The UK Government will continue to miss its housing targets without substantial changes, a regional homebuilder executive has warned.

Nicky Gordon, owner of Genesis Homes, has criticised current measures for being inadequate and appealed for action from the Government.

Mr Gordon said: "It is clear to everyone involved in the home building industry that SMEs face huge challenges to survive with the current open-ended planning regime, and unless reform occurs the amount of housing developers operating and the number of new homes being built will only dwindle.

"The current planning system is a shambles with thousands of new homes on hold due to its archaic nature.

"The planning consultation process is out of control with statutory response timescales often ignored, with planning applications for significant developments not going in front of committees for many months and sometimes years."

He addressed the aftermath of appeal applications stating that the taxpayer bears the burden when a development has been needlessly turned down by a committee, only to be reversed and accepted on appeal.

He said: "That’s not even mentioning the high costs the taxpayer has to stomach when a development has been needlessly refused by committee, only to be overturned and approved at appeal. In 2023 alone, this country spent £50m in awarding costs to developers for appeal applications which should have never been refused in the first place."

Mr Gordon also highlighted the fact that the current system discourages housing and economic growth and insisted on the need for immediate and drastic changes.

He has provided a list of suggested reforms including reduced planning fees for SMEs, the creation of a Medium Sites definition in the National Planning Policy Framework with up to 150 dwellings, reducing planning conditions causing delays and removing duplications between planning systems and building regulations.

He said: "More needs to be done by whichever Government gets voted in on July 4, and governmental bodies such as Homes England really need to improve its support to SMEs in terms of pre-development costs and development financing.

"In doing so, this will give a real injection of positivity and activity into a faltering housing market."

He also voiced his concern that large-scale developers construct a high percentage of UK homes and underscores the requirement for serious support to constructors building 1,000 homes or fewer annually.

Mr Gordon said: "The Government needs to put themselves in the shoes of smaller volume housebuilders and ask, "How do I make things easier so more companies can grow and can provide much-needed new homes throughout the UK?" There is a real opportunity for the new Government to broaden the scope for SME developments to breathe new life into the industry.”

Genesis Homes was founded in 2017 and has completed multiple housing developments across Cumbria and Lancashire.