Buckingham MP Greg Smith has welcomed the Government's announcement that it will establish a New Homes Ombudsman to protect the rights of homebuyers and hold developers to account, which he says is an important issue for Bucks where a number of constituents face issues relating to new builds.
Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said: "Housing is a priority for this Government and we have committed to building at least one million new homes over the Parliament. As more homes are built, people should be confident that when they purchase a new build home, they get the quality of build they expect. We want everyone to know that when they buy a new build home they are getting what they rightly deserve – and developers are held to account to put things right.
"No one expects to purchase a poor-quality home or receive poor customer service, and action should be taken against those that do not deliver. That’s why we have announced we will establish a New Homes Ombudsman to protect the rights of homebuyers and hold developers to account when things go wrong – including introducing legislation to require all developers of new build homes to belong to this Ombudsman.
"We will not wait for legislation for homebuyers to give better protection. We will work at pace with consumer groups, industry and others for better protection for homebuyers prior to legislation - including working with them to set up an interim voluntary New Homes Ombudsman so developers know what's expected of them."
Greg added: "This is much-needed and very welcome. There are a number of serious issues which those buying from developers face and it is imperative the Government is able to act robustly to ensure homeowners' rights are protected and they get the service they deserve when they buy a new home. There a lot of new builds in Bucks and it is vital that residents are treated properly when buying a new home."
The aim will be for the New Homes Ombudsman to help drive up improvements in the new build homes sector. This includes building better homes of the highest standards and quality – as well as ensuring new homes are sustainable and fit for the future.
The plans include a suggested statutory requirement for developers to belong to a single New Homes Ombudsman scheme. The New Homes Ombudsman will be independent and free for consumers as it will be paid for by developers. Powers will be provided in legislation to ensure requirements to belong to the New Homes Ombudsman are effectively enforced. This will include the power to provide compensation to homebuyers where it is deserved.
Legislation will also include a power for the Secretary of State to create or approve an existing Code of Practice. The Code of Practice would set guidance on what is expected of a developer, standardising the approach across the industry, and used by the New Homes Ombudsman to resolve disputes.
A New Build Quality and Consumer Experience Monitoring Group will be set up with consumer groups and industry to seek opportunities to collect better information on issues in relation to new build homes, help to improve industry practice, and increase consumer satisfaction. The aim is to seek to introduce UK-wide legislation to ensure consistent access to redress for all buyers of new build homes across all of the nations in the union.