Housebuilders Want ‘Broken Planning System’ Fixed

One in three housebuilders want the ‘broken’ planning system fixed to boost construction activity, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to the government’s consultation on the Planning White Paper. The FMB asked SME housebuilders what was the one thing that the government could do to help them reach pre-coronavirus levels of activity and one in three singled out reform of the planning system. This figure emerges against a background of a marked decline in the number of small housebuilders. In the 1980s 40% of all new homes were built by SME housebuilders but that figure has now plunged to just 12%. Read more on the pbctoday website.

https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/planning-construction-news/planning-white-paper/84603/

Builders Workloads Increase Due To Home Improvements

New data shows that 47 per cent of builders saw an increase in their workloads during the summer months. According to the Federation of Master Builders’ State of Trade Survey, 42 per cent of respondents* predict that their workloads will be higher in the autumn. The report says that total workload stayed in “negative territory” for builders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. “Expectations for future workloads are not optimistic, with respondents noting low levels of enquiries. Expected workload for the period September to October is relatively strong,” states the report. Read more on the Planning Portal.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/news/article/735/planning_news_-_15_october_2020?utm_source=PPQ+Newsletter&utm_campaign=d84ea32f7b-Newsletter_11072019_HTML_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_734e0b63a9-d84ea32f7b-7266185#one

Housebuilders ‘More Optimistic’ For Year Ahead

Workloads for small building companies fell in the final quarter of 2019 but builders are more optimistic for 2020 according to a recent survey from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). According to reports, in the three months to December 2019 builder’s workloads fell into negative territory with around 21% of firms reporting lower workloads, 5% higher than the previous quarter. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/housebuilders-more-optimistic-for-year-ahead/

Social House Building Programme Could Stave Off Economic Downturn

A national programme of social house building could help stave off the economic downturn brought about by a No Deal Brexit, a survey says. The Federation of Master Builders surveyed construction SMEs on the top five interventions the new PM could make should the UK crash out of the EU. A quarter of respondents opted for embarking on a national programme of social house building. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/social-house-building-programme-could-stave-off-economic-downturn/

Workloads For Small Builders Dip For First Time In Six Years

SME construction firms – pitched as crucial to hitting the government’s 300,000 homes a year target – have seen workloads dip for the first time in six years, according to latest research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). But the FMB State of Trade survey for Q1 hints at strengthened expectations for the future with 41% of construction SMEs forecasting higher workloads over the coming three months – up from 33% in Q4 2018. In the immediate term the survey shows that the array of problems for small, local builders have taken their toll to put the sector in negative territory as more respondents stated lower workloads (29%) compared with the final three months of 2018 (13%). Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/workloads-for-small-builders-dip-for-first-time-in-six-years-warns-fmb/

Problems Mounting For Builders, According To FMB Survey

Growth in the construction industry could be held back by a weakening housing market, rising costs and an increasingly nervous banking sector. The Federation of Master Builders latest State of Trade Survey showed that workloads for construction SMEs grew in Q4 2018. Despite this, there are “serious concerns” about the mounting problems facing small building firms, including:

• 42% of builders have detected signs of a weakening housing market
• One in five construction SMEs have had projects stalled in the past three months

• Carpenters overtake bricklayers as the trade in shortest supply

• 87% of builders anticipate that material prices will rise further in the next six months

• Two-thirds (66%) of construction SMEs expect wages and salaries to increase over the next six months

Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/problems-mounting-for-builders-according-to-new-fmb-survey/

Calls For Councils To Pursue Joint Ventures After Borrowing Cap Scrap

Councils have been urged to seek out joint ventures with local housing associations by LGA Chairman, Lord Porter. Issuing the call via Twitter, Lord Porter said: “Start your conversations with your best local members of National Housing Federation to see about doing JV deals to use the new headroom.” He added: “Also start talking to the Federation of Master Builders about contracts to build. We don’t have time to waste reinventing the wheel.” Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/calls-for-councils-to-pursue-joint-ventures-after-borrowing-cap-scrap/

90% Of MPs Back Converting Empty Spaces Above Shops Into Housing

Research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) entitled ‘Homes on our high streets’, shows MPs believe converting empty spaces above shops could have a number of positive consequences. The findings show 94% of MPs believe this could reverse the housing shortage in their constituency, an issue that was felt on the doorstep in the election back in June. 89% of MPs say it could boost local growth in their area and 86% of MPs think it could have a positive impact on the vibrancy of their town centres. Read more on 24housing.

New Report Finds Optimism Amongst Builders

Key results from the FMB’s State of Trade Survey for Q1 2017 have found there is some optimism from builders. The findings include:

•    UK construction SME workloads increased more significantly than at any time since Q2 2016, ie the quarter immediately prior to last June’s EU referendum

•    One in two construction SMEs predict rising workloads in the coming months, with just 5% predicting a decrease in activity

•    85% of builders believe that material prices will rise in the next three months

•    58% of firms are struggling to hire carpenters, a post financial crisis high.

Read more on the FMB website.

