The government’s ‘Planning Reform Working Paper: Reforming Site Thresholds’ proposes a ‘Medium’ sized site threshold of 10 to 49 homes, a definition which has won considerable plaudits across the small and medium sized (SME) housebuilding industry. However, the definition also includes a maximum area measurement of 1 hectare area size, which SME housebuilders express as […]
Welsh government has published the draft Planning (Wales) Bill, marking a significant step forward in the consolidation of Welsh planning legislation. The Bill aims to consolidate planning law in Wales by bringing together provisions from the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, along with more recent legislation, such as the Planning Act 2008, the Planning […]
A critical shortage of skilled workers is jeopardising the government’s pledge to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029, according to a new report by skills development organisation City & Guilds. The research, which surveyed employers, training providers, and employees, has found that 76% of construction firms are struggling to recruit the skilled people […]
One year after the General Election, the Home Builders Federation (HBF) has released a progress report warning that, despite a positive start, housing delivery continues to fall and is well short of the levels needed to meet Government’s target of 1.5 million new homes. While early planning reforms have been welcomed by industry, the report […]
HMRC’s latest statistics are good news for the property market, as transactions are starting to climb back up after the distortion caused by the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) change, say leading audit, tax and business advisory firm, Blick Rothenberg. Mark Cunningham, a partner at the firm, said: “HMRC’s latest property statistics are a ray […]
Greater Manchester is ready to turn the tide on the housing crisis with its comprehensive plan to build new homes, connect communities to new jobs and opportunities, and drive up standards across the rental sector. By driving an increase in new homes across the region, including affordable, social and net zero housing, and by raising […]
The Construction Skills Mission Board (CSMB) held its first board meeting today (26 June 2025), where it set out a roadmap for recruiting 100,000 more construction workers a year by the end of Parliament. Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “The Construction Skills Mission Board (CSMB) is a recognition that construction […]
The announced formation of a National Housing Bank marked the latest in a pacey series of positive steps to boost housebuilding in England. It comes on the back of radical changes to ease the planning system with the new National Planning Policy Framework and follows hard on the heels of the Spending Review announcements on […]
In May 2025, the number of registered company insolvencies in England and Wales was 2,238, 8% higher than in April 2025 (2,053), and 15% higher than May 2024 (1,946). The construction industry experienced the highest number of insolvencies in the 12 months to April 2025 at 4,032, making up 17% of all industry cases. Commenting […]
The Prime Minister, Kier Starmer has announced the launch of ‘Extract’, an AI assistant developed by the government, alongside Google, designed for planning officers and local councils. Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) have been developing digital planning tools themselves, resulting in a sprawling mess […]
