The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has released a statement outlining a shared ambition to increase housing output between industry and the Government.

In its Statement of Intent, the organisation pledges to help deliver the Government's target of building one million homes by 2020.

The industry has experienced large increases in supply over the past two years, including:

• Build rates on large sites have doubled since 2010.

• Housing supply in 2014/15 reached over 180,000 (15/16 expected to be higher).

• The country's biggest builders have increased output by C60% since their ‘troughs.

• By 2019 big companies will be building double what they did in 2010.


Both the HBF and Government have been in discussions for a number of months to ensure this growth continues to rise.

Reforms to the Housing and Planning Bill 2015-16 are aimed at removing barriers in housing growth, while the industry has "pledged to continue to grow its businesses, invest more in training and provide more transparency around build out rates".

In addition, the HBF will develop a "land exchange" aimed at allowing larger builders to sell sites or parts of sites to smaller builders.

Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman of the HBF, said the industry has responded to "positive policies" introduced by Government over the past two years.

"All indicators clearly show the significant progress being made and last year we delivered more than 180,000 new homes in England," he said.

"Moving forward the industry is committed to going further, and provided that the political, economic and policy conditions are conducive, to deliver further increases in supply."

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis welcomed the commitment of the house builders to increase housing supply.

"Government has got the house builders building again," he said.

"This statement of intent shows house builders are committed to continuing the growth in supply we have seen under our administration – building more of the homes that this country needs."

(LM)