New Homes Quality Code Consultation
A consultation into the draft New Homes Quality Code has been published by the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB).
The consultation will run for four weeks from June 9 to July 7 and the NHQB is encouraging as many stakeholders, customers and interested parties as possible to respond. It should take around 15 minutes to complete.
About us
Based on the principles of independence, transparency and integrity, its objectives are to deliver a consistently high standard of new home quality and service, and to strengthen complaints handling and redress for purchasers of new-build homes where these high standards are not achieved.
An interim board was established in May 2019 to oversee preliminary plans, with representatives from across the sector including consumer bodies, developers, providers of new home warranties, the lending industry, Homes England and independent members to tackle these issues.
Since then, work has progressed well including on the legal structure of the permanent body and board. This has now been completed and the NHQB has now been constituted as a legal entity and the board members appointed in a permanent capacity.
We look forward to bringing forward our vision for quality, service and improved consumer redress in 2021.
image supplied by Barratt Developments
Championing quality new homes & better consumer outcomes
Our Aims
The race to meet housing targets and high demand for new homes has rapidly accelerated since 2012. As volumes increase it is essential quality and service levels improve too. The NHQB aims to deliver a step change in how the house building industry operates and deals with customers.
We want to help position housebuilding as a modern, forward-thinking industry, and give confidence to customers when they purchase their new home.
Taking responsibility for the quality of new build homes and customer redress, the NHQB will oversee the creation and adoption of a comprehensive new industry code of practice, the New Homes Code (NHO) , as well as the appointment of a New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) to adjudicate against the new code.
What we’re planning
The New Homes Code aims to consolidate and improve on existing protections covering important aspects of the construction, inspection and sales process, while the New Homes Ombudsman Service will provide customers with access to fair and efficient redress.
The new arrangements will provide customers with more confidence in new build homes and will provide governments with the assurance that as they introduce policies to increase housing supply, the industry will be delivering high standards of quality, service and customer satisfaction.
All of the new arrangements will be paid for by the house building industry and access to the NHOS will be free to consumers, likely through a new consumer facing portal that will be developed as part of the tender requirements by the appointed ombudsman service.
The appointment of a New Homes Ombudsman Service – invitation to apply
The process to appoint an independent New Homes Ombudsman Service is now underway and the NHQB is inviting interested, qualified parties to apply.
FAQs
Why is the New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) being established?
The establishment of a NHOS is a move that has been committed to by Government, and was the number one recommendation made by the All-Party Parliamentary Group in its report on the quality and redress issues experienced by customers of new build homes.
It will provide customers with access to fair and efficient redress as well as more confidence in new build homes and will provide governments with the assurance that as they introduce policies to increase housing supply, the industry will be delivering high standards of quality, service and customer satisfaction.
When will consumers be covered by the New Homes Code (NHC) and New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS)?
All the new arrangements will be paid for by the industry, the NHOS will be free to consumers, with access being through a new portal. The intention is to have a NHOS in place later this year. Once established there will be a transition period during which developers will need to sign up to the new arrangement, and so be subject to the requirements of the New Homes Code (NHC) and the jurisdiction of the NHOS. Once a developer has registered with the NHQB and signed up to the new arrangements, all new home buyers that have reserved homes from that date will be covered by the NHC and the NHOS.
I’m in the process of buying, how will this affect me?
Once the New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) is established later this year, there will be a transition period during which time developers will be asked to sign up to the new arrangement. You will not be able to access the NHOS until your developer has registered with the NHQB and signed up to the new arrangements. However, please be reassured that you will still be protected by the existing redress process and consumer codes still in place if you reserve before the new arrangements are in place.
Is the NHQB independent?
The NHQB has an independent chair and deputy chair and the board comprises representatives with experience from a range of sectors including consumer bodies, developers, providers of new home warranties and the lending industry ; there are also two independent board members; whilst Homes England attend the board in a representative capacity. Constitutional safeguards have been put in place to ensure the board has a majority of non-industry representatives on it
What is the structure of the new framework?
The NHQB will oversee all the arrangements moving forward, including the appointment and subsequent ongoing monitoring of a New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS).
Underneath the NHQB will sit advisory committees which will include consumer, technical, public authorities and financial services specialists and a code council.
The NHQB will be responsible for publishing data on the performance of the industry; and working with the industry to ensure it is aware of its responsibilities under the new arrangements and in a position to deliver against them. (It is envisaged additional support will be provided for SME builders.) This will include training support to enable developers to be able to train their staff.
A new industry code of practice – the New Homes Code – sits at the centre of the new arrangements. It builds on the existing consumer codes but puts much more responsibility and requirements on developers. In particular it covers post occupation and sets out how developers have to deal with any issues buyers have with their new homes in the first two years.
The NHQB will set up monitoring processes to ensure developers are complying by the requirements of the New Homes Code.
Who will fund the new arrangements?
All of the new arrangements will be paid for by the house building industry, likely with an annual registration fee and a levy based on volumes, with an additional fee for certain referrals to the New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS). Access to the NHOS will be free to consumers. Exact funding arrangements are being agreed.
Where can I find out more information?
We will be releasing more information to consumers about how to access the benefits of the New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) in due course, once the Code of Practice has been finalised and the tender process for the NHOS is underway.
