Speaking at a joint NFB and FMB fringe event at the Labour Party conference, Shadow Housing Minister Jack Dromey MP said a Labour government would build houses "on a grand scale" and get more SMEs involved in tackling the housing crisis.

Dromey also promised that Labour would "cut through the crap" around land availability.

The event was chaired by the social affairs journalist Hannah Fearn and other speakers included Councillor Tony Newman, Leader of Croydon Council Labour Group.

Julia Evans, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: "We need to free up house builders to build in the way we are freeing up house buyers to buy. Not all local communities are against new developments for future generations, but they would prefer smaller, more personal clusters that SMEs are best placed to provide, rather than huge developments. We let smaller house builders leave the industry at our peril."


Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), said: "It is smaller settlements across villages, towns and cities that are needed to tackle the housing crisis and it is SMEs that are needed to deliver this. Without the involvement of more SME house builders, there will not be enough capacity in the sector to deliver all of the new homes that are so badly needed. The problems with access to finance have not gone away for SME house builders, which is why we would like to see the Labour Party include a new finance vehicle to help house builders in their housing policy package."

(CD/MH)