COMMENT
Spring forward? Or backwards?
W
hen does a target become a plan? When there are measurable elements in place to ensure that what is planned actually happens.
Without the methods of delivery, a target remains just that. Something to aim for, but not necessarily to be achieved.
This could apply to pretty much any area of modern life but, in case you’re wondering why it seems familiar, I am, of course, referring to the Government’s plan to build 1.5m houses by the end of this Parliament.
Many in the construction sector had hoped that the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s recent Spring Statement might provide a little more clarity on how such an ambitious target would be achieved. Clearly, those hopes had largely faded by the time the details emerged. There was no great reveal, no detailed roadmap. Did we really expect anything else? Not really. Rabbits appear to be in short supply in this particular Chancellor’s hat. The UK has already committed close to £1 trillion to infrastructure investment in the coming years. On paper, that is bucketloads of cash, showing serious intent to transform our built environment. Money helps to build houses, railways, roads and pipelines, certainly. But not as much as people. Alas in this sector, the workforce gap remains stubbornly unresolved. Even as the wider economy slows, construction faces the problem of a chronic shortage of skilled tradespeople. Bricklayers, electricians, carpenters and groundworkers remain in short supply. Sites are ready to move forward, projects are approved, yet the hands that do building are missing.
In that context, the Office for Budget
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EDITORIAL
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Responsibility’s revised forecast for GDP growth, which it downgraded to 1.1% for 2026, isn’t what you’d call a comfort. Weaker growth outlook inevitably feeds uncertainty, and it’s the uncertainty that’s the killer to investment. The Spring Statement did touch on apprenticeship reforms and funding support for SMEs. Yes, both of those are positive steps, but they are also tomorrow solutions to today’s problem. Training a skilled tradesperson takes years, not months.
In the meantime, the industry’s skills pipeline remains constrained. Anecdotal evidence suggests many trades are already at full capacity, not holding back from new work because of caution, rather because they simply cannot get hold of the labour required.
The UK’s planning system is still complex and slow. Without action - conordinated action at that - across workforce development, planning reform and SME support, the industry’s capacity will remain stretched.
For now, the Government’s housing and infrastructure commitments remain. What appears more limited is the wiggle room that the Chancellor has at her disposal. As time goes on there are fewer opportunities to do something, fiscally or structurally. Until the systems required to deliver them are fully in place, ambitous targets remain just that - targets. And those 1.5 million homes will stay an aspiration rather than a workable, achieveable, buildable plan. BMJ
Fiona Russell-Horne Group Managing Editor - BMJ
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CIRCULATION
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July 2018-June 2019: 7,801 SUBSCRIPTIONS
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“
The new spring brings no new shoots out on the withered tree George Eliot
”
CONTENTS 4 Newsround
What’s happening in the sector 8 News Extra
Exploring Making Tax Digital 10 People
Who’s moving where 11 Rising Stars
City Plumbing’s Emily Wickham shares her industry insight
12 Viewpoint Our guest columnists share their insights
14 Merchant Focus BMJ speaks to Thompson & Leigh and Jewson
19 NMBS Preview The latest from the NMBS
22 Sustainability Special Looking at sustainability throughout the industry
30 Apprenticeships
What the industry can do to bridge the gap between theory and practice
34 Landscaping Exploring outdoor spaces
40 Painting and Decorating Exploring industry trends in decorating
42 Plumbing and Heating What merchants should look for when choosing a brand
43 Doors and Windows Futureproofing homes
46 Industry voice What’s new from the BMF
48 Product News New stuff to stock and sell
50 And finally News and the Prize Crossword March 2026
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 3
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