South: Cross-party focus on housing and infrastructure will deliver jobs and growth, says Get Britain Building plan

Cross-party consensus on how best to deliver new housing and infrastructure projects would result in 200,000 new jobs in the construction sector, according to the industry’s leading organisations.

The call came at the launch of the Get Britain Building 2020 Delivery Plan which makes the case for using construction as a driver of jobs and growth and includes a range of recommendations for the next Government, covering the period 2015 to 2020.

The Modern Masonry Alliance, Federation of Master Builders (FMB), Home Builders Federation and Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) represent the major players in the construction and housing industry from the manufacturers of bricks and blocks, to the suppliers of building materials, right through to both the large and small builders.

Mike Leonard, chief executive of the Modern Masonry Alliance, said: “While much has been achieved since we launched the Get Britain Building Campaign in 2009, the biggest opportunities to secure more homes, jobs, growth and a balanced economy still lie ahead of us. It is imperative that we begin to develop 30-year local development plans to create the confidence required to secure inward investment in infrastructure, manufacturing, distribution and land, and attract young people into the sector by offering long term meaningful career prospects.”

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “Today we put forward a range of sound actions and recommendations for the next Government to ensure it fully realises the potential of our sector and allows us to help deliver its aims of increasing the pace of economic growth and job creation, and reducing our carbon emissions. We are calling on the next Government to put housing and construction at the heart of its five-year plan.”

John Slaughter, director of external affairs at the Home Builders Federation, said: "Home builders are already stepping up their investment in skills as the market recovers. A firm commitment by the next Government to policies that enable the industry to increase supply will help tackle our housing crisis and give the industry the confidence to create the jobs our young people need. Communities across the country stand to benefit greatly."

John Newcomb, managing director of the BMF, said: “Supporting both house building and the upgrading of existing homes, the building supply chain is vital to the UK economy. Ensuring continued investment in manufacturing and distribution requires clarity and certainty. We need to know what we can expect from the next Government. Once policy is set, we also need continuity with no sudden changes of policy direction, levels of public funding or delivery arrangements, as we have seen so often in the past.”