Sean Keyes, CEO of Sutcliffe, reacts to the CMA’s Housebuilding Report:

“The UK has faced challenges in meeting the escalating demands for new homes. Despite consistent advocacy for increased social housing, the current pace of new home construction remains insufficient, leaving us falling short of the pressing demands for housing. The recent report from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) serves as a stark reminder, with less than 250,000 new homes built last year across the UK, significantly below the required 300,000 target for England alone. 

The urgency to build more homes is paramount, but the speed at which this housing is required to meet demand, cannot be a detriment to the quality standards. It is crucial to prioritise quality to ensure they last for at least 60 years – a point underscored by the CMS report. 

In recent years, Sutcliffe has played a significant role in designing over 20,000 homes, with a focus on ensuring gold-standard quality housing and complete engineering excellence. However, it is not surprising that the number of homeowners reporting issues has seen an increase as there is a clear skill shortage in the industry as 240,000 skilled workers have left the industry. We need more apprentices and Sutcliffe genuinely cares about building sustainable communities and delivering quality homes for people to live in.”