The ‘Help to Build’ fund announced today will help a new generation of people build their own home, but small to medium-sized (SME) house builders need access to more small sites to help make their dreams a reality, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “I welcome today’s ‘Help to Build’ fund as a means to diversify the housing market and reversing the decline in small to medium-sized (SME) house builders. Without more SMEs building, the Government will not achieve its target of building 300,000 new homes a year. However, the Self and Custom Build Action Plan, also announced today, must include policies that unlock the supply of small plots of land to make prospective homeowners’ dreams a reality. With almost 1 in 2 (46%) SMEs saying that their output is hampered by a ‘lack of available and viable land’, local authorities must allocate more small sites in their local plans for incremental development. The Government must also urgently bring forward more funding for time-poor local authority planning departments to help them make decisions more quickly on planning applications.”
Berry concluded: “SMEs build beautiful and sustainable houses, and are best placed to help solve the housing crisis by building homes that people want to live in. Also central to the Government’s levelling-up agenda, SMEs train the majority of apprentices and recruit locally, so unlocking their potential will help create much-needed employment in communities across England.”
Notes to editors
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is the largest trade association in the UK construction industry representing thousands of firms in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Established in 1941 to protect the interests of small and medium-sized (SME) construction firms, the FMB is independent and non-profit making, lobbying for members’ interests at both the national and local level.
The FMB is a source of knowledge, professional advice and support for its members, providing a range of modern and relevant business building services to help them succeed. The FMB is committed to raising quality in the construction industry and offers a free Find a Builder service to consumers.
