London’s house building industry needs to be much more open to competitiveness and diversity if the number of new homes needed in the capital is to be delivered, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Brian Berry, FMB Chief Executive, said: “The London Assembly Housing Committee’s call to the Mayor of London to use his power to enable greater competition and diversity in the London house building market is a welcome initiative, because we desperately need more smaller house builders to deliver a wider variety of homes.
“The Mayor has been right to set ambitious targets for the number of new homes London needs to build. If this is to be achieved, it will require utilising the full capacity of the small and medium-sized house building sector. As the Housing Committee has rightly recognised, breaking larger sites down into smaller parcels is one way in which public authorities can support a healthier, more diverse house building industry.
"We are also very pleased to see the Housing Committee making clear that the Mayor must avoid acting in a way which reduces competition in the market. The London Development Panel is worryingly exclusive, involving only 25 large contractors and house builders.
"It is extremely important that the Greater London Authority (GLA) finds more flexible and dynamic framework arrangements, with streamlined processes, which will allow smaller firms fair access to public sector land.”