Small sites will help solve the housing crisis

April 23, 2019

RenKap will deliver an online platform where housing associations and local authorities can upload their unused small sites.

Through its geovation accelerator programme, which awards grants to help Ordnance Survey and HM Land Treasury make better use of their data, the Government has announced funding for 7 property and geospatial start-ups.

This includes RenKap, an online marketplace working to alleviate the housing crisis by scaling the delivery of affordable homes.

Working alongside development professionals, RenKap will deliver an online platform where housing associations and local authorities can upload their unused small sites. Through the platform, RenKap will review, procure and manage the delivery of high-quality homes, inviting builders and off-site manufacturers to bid to deliver them.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) welcomes RenKap’s ingenuity and motivation and believes small sites are vital in solving the housing crisis.

Local authorities, who are responsible for allocating housing sites, have been rather poor in enabling small sites and have instead focused on meeting housing need with large, often controversial, sites. They have also opposed the introduction of small sites registers, lobbied against a minimum percentage of small sites in local plans, and routinely disregarded small brownfield sites.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “Small sites are built more quickly and are already part of our communities. They are also delivered by SMEs who train around 80% of construction apprentices and employ within 15 miles of their head office. They help the industry grow and deliver more sustainable employment. We need more of them.”

Rico Wojtulewicz of the House Builders Association (HBA) said: “Local authorities have resisted many attempts to get more small sites delivered. Any opportunity to get an increased number of them through planning is a major step forward in solving the housing crisis.”

National Federation of Builders

The National Federation of Builders is a United Kingdom trade association representing the interests of small and medium-sized building contractors in England and Wales.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Two Weeks to Go for First Phase of Renters’ Rights Act

With just two weeks until the first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act comes into effect, letting agents across England are being urged to ensure they are fully prepared for the significant operational and compliance changes ahead. From 1 May 2026, the new legislation will introduce wide-ranging reforms to tenancy structures, possession processes and rent…
Read More →
Breaking News

Housing Insight Report: February 2026

The housing market shows steady activity, ongoing challenges with sales agreed rising slightly and stock levels stable, while affordability pressures and longer transaction times continue to strain buyers and sellers. Demand is strong in the rental sector, with significant competition among tenants despite only a modest increase in available properties. Rents have remained relatively stable…
Read More →
Breaking News

London boasts biggest property market gap

UK’s property price gaps exposed: London tops with £838k difference between top and bottom of the market The latest research from eXp UK has revealed the scale of the price divide between the most and least expensive property markets across each region of the UK, with three areas seeing average house price gaps of more…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

Questions raised over tenant-agent trust gap

New research from Propoly has found that while over half of tenants describe their letting agent as professional, quick to respond to queries, and efficient in handling maintenance issues, issues still exist, particularly a widespread suspicion that agents are not working in the tenants’ favour. Propoly commissioned a survey of 1,000 UK tenants* to understand…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

29 is the age house sharing becomes ‘embarrassing’

but 11% still do it, according to new Nationwide research That equates to 27 million admitting they have felt embarrassed about their living situation With 69% saying living alone is unaffordable, it’s no surprise the average age of those in house shares is 35 From moving home (12%) to living with an ex (10%), as…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

1 in 5 London Homes Listed in Last 30 Days

The latest research from London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, reveals that one in five homes currently for sale in London have been added to the market within the last 30 days, as sellers respond to strong buyer demand. Demand for London homes is strong Benham and Reeves has analysed current residential property…
Read More →