SME House Builders play a vital role in the house building ecosystem, looking at smaller sites which would not be financially viable for the larger developers.
Sarah Edwards is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamworth and chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for SME House Builders
The government’s ambitious plans to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliament are a statement about the value of rebuilding communities. However, achieving these goals will not be possible if the focus is solely on the largest developers. SME House Builders play a vital role in the house building ecosystem, looking at smaller sites which would not be financially viable for the larger developers.
These sites, if not picked up by the smaller developers, would otherwise be left derelict and would be a missed opportunity in terms of achieving the government’s housebuilding goals. These smaller sites also play a vital role in forming new communities and re- building existing ones. Sites which have been left derelict and abandoned in communities across the country due to lack of necessary planning permissions foster antisocial behaviour and make our communities weaker. Expediting these planning permissions and getting houses built – often with new high quality public services and social space – strengthens communities and fosters growth and prosperity across the country. To build better lives it is vital to build better homes where people live and not to gentrify areas for incomers.
Additionally, smaller developers who look at these kinds of sites often have far shorter pipelines than the larger bulk developers and are able to get houses built at a much faster rate. The larger developers often hold onto land looking to build ever taller high rises on sites to maximise their profits. This is in stark contrast to the smaller developers who not only look at those sites which larger developers have little to no interest in but also have less ability to hold onto land in the hopes of eking out yet another small additional house. These shorter pipelines mean that more houses come online faster, thus making it easier to fulfill the government’s ambitious housing agenda. Delivering on more housing faster, eases social tension and thereby undermines populism.
However, SME house builders face a number of challenges which prevent them from being as effective as they can be in alleviating the worst of the housing crisis. The planning system still forces developers to jump through far too many hoops, prioritising a small minority of residents over the vast majority who want to see their children being able to afford homes and have opportunities in the areas they grew up. Access to suitable “grey eld” sites such as former filling stations, gives access to additional housing in rural communities and eases the pressure on Green Belt sites. SME builders are closer to their communities. Giving opportunities to young people to stay in their communities is vital in preserving local businesses, schools and health facilities.
The Labour Party today is building on the legacy of the Attlee Government that constructed a million homes over a period of six years, giving hope and a new life to those who celebrated VE Day in 1945. 80 years on, SME Builders can play a vital role in delivering the 1.5M homes needed to lift up our broken communities. It is more vital than ever to channel the enthusiasm and knowledge of our SME Builders so that the Government can achieve its ambition to x the issues which this country is facing and make it somewhere we can all be proud of.
All these reasons and more are why I am so proud to be chairing the All Party Parliamentary Group for SME House Builders which looks to highlight the issues which these businesses that are vital for growth and prosperity face. I would encourage all SME house builders from across the house to get involved in our work and help highlight the importance of SMEs in our aim of building 1.5 million homes. Just as I am encouraging parliamentarian colleagues to support SME Housebuilders, you can do the same by contacting your local MP and asking them to join us.
Left Foot Forward doesn't have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.