Home Builders Federation

In this compelling episode of Blighty Talks Bricks, I welcome Stewart Baseley, Chairman of the Home Builders Federation (HBF), for a wide-ranging discussion on the housing industry, leadership, and navigating change. Stewart provides a seasoned perspective on the current state of the property market, unpacking key challenges like government regulations, housing supply, and market trends. He also reflects on his distinguished career, sharing valuable lessons from his journey to becoming a leading figure in the industry. The conversation also touches on the human side of leadership, as Stewart discusses the importance of mental health. Whether you’re passionate about property, interested in leadership stories, or curious about the future of housing, this episode delivers inspiration and insights from one of the industry’s most respected voices. Watch now: https://lnkd.in/eHTq9-_7 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/eTRQpQ-9

Earlier this week, our Chief Executive Neil Jefferson, joined BBC News to discuss the pressing challenges in the UK housing sector, particularly the shortage of skilled workers. While these issues won’t be solved overnight, significant efforts are underway across the industry to create lasting solutions. ➡️ On training and apprenticeships, Neil highlighted the work the industry is doing to support those who want to join the industry, including establishing hubs to train apprentices and trainees on-site. ➡️Neil emphasised the importance of improving building colleges to “ensure we’re getting more people converting from education into the industry.” ➡️Neil pointed out the growing role of technology, stating, “Many of the largest builders in this country now have factories where they produce panels to go into homes, which reduces the need for so many construction workers.” #Housing #Construction #SkillsDevelopment #Apprenticeships

During yesterday’s House of Lords debate on ‘Building the Homes We Need’, Lord Lansley raised a crucial issue of the ongoing challenge of uncontracted affordable homes due to the lack of agreements with registered providers. He noted our recent Section 106 report, highlighting that 17,000 affordable homes are currently in this position, impeding progress in meeting housing needs. He also mentions HBF's call for a Written Ministerial Statement that would encourage local planning authorities to use cascade mechanisms under Section 106 agreements to promote the delivery of these affordable homes and asks the Government to respond to the findings of our report.  Baroness Taylor of Stevenage acknowledged the Government's response, particularly the new clearing service launched by Homes England to address these barriers. This approach offers a clear path to unlocking stalled Section 106 affordable homes, which are critical to addressing the housing crisis. It is essential that home builders, local authorities, and Homes England work together to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing. #AffordableHousing #Section106 #HousingCrisis

Great to see Carlene and Carole selected as mentees for the inaugural mentorship programme of the I am a Housebuilder initiative.   Both Carlene Brooks and Carole Williams previously participated in our Women into Home Building programme. 👍

A lack of bids from Registered Providers is making it increasingly difficult to fulfil S106 Affordable Housing requirements, leaving the future supply of this much-needed tenure under threat. To better understand the scale of the problem, we conducted a survey in March 2024, which found that nearly 13,000 S106 units (12,888) with detailed planning permission were uncontracted. Since then, anecdotal reports have indicated that the situation remains critical, prompting us to conduct a follow-up survey in October 2024. The results of this research, published today, reveal: 👇 🔸 At least 17,432 Section 106 affordable housing units with detailed planning permission remain uncontracted. 🔸 Across the country, 139 home building sites are currently delayed due to uncontracted Section 106 units.

A lack of bids from Registered Providers is making it increasingly difficult to fulfil S106 Affordable Housing requirements, leaving the future supply of this much-needed tenure under threat. To better understand the scale of the problem, we conducted a survey in March 2024, which found that nearly 13,000 S106 units (12,888) with detailed planning permission were uncontracted. Since then, anecdotal reports have indicated that the situation remains critical, prompting us to conduct a follow-up survey in October 2024. The results of this research, published today, reveal: 👇 🔸 At least 17,432 Section 106 affordable housing units with detailed planning permission remain uncontracted. 🔸 Across the country, 139 home building sites are currently delayed due to uncontracted Section 106 units.

"A study found 17,400 affordable homes in England and Wales with planning permission could not be built because housing associations did not have the financial capacity to bid for them" 🖊️ Jack Simpson for The Guardian

SME home builders play a vital role in addressing the housing crisis yet the constraints on housing delivery have placed considerable strain on many small businesses over the past few years. While recent planning changes have been positive, various factors affect housing supply therefore Government will need to pull additional policy levers if it is to achieve its ambitious housing target.

Our Planning Director, Samuel Stafford, spoke to Channel 4 News yesterday following the Government announcement of new planning rules under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). ➡️He discussed the "Brownfield first" approach to development, emphasising the Government's commitment to prioritising previously developed land for new housing. ➡️He also delved into the updated Grey Belt definition, which clarifies the relationship between Previously Developed Land and other Grey Belt land. This aims to provide clear, separate tests for development, focusing on areas that don’t significantly contribute to preventing urban sprawl or preserving historic settings. ➡️Additionally, he highlighted the considerations for Green Belt development. These reforms are a major step toward addressing the housing crisis and delivering 1.5 million new homes.

“The swift moves to address the constraints in the planning system are welcome and underline the Government’s commitment to increasing housing delivery, but further policy interventions are needed if we are to meet the ambitious target." 🖊️ Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive of the Home Builders Federation   The Government has published updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including:   👉 new immediate mandatory housing targets for councils 👉 increased home building targets for areas with the highest unaffordability for housing and greatest potential for growth 👉 'stronger action' to ensure councils adopt up-to-date local plans or develop new plans that work for their communities 👉 A new 'common-sense approach' to the greenbelt, requiring councils to review their greenbelt boundaries to meet targets, identifying and prioritising lower quality ‘grey belt’ land      While the announced updates are welcome, we must not lose sight of the need to address the wider barriers affecting the market, including the lack of affordable mortgage lending and support for first-time buyers, uncontracted affordable homes, and the nutrients issue that has 160k homes blocked.