Housebuilders to give evidence to Lords housing demand inquiry

The session will cover challenges facing the sector, planning reforms, the quality and design of new homes, skills shortages and modern methods of construction. It will be streamed on Parliament TV.

At 10am the Committee will hear from:

• Brian Berry, Chief Executive Officer, Federation of Master Builders
• Clare Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Clarion Housing Group
• Andrew Wilford, Head of Planning, Esquire Developments Ltd

Questions the Committee is likely to ask include:

• Is the housebuilding industry able to meet housing demand? What barriers are facing the sector?
• How can the planning system be shaped to meet housing demand? What is your view of the Government’s proposed zone-based approach to planning? How does the availability of land affect the delivery of new housing?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Government’s proposed Infrastructure Levy to replace Section 106 Agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy?
• What can be done to increase the build quality of new homes? How might the introduction of design codes, alongside other standards, affect SME housebuilders
• Is the workforce equipped with the professional, digital and other skills required to meet housing demand, for example in the construction and design sectors? How can skills shortages be overcome?
• What are the main opportunities and areas of innovation to help meet housing demand?

More about this inquiry

The Built Environment Committee is considering the key factors shaping the type, tenure and quality of housing needed in the UK. It is looking at a range of challenges to meeting housing demand including skills shortages in the construction industry and some specific aspects of the planning system.

The Committee’s work can be followed on its website and via Twitter.

In its last session, the Committee took evidence from: Pooja Agrawal, Chief Executive Officer, Public Practice; Grant Butterworth, Head of Planning, Leicester City Council; Cllr Ed Turner, Deputy Leader of the Council, Oxford City Council. You can watch the session on Parliament TV.