Small companies are being put off from house building because of the number of delays and rising costs. But small companies avoiding this sector means that the attempts to meet the housing demand in Britain is being slowed. Research has been carried out by NHBC Foundation which suggests that some smaller builders are having to go through what is described as “deeply frustrating” delays on house building projects. The research uncovered that some builders are waiting more than a year just on local authority planning approval. These types of delays aren’t really sustainable for some small companies, so it could be easier to not venture in to that sector in future. The research has also revealed that almost 80% of small builders were having to contend with a significant increase in the fees that are related to planning over the course of the last two years. The NHBC Foundation has published their data in a report in which the experiences of nearly 500 small companies that are usually involved in the construction of less than 10 homes each year. This report emphasizes that the number of small companies that are involved in house building is still declining. The data showed that 12% of the market share are small companies in 2015. In 2008, the figures stood higher at 28% of the market share. The Government made a pledge earlier this year that there would be radical and lasting reforms to tackle Britain’s housing shortage. These reforms include speeding up the planning system and making it more accessible as well as increasing the level of support for smaller and more innovative companies. The research that has been produced by the NHBC is important for highlighting the problems faced in the production of houses. Although the planning process is necessary to make sure that houses are built in a considerate and safe way, however the increasing cost and complexity of a vital process means that companies are steering clear of the market.

NHBC has launched its Health and Safety Awards 2017 with house builders throughout the UK being encouraged to enter. The NHBC Health and Safety Awards are now in their eighth year and are the only competition exclusively for house builders. The awards honour house builders who have shown outstanding dedication to health, safety and welfare and help to raise standards by demonstrating and sharing best practice. Overall, more than 450 winning sites have been put through the robust judging process since the competition began with more than 4000 judging visits completed. Some of the important attributes that judges look for during visits to sites are: an infrastructure that supports the site manager in Health and Safety matters, a well-trained site manager and effective planning for Health and Safety before a project commences. NHBC Health and Safety Operations Manager, Tom Kitchen, looked ahead to next year’s awards by saying: “Since 2009, NHBC’s Health and Safety Awards have been rewarding the very best health and safety practices across the UK house-building industry. “Success in these awards offers site managers and their companies the chance of national recognition as well as the opportunity to share best practice amongst peers and colleagues. We look forward to receiving plenty of entries from builders of all sizes over the coming months.” In spring next year, the top scoring sites will be recognised with a Commended award and these winners will then compete for Highly Commended, National Runners Up and National Winners’ awards to be announced at a ceremony in summer 2017. All NHBC registered builders who are actively involved in the building of new homes will be able to enter the awards. NHBC is the UK’s leading independent standard-setting body and provider of warranty and insurance for new homes. Our purpose is to work with the house-building industry to raise the standards of new homes and to provide protection for homebuyers in the form of Buildmark warranty and insurance.

Almost 250 leading figures in the Welsh house building industry gathered at NHBC’s 36th Pride in the Job Regional Awards ceremony in Cardiff City Hall on Friday, September 2. Regional award winners John Greggain from L Greggain & Co Ltd (small category), Dale Dickenson from Llanmoor Homes (medium category) and Steve Northam from Taylor Wimpey South Wales (large category), were chosen from over 16,000 UK site managers, and recognised at the ceremony held at Cardiff City Hall. Another eight sites were awarded Seals of Excellence, while the Regional award winners will now go on to compete for the Supreme Awards to be announced next January. These awards are known as the ‘Oscars of the House Building Industry’ and to win an award is an exceptional achievement. For 36 years, NHBC has rewarded the UK’s best site managers in delivering the high quality of homes that the country needs. NHBC is the leading new home warranty provider in the UK and the group’s Regional Director, Paul Edwards, congratulated them on their win. Edwards commented: “Pride in the Job is now firmly established as a significant proof of distinction for the best site managers in the UK. The fact that winners are automatically entered into the competition based on the results of their work onsite is a huge endorsement for all winners. “It’s been a tough year of judging starting way back in July 2015 and it’s a long hard road to win a Pride in the Job Award. The Awards recognise site managers who know how to go one stage better, whose hard work ensures we live in high quality homes and rewards dedication and expertise.” He added that last year NHBS registered almost 4,700 new homes in Wales and site managers played a crucial role in the delivery of these homes.