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Housing Minister makes changes
In her first speech as housing minister, Beckett (pictured) stressed her support for housebuilders and her willingness to hear ideas from the industry.
Ms Beckett also said that the government was absolutely committed to supporting the industry and to listening to house builders concerns, and that she was looking to develop a ‘progressive’ relationship with an industry that she acknowledged had been hit hard in the recent economic downturn.
House Builder’s Federation (HBF) executive chairman Stewart Baseley told representatives from the house building sector that the industry was at a ‘crossroads’ in terms of housing delivery.
He said that that the ‘cash cow’ model of recent years that relied on rising land prices would in the future no longer be able to support the growing ‘wish-list of social objectives’ as in the past.
He warned that to expect it to do so would result in much needed housing delivery being reduced. “Tough decisions will have to be made, if the government wants to achieve its social objectives and see significant housing volume increases once the economy and housing market pick up.’
“I am experienced enough to know that the economy, like the housing market, was cyclical and it will emerge from the current downturn at some point.
“Ongoing discussions about regulation and future policy needed to take in to account the fact that reduced land prices would mean that in the future land owners and home builders would not be able to bear such a significant proportion of the cost of these items, however worthy they may be,” added Mr Baseley.
The HBF stressed that more needed to be done to assist the housing market, including action to ensure banks starts lending again, further interest rate cuts, facilitation of the transfer of homes from the private to the public sector and action to protect apprentices, which will be vital for housing delivery in the future.
To read Margaret Beckett’s speech in full, visit www.communities.gov.uk/speeches/corporate/homebuildersfederation2008
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