BSRIA has responded to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Excellence in the Built Environment report: Commission of Inquiry into the Quality of New Built Housing in England.

The inquiry looked at the Quality of New Build Housing in England and examined the potential for improving every aspect of the product handed over to new home-owners. The key finding was that MPs have called for a New Homes Ombudsman to help drive up housebuilding quality and customer service.

This is one of 10 recommendations setting out measures to improve the quality of workmanship in new homes and provide consumers with easier and cheaper forms of redress, to get problems fixed. A cross-party committee of MPs and construction experts is now calling on government to take action.

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment (APPGEBE), in its report More homes, fewer complaints, launched on 13th July 2016, says house builders should be “upping their game” and putting consumers at the heart of the business model. Alongside this, Government should use its influence to promote quality at every opportunity.

BSRIA chief executive Julia Evans (pictured right) said: “Government is intent on seeing the construction of one million new homes within the course of this Parliament, but increasing the quantity of new homes must not be achieved at the expense of their quality. A New Homes Ombudsman would kick-start this process.

“It is clear that there is a quality gap between customer expectations and industry delivery. Closing this performance gap will only happen if housebuilders make a concerted effort to create a more consumer-focused culture. Builders providing buyers with a comprehensive information pack to improve design, building and inspection process transparency is key.”

Many recommendations were made including enabling buyers to inspect properties before completion to discourage builders from serving notices to complete prematurely, or concealing major defects until after they have received the full purchase price. In addition, builders should be required to provide buyers with a comprehensive information pack – the aim being to improve transparency of the design, building and inspection process.  The pack should contain information including, designs and plans, specifications and details about both warranty and building control inspections, when carried out and by whom.

More information about the Group, the Committee and the Inquiry can be found on http://cic.org.uk/services/inquiry-into-the-quality-of-new-build-housing-in-england.php