Welcome BRIAN BERRY
H ousing is rising up the political agenda and we’re going to hear more about it in the coming months. With housing output falling below the Government’s stated aim of 300,000 new homes each year and consumers being shut out from the owner occupier market, something needs to be done. The FMB’s recent annual House Builders’ Survey reveals that planning tops the list of constraints holding back FMB house builders from building more homes, followed by restricted mortgages and availability of land. We’ve been feeding this information back to the Government and opposition in meetings with Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove MP and Housing Minister Lee Rowley MP. You can read more about the key findings from our latest survey on pages 22-25 and hear from our National President Chris Carr about the challenges being faced by SME house builders. What is clear is that no government is going to solve the ongoing housing crisis unless more SME house builders are encouraged and supported to enter the housing markets and that means simplifying the planning system, making more small sites available and bringing down interest rates. One of the key concerns affecting both the UK and our industry is the need to drive up productivity and economic growth. Given that construction contributes 9% of the UK’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs nearly 3 million people, it’s important the FMB does what it
One of the key concerns affecting both the UK and our industry is the need to drive up productivity and economic growth
can to support members to make them more competitive. On page 13, you can read about how FMB member Marun Construction Ltd manages the challenge of dealing with late payments. Changes to the FMB’s Find A Builder service and the launch of the new FMB app are two developments designed to help members in their business. It’s another step towards the digital revolution that is affecting all of our lives. In our Business Support section on page 18, we spell out how members will benefit from the new FMB app. On pages 16-17, find out how best to determine where to invest time and efforts in upskilling your team, and how to access funding from CITB. Apprentices are the future of the building industry so it’s good that on pages 26-29 we’re able to showcase some of the exciting young talent in the SME construction industry who won in the regions and nations FMB Master Builder Awards last year. Finally, if anyone needs inspiration to take on a new type of project, have a look on pages 14-15 at basketball team Caledonia Gladiators' new arena in East Kilbride, which was constructed by FMB member Eco-Construction Scotland. It was the first arena the company built, and it has been a big success. Happy reading!
BRIAN BERRY, Chief Executive Federation of Master Builders
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Master Builder
www.fmb.org.uk
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