With the construction sector continuing to make the biggest contribution to the UK’s improving economic growth, backed by recent Government initiatives, the organisers of the industry’s leading event Ecobuild are responding to an increasingly confident housebuilding industry in its plans for 2016.
George Osborne’s Productivity Plan demonstrates the Government’s commitment to housing and to maintaining the sector’s steady upward momentum. Unlocking planning and essential brownfield sites will help to continue the upward growth in housebuilding this year, which saw the largest numbers of starts on site since 2007 in Q1 at 40,340. Following forecasts that the construction sector as a whole would grow 5.3% this year*, it was the major contributor to the increase in the Government’s figures on GDP of 0.4 per cent for the UK in Q1. This performance will be bolstered by the welcome recent announcements for housebuilders.
Housing is the Government’s key priority for wider productivity, as evidenced by the recent Productivity Plan, as well as the Manifesto commitment to build 200,000 starter homes over the life of the current Parliament. With a stable government able to enact policies to support the industry, such as granting automatic planning permission on suitable brownfield sites and funding for development zones, the outlook is positive for the housebuilding sector.
Providing a platform for discussion and an opportunity to share the progress being made across the industry, Ecobuild is the must-attend event of 2016. In response to the critical importance of housing, event organisers UBM have dedicated the first day of Ecobuild 2016’s conference streams to the housing sector with a variety of targeted sessions. Delegates will be able to hear from professionals across the industry, as well as Government representatives, on how the budgets being committed to housebuilding are contributing to developments on the ground and how the planning reforms are working in practice. In addition the conference will cover the crucial macro drivers which are affecting housing demand, including urbanisation, population growth, and changing demographics.
Alison Jackson, Group Director, Exhibitions, UBM EMEA Built Environment, commented: “We are delighted that the Government has decided to put housing at the top of its agenda for growth, and that it has put measures in place to see delivery happen across our industry. Established as its leading conference and exhibition, Ecobuild 2016 is perfectly placed to report on and discuss the initiatives which will mean substantial results for the construction sector.”
Ecobuild 2016 takes place from March 8-10, 2016 at London’s ExCeL.