The Board
Natalie Elphicke OBE
Independent chairman
Douglas Cochrane
Deputy chair
Jackie Bennett
Board member
Joanne Casey
Board member
Gillian Cooper
Board member
Jennie Daly
Board member
Katy Jordan
Board member
Paul Smee
Board member
Nicholas Boys-Smith
Board member
Steve Wood
Board member
The following also attend the board as representative, (non-voting) members;
Barry Cummins
Board member
Steve Turner
Board member
Jackie Bennett OBE
Board Member
Jackie Bennett OBE is a Senior Advisor at UK Finance, supporting the associations mortgage and housing work. Jackie has over 20 years’ experience in the mortgage industry, having worked in a variety of roles including Head of Policy at the Council of Mortgage Lenders and Deputy Head of Compliance at The Northview Group. Jackie will represent the mortgage industry on the Board.
Joanne Casey
Board Member
Joanne Casey is Managing Director at construction group Mactaggart and Mickel and Managing Director of their Homes England division. Joanne is also a Board Director at Homes for Scotland and an Honorary Vice President of the Institute for Customer Service. Joanne will represent medium sized builders on the Board.
Gillian Cooper
Board Member
Gillian Cooper is Head of Energy Policy at Citizen’s Advice and has been a consumer advocate in the energy sector for over 15 years. As a member of the Board, Gillian will represent consumers.
Barry Cummins
Board Member
Barry Cummins works for Homes England as National Development Director and will represent the organisation on the Board. Barry has over 25 years’ experience in the housing industry.
Jennie Daly
Board Member
Jennie Daly has been Director of Taylor Wimpey since 2018 and also holds the role of Group Operations Director, responsible for land, planning, design and technical, production and supply chain functions. Jennie has over 20 years’ experience in the house building industry, and will represent large PLC builders on the Board.
Katy Jordan
Board Member
Katy Jordan is a real estate professional with over 25 years’ experience in residential developments. Currently, Katy is Managing Director of Storey Homes and has previously worked as a quantity surveyor. Katy will represent small builders on the Board.
Paul Smee
Board Member
Paul Smee is Chair of the Conveyancing Association. Paul is also on the Board of the Social Housing Regulator and used to be Director General of the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
Nicholas Boys Smith
Board Member
Nicholas Boys-Smith is the founding Director of Create Streets, a social enterprise encouraging urban homes in terraced streets, not multi-storey buildings. Alongside this, Nicholas has been appointed by the Government to establish a quango responsible for driving up housing design standards and was co-chair of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission.
Steve Wood
Board Member
Steve Wood is CEO of NHBC (National House Building Council), having joined the Board in July 2017. Steve has worked in the insurance industry for 40 years and his previous roles include CEO of Paymentshield (part of Towergate Insurance) and UK Managing Director at Ecclesiastical Insurance. Steve will represent warranty providers on the board.
Natalie Elphicke OBE MP
Chairman
Natalie Elphicke is a national specialist in complex housing policy who, prior to her election to Parliament in 2019, advised central and local government over a number of years. This has included as an expert adviser to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on the development of the national strategy for estate regeneration, as well as the influential independent Elphicke-House Report 2015 on the role of local authorities in housing supply, which re-set the direction of government policy in this area.
Natalie’s professional background is as a barrister, solicitor and a law firm partner, where, as a top ranked UK lawyer she had been described as “probably the best in the City” in her specialist area of housing finance. She has held senior non-executive board director roles for many years, including as Chair of audit and risk committees at FTSE-250 equivalent companies.
Natalie’s other interests include voluntary work at her local homeless shelter and as a founder member of the Housing & Finance Institute. She was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2015 for her services to housing.
In view of her housing expertise, Natalie was appointed as the independent New Homes Quality Champion in summer 2019 and has overseen the strategic development and then implementation of the New Homes Quality Board and New Homes Ombudsman.
Douglas Cochrane
Deputy Chair
Douglas Cochrane recently retired from Lloyds Banking Group (LBG), following a 41-year career in a variety of senior positions. His career started in LBG with the then Halifax Building Society. Latterly Douglas held the position of Head of Housing Development -where he was responsible for the Banks retail relationships with the house building and affordable housing sectors.
Alongside this, Douglas was an active member of NHBC’s Scottish Committee serving two terms on the National Council. Douglas chaired the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), subsequently UK Finance, Scottish Mortgage Committee on two occasions. A regular contributor and advisor on housing matters, Douglas is currently a member of Holyrood’s Ministerial Working Group on Cladding & Mortgages and a consultant to the Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) Group, and frequently contributes to housing policy debates.
Douglas has been leading on the work on development of the New Homes Code for the sector over the last four years.
Steve Turner
Board member
Steve Turner is Director of Communications for the Home Builders Federation (HBF). Steve qualified as a Civil Engineer before moving into journalism and then communications. Steve has led on HBF’s work with regards to putting a New Homes Ombundsman Service (NHOS) in place since 2016
Contact Us
Note: The NHQB cannot yet advise or act on any consumer complaints or issues. Consumers with problems with their new homes should;
- Contact their builder who has a responsibility to deal with all issues in the first two years of occupation (note, if a builder does not deal with a complaint to the satisfaction of a consumer they should contact their warranty provider if they offer a dispute resolution service e.g. NHBC.)
- Contact their warranty provider about issues with a new home in years 3-10
- Contact the consumer code with complaints about their builders’ performance
If you would like to get in touch about our work please fill in the form below or email info@nhqb.org.uk.
For media enquiries please contact media@nhqb.co.uk
*Note: The NHQB cannot yet advise or act on any consumer complaints or issues. Consumers with problems with their new homes should;
- Contact their builder who has a responsibility to deal with all issues in the first two years of occupation (note, if a builder does not deal with a complaint to the satisfaction of a consumer they should contact their warranty provider if they offer a dispute resolution service e.g. NHBC.)
- Contact their warranty provider about issues with a new home in years 3-10
- Contact the consumer code with complaints about their builders’ performance