In our latest podcast episode, we dive into the critical role of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) developers in meeting the UK Government’s ambitious target of delivering 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament term.
Hosted by Ben Wakeling with special guest Paul Brocklehurst, Chairman for the Land, Planning and Development Federation (LPDF), they share insights from their careers and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing SME builders today.
To set the scene, we define what constitutes an SME developer. Typically, these are firms building fewer than 100 homes per year, often locally rooted and agile, but facing unique constraints compared to larger housebuilders.
SMEs are vital to diversifying housing supply, revitalising local economies, and unlocking small sites that larger developers often overlook. We explore how their contribution is essential to achieving the Government’s 1.5 million homes target, and what success might look like for SMEs by the end of this Parliament.
Our discussion then turns to the barriers SMEs face:
We acknowledge and delve into recent policy changes aimed at supporting SMEs, including:
Both Ben and Paul share their views on whether these initiatives will make a meaningful difference.
Finally, we explore what else could help SMEs not only survive but thrive:
🎧 Listen Now!
This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in housing policy, urban development, or the future of SME builders in the UK. Whether you’re a developer, policymaker, or housing advocate, you’ll find plenty of food for thought.
Stay tuned for future podcast episodes!
Explore how structural and building services design overlap across RIBA stages, why coordination matters, and how our integrated approach improves building engineering outcomes.
The UK’s housing delivery challenge is well-documented. Yet amid the national conversation about planning reform, infrastructure, and build-out rates, one group consistently punches above its weight: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) housebuilders. SMEs are a vital part of the solution, but they face very real and persistent hurdles development strategies.
At Brookbanks, we know EV charging becomes far more manageable when it’s approached as part of a wider development picture rather than an isolated task. Rising regulatory demands, limited capacity, cost pressures and the realities of underground or enclosed parking all interact in ways that can affect programme, viability and long‑term performance. This article looks at the recurring challenges we see across residential, commercial and mixed‑use projects and the practical steps that help developments meet Part S requirements, manage grid limitations, integrate load‑balancing and smart‑charging systems, and plan for solar PV and battery storage. The aim is to provide clear, grounded insight that helps teams design EV strategies that genuinely stand up to modern development demands.