Eddie Wighton

A good night for Labour in Scotland. Two key questions - is this a sign of how the Holyrood election might play out in 2026? And in the meantime, what will the SNP do to win back some of its traditional voters? We have had some positive discussions around housing with various Labour MSPs over the last few months. I sense they may have more influence on policy in Scotland today, than they did yesterday. #ESPC #Edinburghproperty #Allchange

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It was a pleasure to speak at the Home Builders Federation Policy conference today. Many thanks to Stewart Baseley and Neil Jefferson for inviting me. It’s clear for all to see that we have major structural issues in our planning system which are stifling output for both volume and SME operators. It’s concerning to hear of the alarming rate that SMEs are being forced to scale back operations and in many cases, cease home building. This year marks my 20th year working alongside Housebuilders and when reflect on the fantastic, entrepreneurial businesses that we have lost over that period it is saddening. Personally I carried an aspiration for many years to become an SME developer but in the current environment the upfront capital required, unending timelines for planning and high abortive costs tip the balance between risk and reward. Whilst the industry is full of smart and determined people looking to tackle the issues. The planning system can only be solved by our policy makers in Westminster and with local government having clear Housing plans and targets. We heard from Michael Gove on his parties plans to tackle the challenges but it’s clear to see that regardless of political colours, the issues could take years to solve and in the meantime housing output is really suffering. All presenters were aligned on the fact that overall demand and property values are proving to be resilient and that the economy is beginning to show signs of green shoots which is encouraging. My aim for the session was to offer an alternative perspective on how Housebuilders can optimise their performance in the current environment (controlling the controllables!). Key talking points from my presentation; - The importance of understanding local affordability and tapping into adjacent markets to attract buyers - How sales & marketing teams can focus their messaging and optimise sales conversion through between qualification and sales process - Why the industry needs to level up the experience for consumers through investing in technology - why is it that ordering an Uber or a Dominoes pizza presents consumers with rich interactive experiences but the biggest purchase of our lives requires hundreds of emails and phone calls (and faxes!) between conveyancers, brokers, lenders, legal teams and sales progressors? All round a brilliant event, great to catch up with so many familiar faces. P.s. a prize to anybody who has taken a more flattering photo of my presentation!! #housebuilding #newhomes #property #newhomes

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The Decline in House-Building and What It Means for SMEs Like us at Create. Just a quick reminder, the plots you see going up today are usually from work carried out years ago Aquisition, planning etc… Recently, the Office for National Statistics released some sobering figures that highlight a significant downturn in house-building across the UK. According to the data, the first quarter of 2024 saw a 17% drop in new housing completions compared to the same period last year—just 38,400 units were completed, down from 46,440. Even more concerning is the 34% decline in new housing starts, with only 29,820 homes breaking ground, compared to 44,940 in Q1 2023. In England, where the government has set an ambitious target of over 300,000 new homes annually, the first quarter figures show a 15% drop in completions and a staggering 39% fall in starts. With numbers like these, it’s clear the government’s goal of 1.5 million new homes by 2029 is under serious threat. Industry leaders have been vocal about these challenges. The British Property Federation’s Chief Executive, Melanie Leech, emphasised the need to diversify beyond homes for sale and ramp up the build-to-rent sector, alongside unlocking affordable housing. Meanwhile, Paul Rickard, Managing Director of Pocket Living, pointed out a critical issue that’s often overlooked— the dwindling number of SME builders in the market. Here’s where it hits home for us at Create Properties Ltd, and other SMEs across South Yorkshire & the rest of the UK for that matter. The reality is, the number of SME housebuilders has plummeted from 12,500 in the 1980s to just 2,500 today. This decline isn’t just a statistic—it’s a direct threat to our ability to grow, innovate, and contribute to solving the housing crisis. The figures suggest that without a resurgence of small and medium-sized builders, the sector’s capacity to meet housing demand will remain severely constrained. For us, this trend could limit opportunities, restrict growth, and tighten competition for available projects. But it also presents a challenge we can rise to—by championing quality, agility, and local expertise, SMEs like Create can carve out a crucial role in this challenging landscape. However, this won’t be possible without significant support, such as government intervention to unlock funding and reduce barriers & unnecessary red tape to entry for smaller firms. So, how do we move forward? Is it time for a renaissance of SME housebuilders to step up where the big players can’t? Should the government take bold steps, like reallocating resources or selling off assets to support the SME sector? These are the conversations we need to be having & FAST Let’s discuss—how do you think SMEs can navigate these challenges and what support would be most effective? Drop your thoughts in the comments, I’d love to hear from you. Is it time SME’s join together? WE NEED TO BUILD MORE QUALITY HOMES #housingcrisis #newbuild #create

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SELF BUILD PLOTS - NEWTON ABBOT - DEVON. An attractive opportunity to purchase a self-build plot on an exclusive ‘stand-alone’ development, set in an elevated position on the edge of Newton Abbot. There are a total of 15 plots proposed as part of the scheme - 12 open market houses and 3 affordable terraced houses. The scheme aims to provide high quality family homes which meet or exceed Nationally Described Space Standards and each plot will have 2 or more designated car parking spaces (on or off plot). All dwellings benefit from gardens along with bin and bike storage. The 12 open market plots being offered for sale all offer potential for 4 or 5 bedroom dwellings and approximate gross internal floor areas from c. 96sqm to 135sqm. However, potential exists on all plots for extensions should additional space be required (up to a max GIA ranging from 136sqm to 243sqm). Further details can be found via the marketing details – Prices for the open market plots range from £120,000 - £160,000. As ever more on our web site at www.klp.land along with drone video www.vimeo.com/912862312 #plots #selfbuild #land #construction #planning #property #development #homes

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