State of Play Report @ Portcullis House

APPG for SME Housebuilders Hosts State of Play Report 2025 Launch at Portcullis House

In November, the APPG for SME Housebuilders had the pleasure of visiting Portcullis House to mark the launch of the sixth annual State of Play report, an important moment in the calendar for the SME housebuilding sector. The event, co-hosted with Close Brothers Property Finance, the Home Builders Federation and Travis Perkins, brought together parliamentarians, industry leaders and SME housebuilders for an evening of insight and constructive discussion.

The State of Play Report 2025 provided a timely assessment of the current challenges and opportunities facing SME housebuilders, and its findings shaped much of the evening’s conversation. Attendees heard from Phil Hooper, CEO of Close Brothers Property Finance, alongside Sarah Edwards MP, Chair of the APPG for SME Housebuilders, and Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive of the Home Builders Federation. Their contributions were complemented by first-hand perspectives from SME housebuilders Eleanor Deeley and Andrew Rinaldi, who spoke candidly about the realities of operating in today’s market and the support needed to unlock growth.

A central theme of the discussion was the role of planning reform and the need to reduce regulatory burdens in order to enable smaller builders to thrive. Speakers highlighted how addressing these barriers will be critical if the Government is to meet its ambition of delivering 1.5 million homes during this Parliament, with SME housebuilders playing a vital role in boosting housing supply, diversity and local delivery.

The evening was further enriched by the presence of Baroness Taylor, a long-standing advocate in the House of Lords for SME housebuilders, whose engagement underlined the growing cross-party recognition of the sector’s importance.

The APPG for SME Housebuilders is proud to support initiatives that strengthen and empower SME housebuilders across the UK. Events such as this are essential in bringing together voices from government, industry and the SME community, and in building momentum around the findings of this influential report as we continue to champion the sector’s role in meeting the nation’s housing needs.

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