Small Builders Are Starved Of Funding In the Help to Buy Boom

Britain's small builders are facing a major funding crisis that is threatening economic recovery and hitting hopes of delivering the new homes the country desperately needs. While big builders report booming business, independent construction firms that are vital to the industry are struggling to get money from the leading banks. There are almost a million independent construction firms, accounting for 20 per cent of all small and medium-sized companies.  But the latest Bank of England lending figures show that they account for a paltry 7 per cent of all bank lending to firms of a  comparable size. And, despite the recovery in construction, the figure is actually down from 11 per cent in 2011. Read more on the Daily Mail website.