Member

Beyond the legal and regulatory hurdles lies a deeper challenge: economic viability and confidence. Housebuilding has been weakened, not only by the planning constraints but by the economic uncertainty in recent years. The Home Builders Federation’s State of Play report makes this clear. Some 67% of respondents said that the business environment itself is now a major barrier to delivery, while 89% report being less optimistic about their prospects than before the 2024 general election. The increasingly complex and costly taxation and regulatory framework is cited as the third-largest barrier to getting homes built. The industry itself is willing to build but finds itself constrained by uncertainty, instability, and the absence of a clear and consistent growth strategy.