Mike Reader, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment and Member of Parliament for Northampton South on why more needs to be done to drive quality in housing
Concerns about the quality of the homes we will build in the coming years are real and pressing. Delivering on the government’s ambition of 1.5m homes in this parliament can be a legacy of which future generations are proud. That will only happen if quality is woven through every decision – in policy, planning, design, delivery and, crucially, aftercare.
The latest report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment, which I chair, was published in March, setting out practical recommendations to help achieve that goal. It reflects evidence from across the sector and a shared recognition that quality must sit at the heart of delivery, not be treated as a secondary concern once targets are set.
Once-in-a-generation opportunity
At the heart of the report is a simple conviction: ambition is not the enemy of quality. Government will invest nearly £4bn a year in new affordable housing. This is an unprecedented commitment, but the outcome must not be soulless estates or homes plagued by defects. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity that cannot be squandered.
Government has been clear in its intentions: planning guidance states that new homes and neighbourhoods should promote wellbeing, sustainability and a sense of place. Yet too often these aspirations are not translated into reality. Safeguarding high standards will require firm resolve and better oversight.
We were conscious in our inquiry that delivering 1.5m homes over this parliament appears extremely challenging, particularly when completions are already falling short.
While this report can only touch on the many barriers raised with us – from utilities constraints to escalating costs, site viability challenges and suppressed demand linked to limited access to affordable mortgage lending – it is clear that progress depends on the government driving forward reforms already in train.
Unlocking the planning system, speeding up funding for affordable housing and enabling councils to build again will be essential if the industry is to get close to this target. The private sector faces its own difficulties: viability is squeezed by rising costs and regulatory requirements, while demand has weakened. Targeted support for first-time buyers may be needed, though we remain mindful of the risk of inflating prices.
We were encouraged to hear that many housebuilders have upped their quality thresholds and that customer satisfaction levels are improving. But buyers still report dissatisfaction with the performance of their homes and with the response they receive when things go wrong. This is not acceptable.
All new homeowners are entitled to swift and fair redress. We therefore welcome the extension of the New Homes Ombudsman to cover all buyers and urge the government to set out a clear timetable for implementation.
Avoiding defects must be as much a priority as resolving them. Better supervision on site, alongside minimum inspection requirements from independent third parties, would be a significant step forward. We also believe that post-occupancy evaluation should become routine practice. With environmental standards tightening, adopting a “soft landings” approach will help close the performance gap and support residents.
Meeting these ambitions will also require a step-change in how we train and retain people in the industry. It is deeply concerning that around half of construction apprentices fail to complete their training. Initiatives such as the NHBC’s training hubs are encouraging, but the scale of the challenge demands a more fundamental rethink.
Raise standards across the board
Design, too, must be treated as a key requirement, not an optional extra. We welcome the announcement of three new towns, but the high levels of design quality being promised cannot be the sole preserve of flagship projects. Standards must rise across the board, particularly as local authorities face increasing pressure to meet housing targets while lacking the capacity to challenge developers effectively.
Government has signalled its ambition for high quality placemaking through recent planning and design consultations. The priority now is delivery. Appointing a chief planner with a strong design background and ringfencing a proportion of developer contributions for green infrastructure are practical steps that could help embed quality.
The evidence is clear: where we live has a profound impact on our health and wellbeing, and good design is valued by home buyers. Poor quality, by contrast, drives complaints, undermines trust and damages reputations.
Our report aims to advance all aspects of housebuilding quality and set out practical solutions to help deliver the homes we need. It is in everyone’s long-term interest not only to aspire to do better but to ensure that we deliver on that ambition.
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