New research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has found that two thirds of SME housebuilders have not seen any significant changes to their project pipelines as a result of Brexit.
The survey of 108 SME housebuilders found that two thirds (68.92%) of firms are yet to see any changes to their businesses resulting from the referendum.
A further 21.62% stated that a project they had been involved with has been delayed or put on hold and only 9.46% said a project they were involved with had been cancelled.
Commenting on the figures, Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “SME housebuilders are crucial to achieving the Government’s ambition to build one million homes by 2020, so Ministers will no doubt be bolstered by these initial post-Brexit findings.
“Only just over one quarter of small housebuilders have seen any negative effect on their projects from the Brexit decision, and most of these are the result of delayed decisions rather than actual project cancellations.”
When asked What would be the most important thing for your business for the UK Government to secure as part of the country’s departure from the EU 55.41% pointed to unnecessary regulation as a top priority while 21.62% said that ensuring sufficient skilled tradespeople from the EU are still able to work in the UK was a key concern.
Berry continued: “Brexit aside, we should not paint an overly rosy picture of the situation facing SME housebuilders. The barriers to building that existed prior to the referendum are still hindering delivery, and as the housing crisis continues to be a pressing concern, the need to empower smaller developers must be a priority for Theresa May’s Government.
“To this end, it’s worth noting that more than half of SME housebuilders state that the removal of unnecessary red tape should be the most important consideration for the new Government as they begin to negotiate the UK’s exit from the EU.”
