Time is right for council house building ‘renaissance’, says FMB
Federation of Master Builders
Calls for a ‘national renaissance’ in council house building should be heeded in the wake of current economic uncertainty, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “The UK is suffering from a chronic shortage of homes and that’s as true now as it was before the UK voted to leave the EU. Although the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the scarcity of homes, builders will be waiting for signs that confirm that this isn’t mere rhetoric. Today’s call from the Local Government Association (LGA) for a ‘national renaissance’ in council house building is timely and we urge the Government to allow local government the freedom and support it needs to once again take a leading role in building new homes. At present, for every £1 spent on house building by the Government, roughly £4 is spent on housing benefit. By increasing public spend on house building, homes will become more affordable and at the same time, significantly decrease the housing benefit bill. With uncertainty beginning to weigh on the private sector, as evidenced by the negative construction statistics released earlier this week, support for a significant upscaling in social house building would send out a strong, reassuring message. Prevention is better than the cure and we believe that a commitment by the Government to crank up its programme of council house building would serve to ease any jitters in the building industry and the wider economy.”
