Another cabinet reshuffle – including the fifth new housing minister in 12 months – will do nothing to ease the woes of SMEs without bold policy action, says the FMB in response to the latest Westminster change-around.
“A new Department for Energy and Net Zero must be followed by a long-term National Retrofit Strategy and funding this side of the General Election to green our homes,” said Chief executive Brian Berry.
“In the seven years since this department’s predecessor was scrapped, we’ve seen retrofit levels tumble, so I hope the Government will seize this renewed opportunity to give small, local builders the confidence they need to train and take advantage of the business potential of a sustained home upgrade programme.
“Yet another housing minister – the fifth in 12 months – raises questions about this Government’s commitment to get Britain building. A sclerotic planning system is pushing the smallest house builders out of business. Small, local developers should be at the heart of levelling up, but they need a Government that backs them with bold support to reverse their decline.”
He concluded: “It can start by ensuring planning departments are properly resourced, and that environmental and energy mitigation measures are applied fairly, mindful of the costs they are pushing on to small building companies.”
