February 2017
“It is reassuring that the highly anticipated Housing White Paper has recognised the need for change within local authorities to break down barriers to deliver the country’s housing supply.
“Further commitment from Government to develop a planning framework that supports higher levels of development will be welcomed by housebuilders.
“In particular, it’s encouraging to see an emphasis on the need for local authorities to have an up-to-date plan to deliver homes. If this is supported by the development of planning departments in councils, simplified plan making and more funding for infrastructure, opportunities for developers to deliver new homes will significantly increase.
“The number of small to medium developers in the UK dropped by 80% over the past 25 years and Story Homes was one of few to weather the effects of the recession and significantly expand in recent years. The pledge from Government to support SME developers – particularly with finance – will help to increase supply of homes as well as inject some competition into the marketplace which is currently dominated by a handful of large housebuilders.
“For the housebuilding industry, a commitment from Government to support the development of skills and training within the sector is very positive. It is critical that developers take responsibility for the growth of their own skills base. 2017 will be the second year of Story Homes’ apprenticeship programme. We found the scheme to be an integral part of our recruitment process in 2016 and we look forward to developing our young talent in future years.
“Finally, it was reassuring to see that the House White Paper appealed to communities to accept that more housing is needed if future generations are to have the homes they need. It is important for people to be involved in shaping the plans for their local area and an understanding of the need for more homes to meet demand will help local authorities and communities work together to tackle the housing shortage.
“At Story Homes we are pleased with the initiatives set out in the Housing White Paper and look forward to continued commitment from the Government to ensure homeownership is accessible for everyone in the future.”
– Our CEO, Steve Errington
