Committee publication · Correspondence · 22 May 2026

Letter from the Chair to the Minister of State for Housing and Planning dated 20 May 2026 concerning new build homes

From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Summary

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee writes to the Minister for Housing and Planning regarding new-build home quality. The committee welcomes the 1.5 million homes target but expresses concern that rapid construction may compromise quality, backed by evidence of past defect surges. It calls for stronger statutory consumer protections, mandatory Part M4(2) accessibility standards, rigorous stress-testing of overheating regulations, and a streamlined approach to regulatory changes.

Key findings

Industry must build 300,000 homes annually (up from 200,000) to meet 1.5 million target, but evidence shows 'no indications at the minute of any significant uptick' and builders are 'well short' of needed delivery rates.
Historical analysis shows building volume increases correlate with customer satisfaction drops and rising defects; NHOS warns 'real risk the rapid expansion in supply could be accompanied by a decline in quality.'
Government proposes only 40% of new homes comply with Part M4(2) accessibility standard rather than mandating it for all; disability charities disappointed after waiting years for previous government's commitment.
Committee notes new homes reaching 35°C+ during summer heatwaves despite Approved Document O requirements; calls for stress-testing of overheating standards against future climate scenarios.
Multiple regulatory changes (Future Homes Standard, M4(2), Part K) risk being introduced sequentially, causing inefficiency; NHBC advocates coordinated approach to minimize burden on builders.

Recommendations

Government must establish statutory ombudsman and single consumer code fully by end of 2028/29 at latest, with all developers signed up; provide clarity on code content, timeline, and SME support.
Conduct rigorous stress-test of Part O requirements to verify new homes can withstand higher temperatures and more frequent heatwaves under 2–3°C warming scenarios.
Provide government rationale for 40% Part M4(2) minimum; clarify whether mandating M4(2) for all homes would compromise 1.5 million homes target; assess implications of minimum percentage for Part M4(3) wheelchair-accessible dwellings.
Assess feasibility of streamlining Building Regulations changes to reduce regulatory burden on housebuilders and support delivery of 1.5 million homes.

Tone

Critical

Topics

housing-supplybuilding-standardsconsumer-protectionaccessibilityclimate-resilience

Key actors

Matthew Pennycook MP (Minister for Housing and Planning), Florence Eshalomi MP (Committee Chair), Steve Turner (Home Builders Federation), Jennie Daly (Taylor Wimpey CEO), Nigel Cates (New Homes Ombudsman Service), Chloe Fletcher (Chartered Institute of Housing), Richard Smith (NHBC Head of Standards), New Homes Ombudsman Service

Notable line

“"the prevalence of hazards in recently built homes points to systemic weaknesses in oversight and accountability during the construction process." 11 Even if the incidence …”

Key Quotes

“… there are "no indications at the minute of any significant uptick" on the number of homes being built, meaning the industry is already "well short" of the levels of house building needed to meet the 1.5 million target.”
— Steve Turner (Home Builders Federation) · regarding progress toward 1.5 million homes delivery

“When sites are significantly delayed through the planning system, it leads to very intensive levels of delivery. That can have effects on the ability to smooth labour through what is a multi-trade process. At times, it can put pressure on quality.”
— Jennie Daly (Taylor Wimpey) · on planning delays and quality implications

“… there is a "real risk the rapid expansion in supply could be accompanied by a decline in quality." 6 Previous expansions …”
— New Homes Ombudsman Service · on risks of accelerated housebuilding

“… the prevalence of hazards in recently built homes points to systemic weaknesses in oversight and accountability during the construction process.”
— New Homes Ombudsman Service · on defects in new-build homes

“… building 40% of new homes to comply with Part M4(2) would be challenging for the industry as a whole, especially in light of the other pressures that are affecting the viability of house building in parts of the country.”
— Steve Turner (Home Builders Federation) · on accessibility standards and industry viability

“… the statutory scheme needs to apply to "wider scenarios where a home is sold", such as to an institutional investor or single landlord or a social landlord through a shared ownership scheme.”
— Chloe Fletcher (Chartered Institute of Housing) · on scope of consumer code protections

“A bit more of a structured approach in relation to the regulatory changes would go a long way and help a lot.”
— Richard Smith (NHBC) · on streamlining multiple simultaneous regulatory changes

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