The 2017 White Paper Fixing our broken housing market says:
“The housing market needs to operate differently to start to address affordability and deliver the step change in house building that is required. The Government proposes to support different parts of the market, including new entrants, to boost productivity.”

So, how realistic is it for new players to meet the government’s expectations and deliver a step change in production?
• Can new SMEs make a significant impact?
• Can local authorities build enough homes to solve the crisis?
• Are barriers to entry too great? How can they be overcome?
• Do the big builders restrain trade for new smaller companies?
• How can the terms of trade be made fairer for new SMEs?
• What is it really like to try to break into the market? What can we learn from that experience?
• Should we even try to rely on firms that aren’t big enough ride out a recession?

Chair:
Terrie Alafat CBE: CEO Chartered Institute of Housing

Speakers:
• Andrew Whitaker: Planning Director, Home Builders Federation
• Dr Janice Morphet: Visiting Professor, Bartlett School of Planning, UCL
• Janet Sutherland: Housing consultant for Pocket Homes & formerly senior housing officer at Lewisham & Camden Councils
• Stephen Hill: C20 futureplanners

Venue:
Sir Peter Hall Room (G.01)
Bartlett School of Planning, UCL
Central House, 14 Upper Woburn Place
London WC1H 0NN

The debate was run by the Edge and the Place Alliance.

Presentations:

- ED81 - Janice Morphet presentation
- ED81 - Janet Sutherland presentation

Debate Reports:

- Just get on with it! - Jane Briginshaw 26/9/17
- Edge Debate 81 New housing players: Debate notes