Sean Houlston, Head of Membership and Digital Services at the National Federation of Builders and former Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, spoke on the urgent need to back Britain’s builders at a high-profile panel event at Conservative Party Conference, hosted by Policy@Manchester.
The discussion, chaired by Dan Whelan, Deputy Editor of Place North, brought together leading voices including Baroness Maclean of Redditch, former Minister for Housing and Planning; Emma Antrobus, North West Regional Director at the Institution of Civil Engineers; and Professor Ian Mell of The University of Manchester.
The panel explored how Britain can meet the Government’s target of 1.5 million new homes over the next Parliament while tackling complex challenges around planning, the Green Belt, infrastructure and community trust.
Representing regional SME builders across the UK, Sean Houlston called for a pragmatic, pro-building approach that puts builders and communities at the centre of national housing policy.
In his remarks, Sean stressed the distinct pressures facing SME contractors, from drying-up pipelines of work to increased regulation and rising costs. He argued that freeing small and medium-sized builders from excessive bureaucracy is essential if Britain is to deliver on its housing and infrastructure ambitions.
“Builders want to build. Communities want to thrive. But SMEs – the backbone of our industry – are tied up in red tape instead of delivering homes. We need to be pragmatically pro-building: cutting bureaucracy, putting infrastructure first, and ensuring local people see the benefits of development. That’s how we rebuild trust and deliver the homes Britain needs,” said Sean Houlston.
He also urged policymakers to remember to differentiate between developers and builders, noting that while developers control land and finance, SME builders provide the skills, training, and employment for the communities they serve.
The NFB continues to champion the role of SME builders in tackling the housing challenge.
