Speaking at a landmark policy conference in central London today, HBF Executive Chairman, Stewart Baseley, will tell delegates that Britain’s home building industry has successfully addressed the key challenges levelled at it in the Barker Review of Housing Supply published three years ago. “Where once the industry simply reacted to political developments and expectations, we are now leading the agenda”, Stewart Baseley will say.
Customer satisfaction strategy (Recommendation 32):
Preliminary headline results from HBF’s second annual national survey, undertaken with NHBC, show that home builders have either maintained or improved the high level of customer satisfaction achieved in 2006:
76 per cent of respondents state that they are satisfied with the quality of their home
77 per cent of respondents state that they would recommend their builder to a friend
All other areas of questioning show that service levels either remain the same or show improvement
HBF has also developed a code of conduct and model contracts to meet higher customer satisfaction standards
Modern methods of construction (Recommendation 33):
HBF set up a Cross-industry Steering Group in 2004 to develop a strategy to address barriers to modern methods of construction. Reporting in February 2006, the group proposed the establishment of a ‘legacy body’ to implement its recommendations
HBF, in association with the National Centre of Excellence in Housing, has now formed the Housing Production Barriers Group, to be chaired by Rod MacEachrane. The Group will take a broader look at addressing barriers to achieving the Government’s target of 200,000 zero-carbon homes by 2016
Skills (Recommendation 34):
HBF launched an industry skills strategy, Skills for Homes, in February 2006. Under the strategy, HBF is promoting the Qualified Workforce Initiative and working to improve the structure of qualifications for residential site management
HBF is also in consultation with CITB to help develop new forms of apprenticeship to increase the number of apprentices entering the industry
Design (Recommendation 35)
HBF continues to promote good practice through the Building for Life Initiative in partnership with CABE.
HBF has formed a partnership with the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment. In February 2007, eleven new house building developments were personally commended by the Prince of Wales for their contribution to quality of life through design excellence. The schemes will be the benchmark for creating an industry-wide programme of design education to be delivered by the HBF.
Stewart Baseley will tell delegates at the conference:
“Kate Barker issued a series of challenges to the home building industry. Almost three years to the day since she published her seminal review of housing supply, I am delighted to demonstrate that Britain’s home building industry has successfully addressed the challenges she outlined.
“It is instructive to note that the industry has undergone a silent but undeniable evolution in the last few years. Where once the industry simply reacted to political developments and expectations, we are now leading the agenda. On the climate change challenge, for example, the HBF is working directly with the Government to establish and shape the right regulatory environment to deliver 200,000 new homes to zero-carbon performance standards by 2016.”
Notes to editors
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the principal trade federation for private sector home builders and voice of the home building industry in England and Wales. The HBF’s 300 member firms account for over 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies: www.hbf.co.uk
The HBF’s policy conference, A new agenda for home building, is taking place at One Great George Street on Tuesday 20 March more info
The Government’s consultation document, Building a greener future, can be found at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1505157
The extent of Britain’s housing undersupply:
The rate of household formation is set to increase by 23% over the next twenty years. If housing supply remains at 2005 levels, there will be a shortage of 50,000 homes each year across England (ODPM statistical release, household projection figures, 14 March 2006)
Accessibility to the housing ladder is 300% worse in 2006 than in 1996 (RICS Accessibility Index, 24 August 2006).
More than a third of all working households under 40 cannot now afford to buy a home even at the low end of the housing market. In the South of England, the situation is even worse, with half of all working households under 40 in this position (Joseph Rowntree Foundation research, 21 September 2006)
Seven out of ten of today’s ten year olds will not be able to afford to buy their own homes if current rates of homebuilding are continued (ODPM figures, 10 October 2005)
For media information, please contact:
Paul Boulter
020 7421 6140
07814 506378
paul.boulter@portlandpr.co.uk