Delivering More Homes Through Small Sites

New research produced by the FMB and the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) has revealed some of the barriers to developing small sites and makes a set of practical recommendations on how local authorities and SME builders can work together to overcome these. Among findings, the surveys found that:

·         87% of local authorities said that they did not think the Government would reach its housing targets with current resourcing levels.

·         79% of SME builders think the planning application for small sites is ‘too heavy-handed’

·         55% of local authorities said that the quality of planning applications for small sites is often poor

·         80% of SME builders said that local authorities in their area do not proactively communicate or engage with them

Download the report from the FMB website.

Brexit Could Worsen Construction Skills Crisis

The UK’s decision to quit the European Union could worsen the construction skills crisis the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has warned. “The UK construction industry has been heavily reliant on migrant workers from Europe for decades now – at present, 12% of the British construction workers are of non-UK origin. The majority of these workers are from EU countries such as Poland, Romania and Lithuania and they have helped the construction industry bounce back from the economic downturn when 400,000 skilled workers left our industry, most of which did not return,” said FMB chief executive Brian Berry. “It is now the Government’s responsibility to ensure that the free-flowing tap of migrant workers from Europe is not turned off.” Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

400k Homes At Risk From Skills Shortage

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has warned that the skill shortage in the construction industry could scupper George Osborne’s “bold” housing plan to deliver 400,000 new homes.  A headline pledge in his Autumn Statement, the Chancellor made housing a key part of his vision, but also made it clear that the Government sees little housing need beyond the crisis in home ownership. But regardless of the politics of the matter, homes – whether to buy or rent – must be built and that needs the people with the necessary skills. But the construction industry faces a growing skills gap, as the FMB reminded in the wake of the announcements. “’George the Builder’ will need a new generation of ‘real’ builders to make his vision for housing a reality,” said Brian Berry, the FMB’s chief executive. Read more on the FMB website.

Housing Crisis: 1m Construction Workers Needed

The UK needs to create one million more construction jobs over the next five years if house-building targets are to be met, according to a new report. The study was released as the Government moves to realise a lofty ambition of building one million new homes by 2020 - aided by relaxing planning laws - with a focus on more affordable homes. But the drive to get more shovels at-the-ready to ease the UK's housing shortage has been met with complaints from the construction industry that a lack of skilled staff is hampering development. Underlining the sense of urgency was the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), which said the skills shortage was becoming more acute rather than improving. Thousands of top labourers, who lost their jobs and headed abroad to find work during the financial crisis, have not returned while apprenticeships are falling short of requirements. Read more on the Sky News website.

Construction-Sector Recovery at Risk from Skills Shortage

A shortage of bricklayers, carpenters and site managers threatens to derail the construction sector’s recovery, an industry group has warned after fresh evidence of recruitment struggles at building companies. The Federation of Master Builders said its latest poll of small and medium-sized (SME) construction firms found employment picked up for the sixth quarter running and the growth was expected to continue over the coming three months. But about half of the 400 or so companies surveyed said they were struggling to recruit bricklayers. Brian Berry, the chief executive, said a skills shortage continued “to loom large over our industry. Almost half of construction SMEs are struggling to recruit adequate numbers of bricklayers, with others finding it increasingly hard to hire carpenters and joiners, site managers and supervisors.” Read more on the Guardian website.

Brick and Brickie Shortages Threaten Housing Targets

Increasing shortages of bricklayers and bricks threaten to undermine ambitious housebuilding plans laid out by politicians ahead of the election, a leading construction industry group has warned. All the main parties have sought to assure voters they will tackle Britain’s chronic housing shortage but the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) says its members are already struggling to get the skills and materials they need to meet demand. Half of small- and medium-sized (SME) builders are finding it difficult to recruit bricklayers, according to the FMB. Two in five say they are struggling to source certain types of bricks, with some being asked to wait up to six months for new stocks from suppliers. Read more on the FMB website.

Green Deal Change Unlikely To Boost Take Up, Says FMB

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) says changes to the Green Deal loan system the company providing funds for the programme are little more than tinkering at the edges and are unlikely to boost take-up.  The Green Deal Finance Company (GDFC) said last week that it would stop including early repayment charges in Green Deal plans immediately, and called on providers to “look favourably” on waiving any such charges that may have been included in plans that have already been purchased. The GDFC says it has listened to feedback and believes removing the charges will simplify the system. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

Housing Demand to Top Supply by 500,000 Units

Demand for new housing will outstrip supply by over half a million units by 2015 which is equivalent to the size of Birmingham. This is startling conclusion from a new report, 'Tackling the Housing Crisis', from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The report also reveals that the number of small house builders is at the lowest since 1982 because of escalating costs and regulatory burdens. Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs at the FMB said: For too long the housing problem has been overlooked with the result that a person buying a house on their own now needs to be near the top 10% of earners in the country and this problem is only going to get worse until the Government takes drastic action to revive private house building. While bank lending is a massive problem so is the Government’s failure to reduce the burden on house builders that continues to make many developments too expensive to build, especially for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).” Download a copy of the report from the FMB website.