At the UKREiiF 2026 Conference, Tate + Co convened the third in its series of roundtables examining small site housing.
Hosted by Jerry Tate and Rebecca Hall and chaired by Akanksha Soni, News Editor at Estates Gazette, the debate Rethinking the SME Developer Economy brought together SME developers, housing associations, registered providers, local authorities, lenders and land specialists to examine the state of the SME developer economy in the United Kingdom. Responsible for around 40% of homes delivered nationally in the 1980s, SME developers now account for a much smaller share of output, with some estimates suggesting as low as 9%.
Our latest report, below, sets out the key findings from the discussion, together with a set of recommendations directed at government, Homes England, local authorities and industry.
“Our great hope for this conversation is that we think of ways to make the delivery process more efficient for small sites, while increasing certainty and keeping design quality high.”
Many thanks to our excellent panel of speakers, including:
- Akanksha Soni, Estates Gazette (Chair)
- Antje Saunders, Sovereign Network Group
- Chris Fletcher, Grainger Plc
- Julia Harrington, Greencore Homes
- Kathryn Reucroft, BRPR
- Michael Holland, Populo Living
- Paul Rickard, Pocket Living
- Phil Jones, Placefirst
- Richard Evans, Distinctive Developments
- Cllr Ruairi Kelly, Glasgow City Council
- Russ Hall, Banks Group
- Simon Finlay, Castle Green Homes
