News03.03.254.15 PM by Grainne Cuffe

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Small and Medium-Sized (SME) House Builders has been restored with new leadership following its dissolution at the end of the last parliament.

The APPG will advocate for SME house builders (picture: Close Brothers Property Finance)

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Sarah Edwards, Labour MP for Tamworth, has been appointed as chair, and is the first woman to hold the position.

The APPG will advocate for SME house builders, “enabling them to play a more meaningful role in meeting the 1.5 million new homes target”. 

It will provide a dedicated forum for MPs, peers, industry leaders and policymakers to address the challenges facing SME house builders.

Mike Wood, Conservative MP for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire; Lord Peter Snape, former Labour MP for West Bromwich East; and Lord Ian Austin, former MP for Dudley North, were appointed officers. 

Ms Edwards, who sits on the Business and Trade Select Committee, will also focus on increasing gender diversity.

The group plans to focus on several issues including advocating for a more efficient, transparent and SME-friendly planning system, exploring ways to improve funding opportunities for smaller developers, and “ensuring the industry can attract and retain the skilled workers needed to build quality homes”.

It will also investigate modern, low-carbon construction methods to help meet environmental targets and look at addressing barriers to land access.

Ms Edwards said: “This is a sector that is ready to grow and can create jobs in constituencies like mine and right across the UK. 

“In my role as chair, I look forward to working with these businesses so that we can build the homes that families desperately need.”

Edwin de Silva, secretariat for membership of the APPG, said supporting SMEs is “critical” to achieving national housing targets. 

“We need to ensure that planning laws are reformed and SMEs are given the backing they need to thrive,” he said. 

Close Brothers Property Finance has been announced as the first industry partner to sign up to the APPG.

Its chief executive Phil Hooper said the “vital role” that SME house builders play in “building high-quality sustainable homes cannot be overstated”. 

“Close Brothers Property Finance is a proud advocate for SMEs and supports the APPG’s efforts to drive positive change within the industry, levelling the playing field for SMEs,” he added. 

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Picture: Alamy