Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will require councils to identify sites suitable for fewer than 100 dwellings to support SME construction.

Small and medium sized housebuilders are essential to meeting the government’s housing ambitions and supporting local economies. Our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework included proposals to support the SME housebuilding sector to grow by strengthening small site policy. The consultation closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year.

The Government published its response to the CMA Housebuilding Study on 22 October. Officials spoke to the CMA on a range of issues during their market study.