The construction industry has responded to the Government’s long-awaited Levelling Up White Paper.
The Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove unveiled the government’s flagship Levelling Up White Paper to set out a plan to transform the UK by spreading opportunity and prosperity to all parts of it.
The Government states it will stimulate a complete ‘system change’ of how government works that will be implemented to level up the UK.
At the heart of this new way of making and implementing policy will be 12 bold, national missions - all quantifiable and to be achieved by 2030. These missions are the policy objectives for levelling up, and thus form the heart of the government’s agenda for the 2020s. They will be given status in law in a flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.
Eddie Tuttle, Director of Policy, External Affairs and Research at CIOB, said: “This white paper presents an opportunity to accelerate change and reshape industries. The construction sector must be at the heart of this, shifting its focus from lowest cost to highest value and to increase its uptake of labour-saving technologies.
“CIOB is supportive of the levelling-up agenda and the 12 missions Government has published today, it cannot be underestimated the importance of listening to the construction industry on how best to deliver these outcomes at a practical level.
“The construction industry continues to be a large contributor to GDP, and it will be at the forefront of delivering these visions and making them a reality through improved infrastructure, town centres and affordable housing that must be underpinned by sustainable development methods and strict adherence to quality. This white paper also has the potential to address skills in the sector in the immediacy, and in the future, and it is important that the Government capitalises on this opportunity.
“The funding must also be delivered to regions in a streamlined and coherent way. With the economy beginning to demonstrate signs of recovery, the confirmation of ‘levelling-up’ stimuli to less prosperous areas of the UK will help to ensure a balanced economic recovery across the country.”
Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said at first look, we see some encouragement, for example on spatial planning, SME finance and compulsory purchase. However, he also said it appeared to be a document full of already announced schemes, funding and strategies.
Rico Wojtulewicz, head of housing and planning policy for the House Builders Association (HBA), said: “Planning policy is the opportunity enabler and therefore without a commitment to planning reform, levelling up will be business as usual. The broken, party-political planning process hinders the building of new schools and hospitals, makes transport projects delayed and more expensive, stops new employers taking on skilled workers because they cannot find commercial space, and is the reason we have a housing crisis.
“The Government thinks brownfield in Bradford will help get homes built in brownfield-less Barnstaple. That developers should placemake; despite councils deciding where homes are permitted to be built. And that it will oversee homes built in the North to support new jobs, even though many councils are already building more than 200% of the minimum housing targets. This doesn’t feel like a revolution for Britain but rather an evolution of how to sell a slogan.”
Simon McWhirter, Director of Communications, Policy & Places at UKGBC, said the White Paper is a missed opportunity to tackle the scourge of poor housing – a major national home retrofit programme is urgently required to insulate Britain’s left-behind areas from soaring gas prices, and to create tens of thousands of green jobs exactly where they’re most needed.
“Equally disappointing, is that the Paper is silent on how government intends to support the two thirds of UK households which are owner-occupied, which need to upgrade their draughty, cold homes,” he continued.
“A new ambition to bring only half of private rented homes up to a decent standard by 2030 is disappointing, as all private landlords are already required to meet a higher energy efficiency standard than that being proposed.
“Climate action can be a powerful engine behind regenerating left-behind areas, and improving both people’s quality of life and the quality of their neighbourhoods. This is a clear and worrying gap in the Government’s vision of how to improve life chances and opportunities across the nation.
“We welcome the announcement of a new wave of devolution; as it’s essential that we give more decision-making powers to the people on the ground who know their area best; from the quality of the housing to the needs of its residents. Local and devolved governments have been a driving force behind progress to improve homes and places and meet Net Zero targets. However, this will need to be coupled with significant new funding if we are to see a step change in the quality of life in the UK’s left-behind communities.”
Gillian Charlesworth, CEO of BRE, welcomed the White Paper’s intention to improve people’s wellbeing and standards of living by enhancing the quality of the UK’s housing stock. “We are pleased to see recognition of the links between the economy, health, and the built environment but we really need to see more detail on the measures required to deliver these outcomes,” she said.
“Local authorities will need clear support and direction if they are to deliver high quality housing within the community – but how in practice this can be achieved was missed by today’s paper. Many local authorities have already struggled as successive budget cuts have limited their capacity to focus on delivering the levelling up agenda. We hope to see further detail on the Government’s plans to support them with the skilled people, financial resources and data that they need.
“Another key area of opportunity missing from today’s White Paper is a clear and long-term plan for decarbonising our buildings and training the hundreds of thousands of retrofit workers needed to deliver net zero. Measures that support a clear and effective plan to improve the quality and sustainability of the UK’s housing stock should be at the forefront of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda – but today’s paper signals a missed opportunity to outline this.”
Clive Betts MP, LUHC Committee Chair, said: “Local councils are key to
delivering the levelling-up agenda. The White Paper is welcome but, while it
mentions a devolution framework, it does not appear to set out the new
resources and the new extra powers which will be available for local councils
to help them better serve their communities and boost the provision of services
in their areas.
“This White Paper needs to be more than just a collection of existing
policies. The Government needs to be accountable for progress towards these
goals, the policies need to be strategic to these ends, and the metrics must be
meaningful.
“Local councils have faced a range of financial pressures in recent years,
including increased demand for services, especially in social care, and these
budgetary challenges have been exacerbated by Covid-19. If levelling up is
going to be successful, councils will require the resources to play their part
and deliver for communities across the country.
“Financial devolution will be crucial to the future success of devolution.
This is one of a number of areas in the White Paper that the LUHC Committee
will be keen to follow up in the future.”
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the
FMB welcomed the announcement of the Government’s Levelling Up
White Paper, containing a number of recommendations that have the potential to
boost small, local builders.
“Local builders work all across the UK, building much needed new houses,
improving existing homes, and offering high quality career opportunities for
young people,” he said. “Builders are at the heart of every single community
and are key to making sure people can work locally, train locally and stay
local, which uplifts every part of the nation in equal measure. For levelling
up to be a success, effective and joined up working across government
departments will be vital.
“For local housebuilders, loans through the Home Building Fund should be
targeted at reversing the decline in SME housebuilders, who are now delivering
only 12% of our housing stock, down from 40% in the 1980s. Local housebuilders
develop on underutilised land that will be vital for hitting housing targets.
However, these plans must make sure we’re helping to deliver new homes where
demand is highest.
“It’s positive that the Government is taking steps to improve the quality
and energy efficiency of our existing housing stock in the private-rented
sector. Local builders will be critical to the success of this policy and
should be considered at each point of its implementation. Similarly, the
strategy’s ambition to create locally developed and led skills plans is much
needed. Small building companies train 71% of all construction apprentices, and
have a central role to play in training the next generation of tradespeople and
offering highly skilled, highly profitable careers.”
