'Generation Build' Needed For Housing Drive - FMB

Plans to replace 'Generation Rent' with 'Generation Buy' will only be possible if the Government enables house builders to boost the supply of new homes, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

The Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to launch a housing drive and build 200,000 'affordable' homes by 2020.

The PM plans to overhaul planning laws on 'affordable' housing to include low-cost 'starter homes'.


Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said to create a 'Generation Buy', the Government must first create a 'Generation Build'.

"This means having a more dynamic house building industry in which smaller firms and new entrants can prosper and grow, so that we can deliver small scale housing developments in every village, every town, and every city," he said.

"We also need to make use of previously-developed land to take the pressure off the green belt. It will also mean attracting a new generation of talented workers into the construction industry to overcome current skills shortages and meet the expanding demand for its services.

"These are both challenges and exciting opportunities and we look forward to working with the Government to make the Prime Minister's vision a reality."

(LM/CD)