HB 1

National Assembly for Wales

Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee

Housing (Wales) Bill: Stage 1

Response from: Persimmon Homes

Further to the request for consultation feedback please see below:

1. We are surprised given the high percentage contribution to the housing supply of both private and affordable homes in Wales, and the desire to see an increase in the supply of new homes that there is no reference in the bill to positive action measures to improve new house building supply and to address the barriers to new homebuilding the Industry has highlighted to the Assembly. In fact as far as we can see there is no reference at all to any private housing development matters which seems odd. The supply of housing is one of the primary factors in housing affordability. Improve supply you improve affordability.

2. We would encourage additional supply of affordable housing but there is a clear need for such supply to be supported by public subsidy especially in the less viable areas (our identified ‘snowline’ areas) as requirements for affordable home provision without any public subsidy is generally not viable in these areas which in effect constrains new supply of any new housing accordingly and the jobs that go with building them.

3. We would recommend the re-introduction  of Urban Development Grant in the ‘snowline’ areas to stimulate development and economic growth

4. We would recommend abolishing stamp duty in the snowline areas to stimulate development and economic growth

5. We would recommend re-evaluating the requirement for sprinklers in all new residential development to stimulate development and economic growth in Wales, and particularly as the Assembly’s own advisers the BRE have concluded and reported that it was not economically viable. We would however agree that risk buildings such as care homes, sheltered housing, apartment blocks, special needs homes, hostels and the like have particular risks which may require sprinkler solutions.

Glyn Mabey

Regional Chairman

West Wales, East Wales, South Midlands

Persimmon Homes; Charles Church Developments; Westbury Partnership Homes

Llantrisant Business Park

Llantrisant

CF72 8YP

Tel:  01443 223653