The latest National House Building Council (NHBC) registration figures, revealing private sector new homes fell by 20% in 2023, highlight that not enough is being done to tackle the lack of new homes being delivered, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB said: “The decline in housing delivery shown in the latest NHBC new home registration figures come as little surprise to those in the industry. However, it is positive through to see a slight rise in the number of affordable homes being delivered. The data shows that new home registrations were down by as much as 44%, when compared to 2022 figures. Britain is in the midst of a housing crisis, and urgent government action is needed in order to arrest this ongoing decline and make 2024 a year of recovery.”
Brian Berry concluded: “It’s also disappointing to see that bungalow delivery is down 53% on last year as these homes will be vital for the older generation and were once a mainstay of smaller builders. The forthcoming Budget next month is an opportunity for the Chancellor to address the housing crisis by providing additional resources to boost local authority planning teams and carry out a review of the burden the current planning system places on small builders.”
