NFRC Offers Chancellor Six Point Plan Ahead of Spring Budget 

NFRC HAS PUBLISHED a Six Point Plan for the Chancellor to help support the roofing and cladding industry recover after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, will be presenting his Spring Budget next Wednesday, 3 March. He is expected to set out the next phase of the government plan to tackle the economic recovery and support jobs.

NFRC is calling on the Chancellor to stimulate investment through policies that boost the construction industry, while also supporting the UK in its goals to reach net zero by 2050 and improve building safety.

NFRC Six Point Plan

NFRC is asking the Chancellor to:

Introduce a Green Annual Investment Allowance (GAIA) to raise the energy efficiency of commercial buildings.

1. Implement the Construction Leadership Council (CLC)’s National Retrofit Strategy to increase the energy efficiency of the UK’s 28 million homes.
2. Reform business rates to encourage the take-up of roof-top solar.
3. Stop the introduction of Reverse Charge VAT.
4. Work with industry to find a resolution to soaring Professional Indemnity insurance premiums.
5. Introduce a Building Safety Upskilling Fund.

James Talman CEO NFRC

Commenting on the Six Point Plan, NFRC CEO, James Talman, said: “Now that the government has set out its roadmap out of lockdown, they must use the Spring Budget as an opportunity to introduce policies to rebuild confidence, stimulate investment, and support the construction industry to build back greener and safer.

“In the short-term, the Chancellor should immediately halt the introduction of Reverse Charge VAT – it’s not too late for a last-minute change in direction on this disastrous policy, which will cause a major headache for many construction firms.

“In the longer term, the government need to stimulate investment in future-proofing our building stock. Buildings contribute to 19 per cent of all the UK’s carbon emissions, and they are some of the least energy efficient in Europe. There is, therefore, a great need to retrofit not only our homes but our commercial building stock too– and roofing has a crucial role to play here, with a quarter of heat being lost through the roof.”

You can read the full NFRC Six-Point Plan here.