Seven in 10 housebuilders want a Labour government, research has revealed.
A poll of 50 residential developers by property consultancy Knight Frank found that more than two-thirds would like sir Keir Starmer’s party to win the forthcoming general election.
Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak has indicated that he is likely to send Britons to the ballot boxes in the second half of this year.
As campaigning got underway in earnest, Labour last year promised a “blitz” of planning reform alongside delivery of the “biggest boost to affordable housing in a generation” and fast-track approval of homes on urban brownfield sites.
Starmer told the party faithful at their annual conference last autumn: “Where there are good jobs, where there is good infrastructure, where there is good land for affordable homes… we will get shovels in the ground and cranes in the sky.”
Sunak’s Tories have, meanwhile, been frustrated in their attempts to scrap EU-era nutrient neutrality laws they say would unblock the delivery of 100,000 homes.
Just three in 10 housebuilders polled said they wanted the Conservatives to remain in power for another term.
Charlie Hart, head of development land at Knight Frank, said: “There is clearly mounting frustration among housebuilders, and growing demand for practical solutions over political promises.
“Housebuilders are facing planning and political constraints right now and, unfortunately, there’s a lack of trust in the current system due to the absence of coherent long-term strategy and insufficient land supply.”
He added: “Ahead of the March Budget, housebuilders will be waiting to see if the government’s policy dial will shift. Indeed, this announcement will be an important test of whether the Conservatives can assuage housebuilder concerns.”
Article from Construction News