Insurance News Archive

FMB: Govt should relax planning to kick-start house building

Written by Michael Brown

Planning systems should be relaxed so that more housing developments can take place, according to an expert.

Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), said: "The government has argued that it has put some money into the housing and construction sectors, but it is not nearly enough to get the market back on its feet again."

His comments follow the release of statistics by the Department for Communities and Local Government, which showed that the number of housing starts in the first quarter of 2009 was up by 13 per cent compared to the previous three-month period.

Mr Berry said the figures were a "positive sign" for the sector, but were still low in terms of house building.

He added that the FMB would like to see the government invest in social housing to help the country build its way out of the recession, as there are currently five million people on council house waiting lists.

26 May 2009