New Government’s Agenda for Construction – with Industry Comment

TODAY saw a landslide election win for the Labour Party and Sir Keir Starmer  – so what is the agenda for construction?

The Labour manifesto has pledged to reinstate UK housebuilding targets delivering 1.5 million houses (including social housing) over the next five years of Labour’s parliamentary term of office.

Pledging to stabilise government, grow the economy and make Britain the best place to start and grow a business, Labour has also promised to support renewables and insulation measures.

Agenda for Construction

Specific manifesto commitments include creating a National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, bringing together the Infrastructure and Projects Authority and the National Infrastructure Commission to set strategic infrastructure priorities – something long called for by the construction industry.

The Labour manifesto also promised to reform the planning regime with a presumption in favour of development, update compulsory purchase compensation rules to speed up building projects and create new towns.

It has also said it will establish a Great British Energy company to generate clean energy, devolve transport policy and target pothole repairs.

INDUSTRY COMMENTARY

Engage Quickly

Peter Caplehorn, CPA CEO

Peter Caplehorn, Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association, said:

“We welcome the new Government and opportunity for change.  The expectation from our industry is that this Government will understand the importance of construction and manufacturing for the wider economy and keep its manifesto promise of developing an industrial strategy to help such businesses prosper.

“We expect to engage with new Ministers quickly if they are to realise their ambitious goals for housebuilding, infrastructure, energy efficiency and a skilled workforce.

“A renewed focus on our trading and regulatory relationship with Europe needs attention to address the outstanding issues after Brexit, which although complex do need resolving very soon as they only serve as an obstacle to growth. We also look forward to working closely with the new administration on building safety and anticipate their full support for the Code for Construction Product Information.”

Tackling the Skills Crisis

The new Labour Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, has made clear on the steps of Downing Street that building the homes Britain needs will be a key priority for his government, but he will need to take urgent action to tackle the skills crisis to make them a reality, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, commented: “The new Prime Minister’s promise to make building affordable homes a priority will come as welcome news to builders across Britain, as well as those looking to get on to the property ladder and own their own homes. However, the construction industry is experiencing a severe shortage of skilled workers. SME building firms across the country stand ready to join the national effort to tackle the housing crisis, but Labour’s ambitions will only be deliverable by taking serious action to boost the workforce.”

“While the Prime Minister’s promise to rebuild Britain with a clear reset in society, will offer hope to many, it was disappointing to see that tackling the skills crisis was absent from his opening statement of intent. It is essential that the new Government focuses on delivering sustainable long-term growth in the economy, and that will only be achievable by boosting the construction sector, with a long-term action plan for skills.”

Workable Policy

RICS Chief Executive, Justin Young

Justin Young, CEO of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, said: “As Labour prepare to appoint ministers in the coming days, and look to department structures, it is vital that they bestow an urgency to translate the plethora of promises made over the last five weeks into sound and workable policy.

“Policymakers must introduce in a timely manner a programme of policies that speed up development and add significant resource to planning departments up and down the country. This will be particularly pertinent in Labour’s quest to achieve economic growth; many studies have agreed on the positive correlation between GDP growth and the availability of homes. If housing delivery is backloaded towards the end of parliament, then the electorate may not see benefits quickly enough.

“RICS and our members look forward to working with the Labour government to create a greener, more efficient, and highly skilled Britain.”

Monumental Moment

Muyiwa Oki, RIBA President

RIBA President Muyiwa Okisaid: “This is a monumental moment for the UK – and an opportunity for Labour to prove it will deliver on the changes it has committed to.

“Its manifesto doesn’t have all the answers, but it shows ambition – not least to tackle the housing crisis by boosting the delivery of high-quality homes and fixing our broken planning system.

“The time for bold, decisive action to deliver a safer, greener and more equitable built environment is now.

“We look forward to working together over the coming years – bringing architects’ expertise to the table to solve the complex challenges our country faces.”

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