Recommendations

New Homes

Bring forward land supply and invest in planning resources to increase capacity and create more affordable homes
Create a “help to build fund” to secure the conditions banks require to facilitate lending to small local house builders via Government guarantees on private bank loans
Uphold the National Planning Policy Framework and support its delivery with additional resources
Continue the Help to Buy equity loan scheme for new build until 2030 to provide long term certainty.

Upgrade Existing Homes

The Federation of Master Builders, supported by a range of organisations, including the Building Alliance, has proposed that the construction industry should develop a mandatory licensing scheme for all UK construction companies
Make home energy efficiency a UK infrastructure investment priority
Invest billions in the improvement of our existing 26 million homes, 65.1% of which are in private ownership to reduce fuel poverty and help us to achieve Net Zero 2050
Reduce VAT on housing renovation and repair work from 20% to 5%

Manufacturing and Infrastructure

We ask Government to take full advantage of the low cost of borrowing to invest in capital projects to ensure we have world leading energy capacity, schools, social homes, hospitals, roads and railways
Key projects such as HS2 and Hinkley Point require integration with regional road and rail and energy infrastructure. This will positively enhance regional connectivity and energy security
Facilitate a business environment in which UK based manufacturers of building materials and products are confident to invest. Ensure UK manufacturers energy input prices are competitive with the rest of Europe.

Invest in SMEs

We call upon the Government to prioritise the introduction of a range of measures to support SMEs to grow, innovate, and recruit and train new talent. This is vital to ensuring business continuity and resilience
Mandatory 30-day payment by all levy paying contractors
A training allowance for all SME employees to be spent against CPD training
Encourage banks and building societies to offer low cost loans for home extensions secured against the equity in people’s homes
Introduce streamlined public procurement processes to encourage greater SME participation.

Skills

Work with employers, learners and educators to attract new entrants and increase the take up of construction apprenticeships across the wider construction sector
Widen the scope of the Apprentice Levy funds to support 50% of the first-year wage costs for businesses with fewer than 10 employees who take on an apprentice
Introduce an extensive upskilling programme to encourage continuous improvement across the wider and diverse construction sector
Work with primary, secondary schools and colleges to encourage them to offer pupils detailed advice on vocational routes and apprenticeships.

About us

The Building Alliance, Builders Merchant Federation and the Federation of Master Builders, represent a large cross-section of the construction industry including manufacturers and the smaller companies who are a massive 99.6% of the industry and whose voice is seldom heard or understood.

From its creation in 2008 the Get Britain Building campaign has valued the support of the trade media, a wide cross-section of companies, trade bodies and the construction trade unions.