UPDATE on original post: Our housing market is broken
Further comment on the Government’s housing white paper has come from Gavin White, product manager at Marley Eternit: “The proposals outlined in the Government’s White Paper are to be welcomed, as we all understand the significant demand for more housing. However, as always, the devil is in the detail and there are a number of areas raised in the proposals, which need greater clarity.
“While it’s clear there is a need for initiatives to speed-up construction timescales, what does this mean for sustainability? Little mention is given of this important topic and too much focus on build speed could be to the detriment of the environmental impact of the homes being built.
“Although there is mention of the need to address the skills shortage in construction, what does this mean in reality? As a manufacturer, we’re playing our part by offering training for roofers and development of easy-to-fit products, which not only help better use limited labour on site, but also play their part in speeding up construction. But, what’s needed to truly address this issue is industry-wide collaboration to encourage more apprentices into the construction sector.
“It’s also crucial that a focus on build timescales does not mean lower quality construction products are used just because they may be more readily available in shorter lead times. This is a short-term approach which could ultimately mean the homes built do not stand the test of time, particularly in extreme weather.
“The encouragement of modern methods of construction in housebuilding is certainly of interest and to be welcomed. The lightweight benefits of our fibre cement slates mean they are suited to off-site construction and this is certainly an area of building we’re seeing becoming more popular as it can help speed-up projects.
“Finally, with the shortage of skills we’re facing and the increased focus on addressing the lack of affordable housing, the construction industry should be cautious this does not drive a trend towards a more basic vernacular when it comes to roofing. As a manufacturer, we’re trying to play our part in helping prevent this by offering products which are easy-to-install and affordable but, achieve a premium aesthetic. We’ve seen products with these benefits prove to be particularly popular including our fibre cement slates and concrete interlocking tiles, Edgemere and Ashmore.”
Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB added: “I’m pleased that the White Paper recognises the potential for SMEs to deliver far more homes than they do currently. In addition, it accurately identifies the key barriers to them doing so as land, planning and finance. Of these, finding small sites and then getting planning permission is the greatest single barrier. In too many places, the approach to planning for new homes has come to be focused almost entirely on large sites and large scale delivery. This approach has slowed down the delivery of homes, and has helped shape an uncompetitive house building industry and an unresponsive supply of housing – this has to end.”
Berry continued: “There’s a proposal in the White Paper to take forward a presumption in favour of small scale development of sorts and this is a huge step forward. So too is the proposal to encourage permissions on so-called windfall sites, that is sites not allocated in local plans. Smaller windfall sites must be seen as critical elements in the supply of land and new housing, not as awkward add-ons. Furthermore, plans to boost resources for planning departments could be used to provide an adrenalin shot to a planning system which has been running on near-empty for too long now. The proposed 20% hike in planning fees, which will only apply where local authorities agree to invest the extra resources in planning, will get a cautious welcome from most small developers. If this can be shown to deliver observable improvements in planning services, then it would make a good case for further increases along the lines the White Paper suggests.”
Berry concluded: “There is much that is good and sensible in the White Paper so let’s use it as a launch pad for a real step change in delivery. Local authorities are set to be given more resources and more powers. However, the targets arising from the new housing delivery tests, against which councils will be measured, will not be met with a continued over-reliance on large developers and large sites. If a local authority fails to meet its targets it could lose control over its own planning policy and the threat of this should be provide the impetus for councils to push more small sites through the system. It is in everyone’s interest to see SMEs play a far greater role in house building and small sites are key to this.”
