The Get Britain Building campaign has been launched at the Welsh Assembly. The campaign is the biggest construction coalition in the UK's history and aims to prevent the predicted 300,000 job losses in the sector.
The campaign has cross party support and argues that current Welsh government proposals do not go far enough in tackling the real problems affecting the Welsh construction industry and the wider housing sector. The Get Britain Building Manifesto is calling on the Government to help the beleaguered construction industry survive the worst recession since 1980 by creating a new business environment framework in which they can work. The Manifesto includes a plea to get banks lending again; a government strategy to refurbish the UK's 26 million homes to make them more energy efficient; encourage the UK Government to cut VAT to 5 per cent for property maintenance; a major increase in new social housing and a defined timetable to complete the Government's planned investment in new schools and hospitals.
Chris Pateman, Managing Director of the Builders Merchants Federation said: "This isn't just a campaign about businesses or figures or even about jobs; it's a campaign about people. It's about those families who find themselves with grown-up children unable to leave home, or elderly parents who need looking after. We all need the government to create conditions in which people can borrow money at sensible rates or have the confidence to invest their savings in those millions of pent-up garage conversions, house extensions and roof insulation jobs that can make an immediate and quantifiable improvement to individual families' quality of life. And, at the same time, improve the quality and energy-efficiency of the built environment, reduce the waiting lists for social housing and take some pride in the size, scope and skills of the nation's largest industry - building."
Martin Clarke, Chief Executive of British Precast said: "It is time for the whole British construction industry to get off its knees, unite together and stop playing the victim - we have a pivotal role in kick-starting the economy by supplying real and sustainable assets in the form of new and improved houses and infrastructure. We have the skilled men and women to do the job, and the materials to build with, the people of Britain have the need, the Government has the land, the power and can generate the funds - it just needs the willpower. Let's Build!"
Richard Jenkins, Federation of Master Builders Wales Director said: "The FMB represents those hardest hit by the recession, the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and the backbone of the economy. During the last recession the UK construction industry lost over 500,000 skilled jobs, we cannot allow that to happen again. We are not asking the Government for a financial bailout, we are simply asking the Government to allow our members to manufacturers to do what they do best and keep building a better Britain."
Mike Leonard, Director of the Modern Masonry Alliance said: "The time has come for the industry to unite and for the Government to take decisive action. Our factories are closing and our skills are being lost. Investing in building will improve lives, provide employment and protect our UK building materials manufacturing capacity, which is vital for all of our futures. The knock on effect when we stop building is massive. We are anxious to work with government to lay the foundations for our country's economic recovery."
ENDS
Note to editors
This release is also available in welsh. English and Welsh speaking spokespeople are also available for interview. Please contact Jayne Curtis on the details below for more information.
Indicators now demonstrate that many firms in the construction sector will struggle to survive in the current market:
- Building prices plummeted 7.5% in last quarter of 2008
- 90,000 predicted job losses for SME builders
- 300,000 construction jobs predicted to be lost across the sector
- House building at its lowest level since 1924
- House prices have fallen by 16% to date
- A record 4.5 million people on council house waiting lists.
- Average monthly value of new orders between May and November 2008 slumped to £2.17 billion (at 2000 constant prices), compared with £2.84 billion in 2007 and £2.87 billion in 2006, a fall of 25 per cent
- According to the FMB State of Trade Survey for Q4 2008, 60% of FMB companies had reported a fall in workloads, a fall for the fourth consecutive quarter.
- According to the FMB State of Trade Survey for Q4 2008, Expectations for the future remain downbeat with 61% expecting lower workloads in quarter one 2009.
- According to the FMB State of Trade Survey for Q4 2008, 71% of private house builders reported fall in workloads.
- Eight construction companies are going insolvent every day, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
It is against this background that the Get Britain Building campaign is calling on the Government to put into action its 10 point manifesto.
The 10 point manifesto to Get Britain Building
1. The UK Government must cut VAT from 17.5 per cent (15 per cent for the next 13 months) to 5% for all building repair and maintenance work.
2. The Welsh Assembly must rapidly develop and implement a coherent strategy to deal with the existing housing stock in Wales and move quickly to implement the recommendations of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report on rural housing in Wales; bringing empty homes back into use and making Wales' existing housing stock more energy efficient.
3. UK Government and the banks must ensure the swift return of responsible lending to prudent borrowers, coupled with the reintroduction of mortgage interest tax relief.
4. The Welsh Assembly must set targets for all Welsh local authorities to identify and release land for social housing sufficient to ensure completion of 6,500 units of affordable housing by 2011, as recommended in One Wales.
5. Central Government must work closely with devolved administrations to drive forward planning reform.
6. Central Government must work closely with devolved administrations to publish public sector spending plans for construction and maintenance of schools, hospitals and prisons to ensure that these projects are completed on schedule.
7. Planning authorities must introduce a section 106 agreement holiday with a subsequent cap on their value; abandon any plans to adopt the proposed Community Infrastructure Levy, in order to make homes more affordable and stimulate development.
8. Public sector bodies must pay their contractors in accordance with Government guidelines and ensure through contract terms that contractors pay their subcontractors with the same punctuality.
9. The Government must reform stamp duty so that it is only applied to the proportion of the value of the house which is in excess of the taxation threshold.
10. The Government must reintroduce empty property rate relief.
Get Britain Building
Get Britain Building is a coalition of organisations from within the construction sector who are calling for the creation of a new business environment to help the UK construction industry thrive and prosper in these difficult times. Get Britain Building has developed a ten point plan which it believes will help the British construction sector survive the recession.
For more information please visit: http://www.getbritainbuilding.org/
The Builders Merchants Federation
The Builders Merchants Federation is the only body to represent the interests of the whole merchant industry throughout the UK in both heavyside and lightside activities. It is the industry's foremost authority on the building supply chain representing the merchant - supplier - contractor route to market. BMF Members benefit from many valuable services - everything from practical advice on up-selling building products at the trade counter to help in dealing with trading standards officers. BMF's mission is to help Members cope with all the legal, technical and bureaucratic issues that affect their businesses.
For more information please visit: http://www.bmf.org.uk/
British Precast Concrete Federation
Tracing its roots back to 1918, The British Precast Concrete Federation (BPCF) is the trade association of precast concrete manufacturers. The main aims of the Federation are to promote precast concrete in the construction market and to disseminate information, through a range of industry representation and by shared knowledge, to add value to its member companies.
Members' interests are continually developed through our team of dedicated professionals who have extensive connections with organisations in the UK and worldwide.
For more information please visit: http://www.britishprecast.org/
The Federation of Master Builders
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is the largest trade association in the UK building industry, representing over 13,000 building companies. Established in 1941 to protect the interests of small and medium-sized building firms, the FMB is independent and non-profit-making, lobbying continuously for members' interests at both national and local levels.
The FMB is a source of knowledge, professional advice and support for its members, providing a range of modern and relevant business building services to save them time and money. The FMB also offers advice to consumers via its find a builder and check a builder websites.
For more information please visit: http://www.fmb.org.uk/
Modern Masonry Alliance
The Modern Masonry Alliance (MMA) is a strategic coalition of interests with a common cause in developing and promoting masonry construction - the bricks, blocks, stone and lintels; the cement and mortar which binds them together; the researcher and techincans advancing the industry; the men and women who build masonry homes, buildings and structures.
For more information please visit: http://www.modernmasonry.co.uk/
Press contact:
JAYNE CURTIS
Media and Communications Manager
Get Britain Building
14-15 Great James Street
London WC1N 3DP
T: 020 7092 3844
M: 07769 687 235
