Callcutt disappointed at review response

One of the central recommendations of Callcutt’s government-commissioned review of housing delivery was that housebuilders that fail to match up to independently-audited satisfaction standards should be denied government funding and access to surplus government land.

Callcutt has not spoken publicly since housing minister Caroline Flint confirmed last month in her formal response to his review that the communities department was not taking the idea forward.

In April he said he had not heard from the department, which commissioned his review, since he completed it last November.

However, he broke his silence this week, saying: “In general I’m pleased they seem to be getting on with things. However, it is a little bit disappointing if such a link [between customer satisfaction and public funding] is not made.

It’s a shame, especially at a time when the pressures to cut corners on quality have never been greater.

“Value for money for the public purse needs to be safeguarded. My scheme would have directly aligned meeting certain standards with builders’ profitability.”

The housebuilding industry is currently being investigated by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), in part because of its inability to improve customer satisfaction levels.

Callcutt has subsequently been appointed to run a taskforce for the National House-Building Council that will oversee the creation of a customer satisfaction survey that complies with the OFT’s findings. However, there is no plan to link performance under this survey with access to government funding.