As the General Election approaches The Building Alliance, the BMF (Builders Merchants Federation), and the Federation of Master Builders are calling on the next government to Get Britain Building to help kick start the economy.
The headline asks for the next government are to:
- Kick start new homes delivery
- Deliver Retrofit of existing homes at scale
- Invest in the UK building products industry, decarbonised energy, and training and skills
The “Get Britain Building” campaign’s message to the next government is that investing in UK construction and in particular new home building and retrofit, will help drive the economic recovery the country badly needs as construction affords a strong multiplier effect driven by UK produced goods and skilled labour.
Construction output has suffered over the last twelve months, with a 50% fall in new house starts, a reduction in home renovation and improvement projects, as well as a slowdown in commercial and infrastructure projects. As inflation reduces and with interest rates likely to fall this is the time to change gear and back the UK building products and a construction industry, which is ready to act at pace and provide the economic stimulus the country so badly needs.
A loss of skilled tradespeople, however, remains a particular concern. Construction has a rapidly ageing workforce, with close to a million workers due to retire over the next ten years.
The trade bodies behind the Get Britain Building campaign collectively represent an industry worth over £45 billion pounds and employing over 200,000 people.
The Get Britain Building campaign sets out 10 primary recommendations for the next Government to urgently consider. It offers a blueprint for long term sustainable growth that would deliver the future proofed homes we need using British made building products and skilled labour to support the transition to net zero in the built environment.
Commenting on the opportunity to kick start the economy, Mike Leonard, CEO of the Building Alliance said: “Now is time for change, our economy needs an urgent boost and long-term investment to support British building products manufacturers, build new homes and retrofit our existing building stock. The industry is poised and ready to transform the economic outlook for the country, creating well paid skilled employment and delivering high quality new homes, retrofitting existing buildings and creating a resilient built environment.”
John Newcomb, CEO of the BMF said: “We need fresh impetus from the next government to speed up the building of new homes where they are most needed. If we are to get anywhere near the current 300,000 homes a year target, government must encourage small firms to build affordable homes in their locality. With the right materials, local builders can also provide the backbone of a properly funded nationwide retrofit programme to improve the thermal and energy performance of existing homes. With the national launch of our building materials sector awareness campaign this autumn, we look forward to showing ministers in the new government how building products manufacturers are making a material difference to the built environment of this country.”
Brian Berry, CEO of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) said: “The General Election is a pivotal moment for the UK economy. The next government needs to focus on boosting economic growth which will be dependent on having a ready supply of new homes to increase labour mobility. We are building too few homes and failing to upgrade the ones we have to ensure they will meet the needs of future generations. Now is the opportunity for the main political parties to show ambition and spell out how they will ensure the UK’s economic success in the coming years.”
The detailed recommendations can downloaded at www.getbritainbuilding.org
