Following meetings with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers this week, the Home Builders Federation is delighted that agreement has been reached on a new phase of collaborative working with the Welsh Assembly.
Recognising the importance of a partnership approach to housing delivery for Wales, the outcome of a successful round of meetings with Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing Jane Davidson has been agreement for a joint working group between the HBF and the Assembly Government to help deliver the new homes needed to achieve Wales' economic and social development aspirations.
Discussions covered a range of topics including housing supply, planning and infrastructure issues and the zero carbon homes agenda.
The Minister said: "Our agenda for Government, the One Wales document, demonstrates the Welsh Assembly Government's commitment to delivering more homes, quality homes and affordable homes for the people of Wales.
"Working closely with industry will be key to reaching our ambitious targets for housing and this agreement with the HBF is one of the first steps towards success."
Commenting for the HBF, John Slaughter its director of external affairs said, "The Assembly's housing targets are challenging, but we are very willing and committed to working with the Assembly to meet their sustainable housing needs. It is particularly welcome that the Assembly recognises the importance of an integrated strategy for housing delivery. For our part we will certainly wish to match this approach in our own contribution to progress."
Professor Michael Benfield, a leading Welsh HBF member and managing director of Benfield ATT a timber-frame home builder said "I am delighted with the outcome of this round of meetings with Welsh politicians, who demonstrated an understanding of our concerns about the delivery of new housing in Wales. I am confident that this new forum will help the industry work with the Assembly to remove possible barriers to achieving the levels of new sustainable housing we require."
Notes:
1. HBF met with Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing Jane Davidson, Minister for Finance Andrew Davies and Deputy Minister Leighton Andrews on 10 and 11 July 2007.
2. The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the principal trade federation for private sector home builders and voice of the home building industry in Wales and England. The HBF's 300 member firms account for over 80% of all new homes built in Wales and England in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies.
3. To contact the HBF for follow up questions please call Daniel Cremin (details below).
For all Regional media information, please contact:
Daniel Cremin
0207 864 9963 / 07753 494195
danielcremin@bellendenpublicaffairs.co.uk