In today’s Budget, the Chancellor confirmed that the Government will not proceed with proposed changes to Landfill Tax following intense pressure from HBF and industry on its potential impact on housing delivery.

Ahead of tomorrow’s Autumn Budget, we’re spotlighting the constraints holding back home building and the decisive actions Government can take to change that.

From reducing regulatory burdens to easing infrastructure delays, see our recommendations 👇

The Autumn Budget presents a real opportunity for decisive action that aligns political ambition with operational reality.

Our research and industry insight has highlighted clear interventions Government could take now that would lead to real differences on the ground 👇

Save the date 👉 the HBF Planning Conference returns 9 September 2026

Share your email to be notified when tickets go on sale
📩 buff.ly/AtVPKrc

In recent years, a combination of new regulatory requirements, taxes, and policy costs has made many sites unviable.

This includes…

🚫Landfill Tax rate changes

🚫Employers’ National Insurance increases

🚫Corporation Tax

🚫Residential Property Developer Tax

🚫Nutrient neutrality

Planning reform is positive & much-needed, yet we also need to see action to stimulate the market.

The Stamp Duty threshold changes earlier this year added more strain to a market already weakened by low consumer confidence, increasingly unaffordable mortgages & lack of a first-time buyer support.

New planning reforms have been announced, including proposals to remove statutory consultees and bring down the number of applications considered by up to 40% 🏡🏗️

Today Government has announced a package of measures to target delays, costs and bureaucracy in the planning process, including 👇

While we have welcomed Government’s decisive steps to tackle longstanding issues within the planning system, greater action is needed to ensure these reforms translate into meaningful change on the ground.

As Autumn Budget looms, we'd like to see Government👇
🚧Introduce common adoptable standards & mandate the adoption of public amenities on private estates
🚧Minimise the costs, delays & uncertainty around utility & infrastructure connections
🚧Address challenges within the S106 Affordable Housing market

Government's Landfill tax proposals will lead to an astronomical 3,000% increase in costs for home builders.
...adding £15,000 to the cost of building every new home.

The consequences will be disastrous.

“As housing delivery targets face growing scrutiny, policymakers must prioritise meaningful reform that truly supports smaller developers”

Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive of the Home Builders Federation

The results of this year’s State of Play report are sobering.

Change needs to be felt now.

How can Government better support the UK's SME home builders?

Key recommendations from our latest research 👇

Is viability becoming a critical barrier for your sites?

Chris joined us earlier this month as our Regional Planning Manager for North East, North West and Yorkshire,

Yesterday, Baroness Scott highlighted our State of Play report during the debate on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill 📄

"Beyond the legal and regulatory hurdles lies a deeper challenge: economic viability and confidence… The Home Builders Federation’s State of Play report makes this clear."

Rachel is our Regional Planning Manager for the Midlands and South West…
… And our resident expert on Biodiversity Net Gain.

She represents home builders in discussions with Government and the Future Homes Hub to ensure new regulations are practical and deliverable.

Ahead of World Town Planning Day, we caught up with our planning team to discuss the key challenges facing the industry...
...And the actions we’d like to see taken.

Stay tuned from updates for the rest of the team...

#WorldTownPlannersDay

The number of challenges facing SME home builders has continued to grow.

As a result, 97% of SME developers are less optimistic than they were prior to the election.

With the right policy support, SMEs believe they could increase housing delivery by 56% a year on average...