Industry reacts to election result

The industry has been reacting to Labour’s landslide win in the general election, with housebuilders hoping the new government will fulfil its various pledges on housebuilding.

Neil Jefferson, the Home Builders Federation’s chief executive, said: “We look forward to engaging with the new government on how we deliver its very welcome ambitions for housing delivery. Recent years have seen sharp falls in both the number of homes being built and the planning permissions being granted and there are some major barriers that need to be removed if we are to meet the challenge.

“We welcome the government’s commitments on planning. The recent weakening of the planning system and the lack of capacity in local authority planning departments are the current biggest constraint on delivery.

“We also need to see effective support for first-time buyers to address the lack of affordable mortgage finance, and workable solutions to the nutrients issue that is holding up around 160,000 homes.

“If government can create a pro-development policy environment the industry stands ready to deliver.”

Andy Hill OBE, the Hill Group’s ceo, said he looked forward to new prime minister Sir Keir Starmer fulfilling his election pledge to reform housing. He urged …