According to the New Homes Ombudsman Service, which was established by the New Homes Quality Board and deals with complaints by homebuyers about the quality of new housing, the Building Safety Act in 2022 contained provisions to create an ombudsman that all builders had to join.

However, this has not been the case, as membership is still voluntary.

The New Homes Ombudsman Service has created a New Homes Quality Code for builder members to adhere to.

The service said that around 90 of the largest developer groups in Great Britain have joined, accounting for around 55% of new homes sold in England, Scotland and Wales.

This is also an increase from 33 at the start of the year, according to its annual report.

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An additional 91 are “taking the steps needed” to join, which would bring the coverage to 65-70% of all homes sold.

However, the New Homes Ombudsman Service warned that many small and medium-sized developers are not covered by the service.

It urged the government to make it a “legal requirement” for all housing developers to join the scheme and said pricing structures should be implemented to “prevent undue hardship” for smaller builders.

 

‘Ensuring all developers join the ombudsman service is essential’

Jodi Berg OBE, chair of the New Homes Ombudsman Service, said: “While we’ve made significant strides in our first year, it is crucial that all homeowners receive equal protection against poor-quality new housing.

“As the government implements its ambitious housebuilding plans, ensuring all developers join the ombudsman service is essential. Without this, too many people will be left without the help they need.”

The Labour Party promised in its manifesto that it would plan to build one-and-a-half million homes over the course of the next government.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that “decisive reform” was needed in planning to unlock housing projects, and a new task force would be created to “accelerate stalled housing sites” across the country.

She added that there would be an additional 3,000 planning officers across the country to support local authorities.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner confirmed that the government would give local authorities mandatory housing targets that will support the delivery of 370,000 new homes per year, an increase from the previous goal of 300,000 homes, as part of its target.