NEWS EXTRA
INDUSTRY BROADLY WELCOMES NEW
THE STRONG FOCUS by the new Labour administration on its pledges to help the building industry have been welcomed by many merchants.
In the south west, Bradford Building Supplies’ CEO, David Young, said: “We welcome how central house-building has been to the Labour campaign, with commitments to build 1.5 million new homes in England. Now, with this result, we’ll be focused on encouraging the new Government to address the issue of nutrient neutrality, which, if unaddressed, will impede any planning reform and prevent home-building. “We’ll also be holding the new government to account on commitments to improving existing properties. The building materials sector already facilitates energy efficiency and micro-generation solutions at scale, so we look forward to collaborating with private and public sector partners, capitalising on new political momentum on this issue.” Allan Wright, managing director at Civils & Lintels, said: “Labour’s win makes it imperative that they now act quickly to deliver on their campaign promises. A pledge to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament is absolutely to be applauded but will only mean anything once it comes to fruition. “Away from housebuilding, Labour’s pledge to develop a 10-year infrastructure strategy to guide investment plans and provide the private sector with certainty around project pipelines is long overdue as a national concept and should again be welcomed, but
8 GOVERNMENT
The Labour victory in last month’s General Election has been welcomed by many parts of the industry, with a few caveats.
chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves to build 1.5 million new homes across the next five years, and said: “The construction sector is the beating heart of the UK economy, with the performance of the industry indelibly tied to the wider economic health of the country. The policies outlined are a welcome sign that the construction industry is being placed at the heart of the new government’s agenda, and that they are committed to ensuring Britain gets back to building. Ultimately, we believe it’s an exciting time to be a part of UK construction and we are ready to play our part in getting Britain building again.”
The King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament announced many of the new Government’s plans. At building materials manufacturer Wienerberger UK and Ireland Rachel Hughes, marketing director said: “The government’s commitment to “Get Britain building” by reforming planning procedures marks a pivotal moment for the housing and construction industry. We welcome this renewed focus on accelerating housebuilding nationwide.
let’s keep the champagne on ice until we see significant progress in bringing both the concept and more importantly the much-needed projects forward.”
The Builders Merchants Federation is looking forward to working with the incoming Labour Government and is calling for swift action to “Get Britain Building Again”, said CEO John Newcomb. He is urging the new government to recognise the role, value and importance of the building materials supply chain in housing the nation, and talk to the BMF about how they will rise to the challenge in delivering the necessary materials and products to build the 1.5 million new homes pledged by the new government. “Sir Keir, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves have signalled their desire and determination to be ‘the builders, not the blockers’. We welcome the fresh impetus they bring to inject more urgency into building more new homes and to reform the planning system. “We look forward to their much- anticipated Housing Recovery Plan
and hearing what ministers want to do in their first 100 days”. Newcomb emphasised the importance of a nationwide programme of home insulation to cut energy bills, upgrade cold homes and reduce carbon emissions.
Newcomb continued: “We note Labour’s manifesto promise for an additional £6.5 billion to upgrade the energy efficiency of five million homes to cut bills for families. BMF members have a key role to play as they make and deliver the majority of materials and products needed to upgrade properties and improve living standards as we move towards decarbonising homes and electrifying heating.
“But this can only be achieved with unrelenting efforts by government and industry, working together in partnership, to complete the necessary improvements that many households urgently need”. Jo Hodge, director for culture, sustainability and social for building products manufacturer Ibstock, welcomed the pledges from
“While the King’s Speech did not provide specific details on how the government intends to “turbocharge” housebuilding through these reforms, its prominent inclusion in the agenda signifies a proactive approach.” At heating equipment supplier Baxi, director of external affairs and policy, Jeff House said that retrofitting the UK’s existing building stock is perhaps the biggest challenge to address. “At Baxi we believe some key issues which require immediate focus include the cost of natural gas in comparison to that of electricity. “To make heat pumps and electrically driven systems a truly mass-market proposition, the running costs, compared to a gas boiler counterfactual, need to be attractive and lower carbon options should become the affordable, default choice over time.
“With the stated policy ambition to reach an annual market of some 600,000 heat pump installations by 2028 it is abundantly clear that consumer demand needs to ramp up significantly.” BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net August 2024
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