FMB CYMRU CALLS FOR ACTION TO GET SMALL FIRMS BUILDING

 

The Federation of Master Builders Cymru (FMB Cymru) is calling for 2014 to be the year where procurement and planning decisions enable small builders in Wales to win more contracts.

Richard Jenkins, Director of FMB Cymru, is the new Chair of the Procurement Supplier Board, which will be the leading Welsh forum allowing suppliers in Wales to discuss government decisions in Wales.

Following the recent announcement by Labour at Westminster, which set out plans to fix the broken housing market by building an army of small and custom builders to help the next generation on to the property ladder, Richard Jenkins, Director of FMB Cymru said:

“It is vital that procurement and planning decissions in Wales support small construction firms. A lot of policy has been discussed during 2012 and 2013, and we support a lot of what the John McClelland Review of Public Procurement in Wales reported. However, 2014 needs to be the time to take action.

“We would welcome changes in the procurement system, which would allow smaller companies to compete for contracts in Wales. This would also include strengthening the voice of the supplier in the decisions taken by the Welsh Government regarding public procurement. For example, there is currently no supplier representation on the Welsh Government’s National Procurement Board. This is why we are hoping to increase the supplier input through a Procurement Supplier Board, and will be looking to work closely with the National Procurement Board.

“In addition we would like to see planning decisions which would release land in smaller tranches, again allowing a number of smaller companies to win contracts in Wales, not just the larger UK companies which have dominated the market in recent years.

“At Westminster, Shadow Housing Minister, Emma Reynolds, has announced that a future Labour Government would require local authorities to allocate more small sites for house building, and a commitment to ensure public land will widen opportunities for small builders. This is a policy we wholly support, and in Wales Labour is in Government and is in a position to implement this policy now, so we would welcome the same commitment for Welsh construction firms.”