In conversation with Adam O'Brien, Managing Director at Metis Homes

Hitting targets: how do we achieve the 1.5 million homes?

The government has committed to delivering 1.5 million homes this Parliament. Do you believe this is achievable?

Adam O’Brien: The ambition is right, but numbers are meaningless until government sets out how those homes will actually be delivered. Right now, the biggest barrier remains the planning system where we need to see real change filtering down to decision-makers at local level.

There is huge entrepreneurial capacity and appetite among housebuilders to deliver at scale, but over-regulation and political constraints prevent it from being unlocked. Planning needs to be streamlined, with qualified professionals empowered to make determinations based on evidence. If those issues can be addressed, delivery will follow.

Beyond volume: what should success look like?

Is hitting that headline number the best measure of success for UK housebuilding?

Adam O’Brien: It’s vital that we meet the needs of a growing population, but high standards must be at the heart of that ambition. Delivering homes people can feel proud of and supported by strong local infrastructure, is just as important as volume.

A reformed planning and building control system that also doesn’t constantly move the goalposts without warning, can safeguard this by ensuring that quality and quantity go hand in hand.

The SME Perspective

Do SMEs like Metis take a different approachto these challenges than larger developers?

Adam O’Brien: The fundamental issues affect us all, but for SMEs the stakes are high. The nature of an SME means that each site is precious with cashflow very sensitive. So when regulations shift mid-process, whether that’s on biodiversity, water neutrality or other environmental requirements, it can easily jeopardise an entire financial year and more. Larger developers may be able to absorb those shocks more easily; for SMEs, the impact is immediate and significant.

That said, SMEs have a vital role in housing delivery. With the right reforms, smaller developers could bring forward many more niche and challenging sites that are overlooked by bigger players, adding variety, quality and local focus.

Aligning national ambition with local delivery

Have you seen a shift in how developers are perceived locally now that housing is so high on the political agenda?

Adam O’Brien: From planning officers, yes – there has been some positive progress. But at committee level, local politics can still override sound planning judgment. That disconnect between central ambition and local decision-making is at the heart of the challenge.

If applications recommended for approval continue to be refused, only to succeed at appeal, creating delay, uncertainty and wasted resource, it’s a sign of a system that isn’t functioning as it should. True reform requires alignment between national policy and local practice.

Building trust with communities

What role does community engagement play in moving the industry forward?

Adam O’Brien: It’s crucial. Too often, housebuilders are painted with a broad brush as purely profit-driven. The reality is very different.

It needs to be clearer what value we create: From jobs and training opportunities to infrastructure investment through Section106 and CIL contributions, to the significant tax revenues generated. These are rarely emphasised in planning debates and need to be more widely understood – not to gloss over concerns, but to show the full picture of what development delivers.

I am proud to be a housebuilder. The challenges are significant, the risks high, but the benefits for society and the communities we build in are real and lasting.

A personal drive to deliver

You’ve had an influential career leading an award-winning SME. What drives you personally and keeps you motivated?

Adam O’Brien: For me it’s about rising to challenges and doing so alongside a great team I enjoy working with. Every development takes immense effort – when you see it built, and know the difference it makes to people’s lives, the satisfaction is huge.

As an SME, nothing comes easily. That makes every success well-earned and tangible. And that, for me, is the real reward.

Reform priorities

Finally, what reforms would make the biggest difference to SME housebuilders?

Adam O’Brien: Three major things stand out: Ensuring qualified professionals make planning decisions – where applications are signed off by professional officers and statutory consultees, they should not be derailed by politics.

Statutory timeframes to ensure that well-conceived applications that are decided within clear deadlines, preventing applications drifting for years at a time.

Beyond that, the utilities industry –particularly water and energy companies – must be held accountable for delivery. Greater efficiency and responsibility there would ease many of the environmental constraints currently facing the industry. Developers can only build if infrastructure keeps pace.

Get those fundamentals right, and the sector will deliver the homes the country needs.

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