is championing the cause of SME contractors. Brian Berry Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders outlines the current campaigns
The Government has hit the ground running in its attempt to deliver 1.5 million new homes and it’s a big task to achieve by 2029. We’ve seen action taken on the National Policy Planning Framework (NPPF) and the incoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
While these are decisive actions and will help roll out more homes, there are fundamental concerns still at play. The UK housing market is severely lacking in diversity, with around 90% of all homes delivered by volume developers, placing us completely out of sync with similar nations, who have a much more diverse market of custom build homes and smaller scale, local developers.
The UK wasn’t always this way. Just over thirty years ago, SME builders were responsible for 40% of all new homes built in Britain. Small builders can bring greater consumer choice, higher quality housing, and the ability to develop smaller sites that larger firms often overlook. If the Government is serious about delivering its housing ambitions, it must support SMEs by improving access to land and enabling a planning system that can help small developers through the process by cutting out the most byzantine elements.
Where are the builders?
Meeting housing targets will be impossible without addressing the UK’s construction skills crisis. Hundreds of thousands of extra builders will be required to deliver new homes and upgrade existing ones, yet this will not be feasible without a significant push to increase those entering the industry. The launch of the new agency ‘Skills England’ acknowledges that vocational skills need pushing, but it must work closely with industry to develop a long-term, structured plan for vocational training, ensuring a steady pipeline of skilled professionals.
Upgrade existing homes
We also need to look beyond new housing. The Government has made some broad commitments to retrofit homes, but the owner occupier market, I fear, has been left with little to persuade homeowners to upgrade. Small builders will be at the forefront of delivering these upgrades, but a major obstacle remains. With few incentives for owner occupiers, this holds back interested builders from training in new green skills. This is why the FMB has been calling for financial incentives to increase consumer uptake and make fabric retrofitting a mainstream priority to boost the energy efficiency of homes.
Competence is key
While we seek to boost builders’ output, we must also ensure that quantity does not replace quality. Recent scandals, such as those installing shoddy spray foam insulation and has left homes un-mortgageable brings this issue to light. At present, anyone can call themselves a builder, it’s not a protected job. This means there is nothing in place to ensure a minimum level of competence.
It is against this background that the FMB is championing the need for a licensing system for building companies, which would help elevate standards and drive out rogue traders. It’s encouraging that the Grenfell Tower inquiry report supports this drive, as has the RIBA. The FMB will be launching a new report in the House of Commons examining how licensing might operate so let’s hope it gets the attention it deserves.
There is lots of exciting and important work going on at the FMB. Small builders stand ready to tackle the challenges the construction sector faces. But they need support from decision makers and we’re here to back them all the way.
For further information on FMB news and campaigns visit News and campaigns | FMB, Federation of Master Builders.
