Welsh homebuilder Llanmoor Homes welcomes news of the launch of the New Homes Quality Board

This week marks the launch of the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB), the body that will be responsible for putting the framework in place within which a New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) will sit.

The organisation will be charged with ensuring that developers deliver good-quality homes and that homeowners have greater consumer protection.

The NHQB will be an important advisory body and will help to consult on and introduce a new industry code of practice for builders, as well as appoint the New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS), which will be there to support homeowners when in disputes against the builders of their homes.

It is hoped that the body will offer support to those looking to buy a new build property by introducing effective measures that will require developers to have effective complaints procedures in place and specified timelines in which they have to respond to buyers that raise complaints. If they do not adhere to these measures, buyers will be able to refer them to the NHOS.

However, it has not yet been confirmed as to whether Welsh Government will be following the lead of and working alongside Westminster as to introducing exactly the same scheme here in Wales at the same time as in England. Llanmoor is calling for Welsh Government to confirm that it will also support the scheme here in Wales.

Tim Grey, Sales Director of Llanmoor Homes, said: “We welcome yesterday’s launch of the New Homes Quality Board and its work to put a new homes ombudsman in place.

“There is a clear desire that the service is taken on by the devolved Governments, including Wales. We do, of course, already follow the principles of the Consumer Code for Home Builders which sets out minimum standards of service to our clients – we have been signed up since its introduction. But we also recognise that more must be done to give people in Wales confidence in the quality of the new homes constructed by the new build industry and reassurance that there is a method of redress in the instance that homeowners have any disputes with the builders as to their brand new home in addition to the protection offered by the Warranty provider and Consumer Code for Home Builders.

“We look forward to hopefully working closely with Welsh Government and NHQB to ensure the housebuilding industry is delivering brand new homes of the highest possible quality. We at Llanmoor continue to focus on achieving consistently high standards of service and quality for our home buyers and any further measures to ensure that buyers of new homes have a method of redress in the event of disputes should be welcomed.”