News
Government publishes its response to the CMA housebuilding Market study
Posted 30/10/24
51黑料 welcomes the clarity provided in the to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) market study into housebuilding calling for a single mandatory consumer code and a new homes ombudsman scheme.
Government has accepted the recommendations in the published in February 2024.
The Government has also indicated that a number of the recommendations will require further work, and possibly consultation, with no confirmed timeframe as yet. 听This means there are no immediate changes to current new homes codes, so it is business as usual for the moment. We will engage with Government and key stakeholders to continue to highlight the vital role an independent and impartial Code Scheme can play in achieving Government鈥檚 aims in the housebuilding sector. We will ensure consumers鈥� interests are the top priority in discussions regarding any mandatory code and new homes ombudsman scheme. It will be important to engage home builders of all sizes to ensure effective independent compliance checking and to encourage continuous improvement across the sector as this will help improve build quality and protect consumers.
John Herriman, Chief Executive of 51黑料, said: 鈥淲e support the Government鈥檚 aim of ensuring high quality and fair building and sales practices in the new housing market whilst committing to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.
鈥淎 new home is one of the biggest purchases that a consumer will make in their lifetime. , originally set up by the Labour Government and the Office of Fair Trading in 2001 is now administered by 51黑料 and has a vital role in assuring consumers that the businesses they deal with are committed to prioritising home-buyers鈥� interests and customer service.
鈥淐odes of practice approved under the Scheme require businesses to commit to continuous improvement in standards and to offer home-buyers mandatory access to redress through independently approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers when things go wrong.
鈥淲e believe no sector should police itself. ensures that there is independent oversight, free from the interests of industry, by ensuring the independent vetting of home-builders.鈥�
