CPA Writes To Government With Wish List Ahead Of Autumn Statement -

THE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION (CPA) has written a wish list of government actions to help the construction industry avoid recession and boost its ability to reduce carbon emissions.

The CPA emphasises the contribution of the construction industry to productivity and economic growth. It points out that approximately 75% of all construction products used in the UK are manufactured in the country. This accounts for a third of the turnover of the construction industry.

Broken down into three sections, the five-page letter has headings of housing; infrastructure delivery; and investment, performance and UK competitiveness.

CPA Wish List

For housing, the CPA advocates an 18-month equity loan scheme to replace Help to Buy and boost new build sales. It also calls for a retrofit policy to provide stability for investors and energy efficiency measures to be tied to Stamp Duty taxes. Lastly, planning reform and funding are called for.

With regard to infrastructure, the CPA supports plans to boost repair and maintenance in this sector, saying it’s a quick stimulus for the economy. Such funding would have avoided the “potentially disastrous situation” now faced by RAAC.

The National Infrastructure and Construction Pipelines need to be reaffirmed, the CPA says. It adds government needs to audit projects properly and implement the Construction Playbook, as well as bring major housing projects into the Pipeline’s view. Lastly, it calls for government to embed the whole life value of projects when assessing procurement.

Under the investment, performance and UK competitiveness heading, a green industrial strategy is recommended to provide stability and encourage investment. Low carbon energy supply is seen as a priority for many high energy consuming businesses and the CPA asks government to address issues around this. Another area the trade body would like to see government action is that of skills, particularly providing additional incentives for apprenticeships in areas of acute shortages. Lastly, it asks for “proper funding” of the building safety regulator and the construction products regulator.

In the parting paragraph, the CPA asks for a long-term commitment from government to its main policy priorities in order to provide certainty to invest.

The full letter is published on the Construction Products Associate website.

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