THE WORD AT WESTMINSTER
WHAT’S UP AT WESTMINSTER?
The FMB takes your voice to the Prime Minister, writes FMB Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Jeremy Gray T he end of 2024 was a bumper period for the FMB and its relationship with the government. We have strengthened ties
The findings from FMB’s research highlights the importance of diversifying the housing market in Britain, which is currently dominated by a small number of volume builders, and the FMB will be working hard over the coming year to make sure that Housing Minister Pennycook delivers on what he’s said so far. Planning rules change… again Following what seems like a whirlwind consultation process, the changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) have been announced as part of the government’s plans to get new homes built. The government’s long-awaited announcement on planning reform is a welcome boost to build more homes, but the failure to increase the percentage of small site allocations from the existing 10 per cent is a big disappointment for micro housebuilders. Not revising the small site allocation in local plans is going to hinder SMEs who need land to build on, which members have been reporting as a blocker for years. The FMB wants the government to see these reforms as the start of the process to help diversify an increasingly volume-centric housing market. Small housebuilders are at the sharp end of the planning system, often having to jump through the same hoops as volume developers. This means the proposed 300 planning officers are a drop in the ocean. SME housebuilders frequently cite inadequate resourcing of planning departments and poor communication from them as the number one reason they can’t build new homes. We need to see this change – but an extra 0.7 planning officers per local authority won’t help.
with many departments, especially those dealing with skills, employment and housing. But to top it off, FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry attended a meeting with the Prime Minister Keir Starmer MP and other leading business representatives, where Starmer laid out his vision for the future, before unveiling it to the public the following day at Pinewood Studios. Starmer has made housebuilding a top priority and the FMB was there to represent builders – ensuring that the voices of those doing the work and delivering on the government’s growth agenda are heard. The FMB also met with Alison McGovern MP, the minister responsible for employment, to put across the case to make it easier for builders to access services such as job centres when looking for new staff. There are many people waiting to be employed in this country and they need to be able to access the construction industry for jobs, especially given the shortages in the workforce. Parliamentary Reception Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, was the headline speaker at the FMB’s Winter Parliamentary Reception in December last year, alongside Shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake MP.
UK Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook MP speaks at the FMB’s Winter Parliamentary Reception
stakeholders from across the construction industry packed out the room in the House of Lords for the launch of the FMB’s new research report in conjunction with LSE, titled, Supporting SME Housebuilders: Challenges and Opportunities . The Housing Minister spoke about the ambitious targets the new government has set to get Britain building more homes, but he was clear that more needs to be done to support small and medium-sized (SME) builders if these goals are to be reached.
FMB members, politicians and policymakers, and journalists and
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Master Builder
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