Following Sajid Javid’s appointment as home secretary, Theresa May has nominated James Brokenshire MP as the new secretary of state for housing, communities and local government.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, commented on the appointment explaining how small local house builders must remain a top priority.
Brian explains: “Sajid Javid passes the housing baton to James Brokenshire at a crucial time for the sector. We hope that Brokenshire will build on Javid’s good work, both in terms of raising the profile of housing as an issue at Cabinet level, and implementing some sound policies aimed at tackling the housing shortage.
“In particular, we are keen to work with the new Secretary of State to unleash the capacity of small local house builders. Last year’s Housing White Paper and the November Budget Statement that followed have given us a blueprint for change but now we need to get on and do it. We stand ready to help Brokenshire deliver the 300,000 new homes per year needed in England alone.”
The House Builders Association (HBA) has also called for James Brokenshire MP to promote the importance of SME house builders, calling for diversity in the market.
The HBA noted, that with a share of SME house builders witnessing an 80% decline over the last three decades, the number of home completions went down from 242,360 in 1988-89 to 178,450 in 2016-17.
Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the NFB commented: “SMEs have a crucial role in building communities and place-making across all regions of the UK, SMEs have a unique understanding of their local communities and smaller developments face less opposition.
“Carillion has, hopefully, taught us not to put too much faith in the market’s larger players delivering on public aspirations. A more diverse market that encourages SME participation is key to fixing the housing crisis.”
