Introduced to tackle the UK’s longstanding housing crisis, the Get Britain Building Again scheme aims to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. On paper, it seems like the perfect opportunity to address the severe undersupply of affordable housing in the UK and give the struggling construction sector a much-needed boost. However, delivering on this ambitious plan is proving to be more challenging than expected, with UK construction activity recently falling at its fastest pace in nearly five years.
Working in the construction sector, you’ll know that turning government plans into bricks and mortar isn’t straightforward. There’s a tangled web of logistical, financial, and regulatory obstacles that make progress slow and often unpredictable.
The scheme’s ambitious target requires an average of 300,000 new homes to be built each year. But despite these bold goals, the UK has consistently fallen short. In fact, recent data shows that only 221,070 net additional dwellings were completed in the 2023-2024 period, representing a 6% decrease from the previous year.
If current trends continue, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) projects that only 1.3 million homes will be built by the end of this parliament, leaving a 200,000-home gap between the target and the reality.
So, what’s standing in the way of delivering affordable housing, and how can Evolution5 help you overcome these obstacles to make the Get Britain Building Again scheme a success?
Despite the good intentions behind the Get Britain Building Again scheme, there are several critical flaws that threaten to undermine its success, particularly in the affordable housing sector. One of the most significant hurdles is the scheme’s reliance on central government funding, which is vulnerable to political changes, budget constraints, and shifting priorities. If you’re an affordable housing developer, you’re highly susceptible to unpredictable financial support, which creates substantial risks for your projects.
The biggest flaw with this scheme is its dependency on central government funding. When government budgets are tight, affordable housing projects are often among the first to face cuts or delays. This uncertainty can result in a range of risks for developers, ultimately affecting the scale, quality, and viability of affordable housing projects.
At Evolution5, we help mitigate the risks associated with uncertain government funding by providing expert consultancy and contracting support:
Consultancy Support:
Contracting Support:
As Principal Contractor, our turn-key service enables efficient phasing and streamlined delivery, helping you reduce overheads without compromising on quality. Our experience working with budget-constrained public sector projects helps us optimise materials, manage scope, and maintain compliance while keeping your project on budget.
Planning permission is another obstacle for the Get Britain Building Again scheme, with lengthy approval processes delaying project start times. Developers may use viability assessments to reduce affordable housing obligations, which can lead to prolonged negotiations and further delays. Additionally, local planning policies and opposition, especially in areas with restrictive zoning laws or environmental concerns, can cause further setbacks. Many projects are also delayed due to the need to address infrastructure and environmental factors during the planning application stage.
At Evolution5, we guide you through the complexities of the planning process, ensuring timely approvals and minimising delays. Our team assists with planning applications, engages with local authorities, and provides strategic advice to overcome local opposition and regulatory challenges, keeping projects on track.
As Principal Contractor, our early involvement during the pre-construction phase allows us to offer buildability advice and flag any potential planning and logistical issues before they escalate. By aligning the construction plan with your planning strategy, we help smooth the approval process, and avoid delays once permission is granted. With Evolution5’s expert support, you’re better placed to keep your project on track.
A lack of skilled professionals, such as planners, engineers, site managers, and trades, continues to slow the delivery of affordable housing. Many local authorities also lack the internal capacity to manage complex projects, causing delays and poor on-site coordination.
Case Study: Jolles House, London Borough of Bromley
As Principal Designer, Evolution5 played a key role in delivering 70 high-quality, mixed-tenure homes. By partnering with trusted consultants and drawing on deep project experience, Evo5 filled local capacity gaps and ensured compliance, quality, and timely delivery despite sector-wide skills shortages.
Our experienced project management team have strong connections with a trusted network from local suppliers, contractors and local authority teams. Leveraging reliable supply chains, enables project success without being held up by labour shortages.
As Principal Contractor, we understand the unique challenges social housing providers face, especially when it comes to delivering affordable homes on time. With a reliable supply chain of vetted subcontractors, we ensure the right specialists are in place for each project. Our experienced site and project managers oversee coordination and quality control, keeping projects on track, within budget, and to the highest standards.
With proven experience in working within live, operational environments, such as occupied housing estates, we maintain momentum and minimise disruptions. Even amidst sector-wide skills shortages, Evolution5 ensures social housing projects are completed on time, meeting the quality and compliance needed to achieve your community housing goals.
Rising material costs, inflation, and regulatory changes, particularly around fire safety and sustainability, are placing immense pressure on already tight budgets for affordable housing. Compounding this are evolving fire safety and environmental regulations, which, while necessary, add further costs to design and build.
Evolution5 helps navigate these pressures through a comprehensive, cost-effective approach. From the outset, we provide cost-smart planning and accurate budget forecasting to align design decisions with financial realities. Our resilient supply chain, built on reliable partnerships and local sourcing, mitigates procurement risks and delays.
With deep expertise in compliance, our team ensures that fire safety and sustainability standards are met efficiently. Our value engineering approach identifies smart, cost-effective alternatives without compromising on quality or safety.
At Evolution5, we balance high-quality, compliant construction with strategic cost management, protecting your bottom line while ensuring successful project delivery.
At Evolution5, we bring professional consultancy and contracting together under one roof, to offer seamless, end-to-end support for affordable housing projects. From feasibility assessments and funding support to cost management, Evolution5 is your partner from concept to completion with a proven record in:
If you’re navigating the Get Britain Building Again scheme, choose Evolution5 as your delivery partner. With end-to-end construction services and specialist consultancy, we help you achieve your housing project goals. Our team’s extensive experience spans occupied refurbishment to new-build developments, aligning residents, councils, contractors, and consultants to deliver the best outcomes.
Contact Evolution5 today to discuss how we can help you deliver sustainable, high-quality homes for communities across the UK.
Despite the good intentions behind the Get Britain Building Again scheme, there are several critical flaws that threaten to undermine its success, particularly in the affordable housing sector. One of the most significant hurdles is the scheme’s reliance on central government funding, which is vulnerable to political changes, budget constraints, and shifting priorities.
Evolution5 reduces funding uncertainty by offering expert consultancy and strategic planning. Our team prepares projects ahead of funding windows, reducing delays and increasing viability. As Principal Contractor, we deliver cost-effective, high-quality builds by phasing work efficiently and leveraging our reliable supply chain. Our value engineering approach ensures compliance and quality keeping your project moving and on budget.
With Evolution5, you get practical support that bridges planning and delivery. We help keep your affordable housing project on track from the outset. Working closely with developers to prepare robust applications, liaise with local authorities, and help navigate opposition or regulatory barriers to keep your project moving. As Principal Contractor, our early involvement means we identify buildability and logistical issues upfront, aligning construction planning with your planning strategy.
As Principal Contractor, we understand the challenges of delivering affordable homes on time. With a reliable supply chain of vetted subcontractors, we ensure the right specialists are in place for each project. Our experienced site and project managers oversee coordination and quality control. We keep projects on track, within budget, and to the highest standards.
Evolution5 helps navigate the pressures of rising construction costs with cost-smart planning and accurate budget forecasting. Our resilient supply chain, built on reliable partnerships and local sourcing, mitigates procurement risks and delays. With deep expertise in compliance, our team ensures that fire safety and sustainability standards are met efficiently. Our value engineering approach identifies smart, cost-effective alternatives without compromising on quality or safety.
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