Pressure on the government to slash VAT on repairs from 20 to five percent is increasing following a decline in construction workforce numbers. The Federation of Master Builders, FMB, has called on the government to cut VAT on home improvements to boost jobs. It points to yesterday’s purchasing managers’ index, which recorded good output levels of 53.1 for October, above the 50 no-change marks, but a decline in headcounts. The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply group director Duncan Brock [...]

SMEs would like the government to ensure smaller plots of land are also available when it comes to disposal of public land, according to a Federation of Master Builders’ survey. The trade body’s members would also like an Ofsted-style system for rating local planning authorities to help improve efficiency. The Federation said one in three of its members want the planning system reformed to help the smaller developer whose contribution to housebuilding has dwindled from 40 percent in the 1980s [...]

Residential property transactions increased by more than 20 percent in September compared with August sales. However, September’s figures of 98,010 showed a 0.7 percent dip in the same month last year according to customs and revenue statistics. The chancellor Rishi Sunak attributed September’s positive results to his stamp duty holiday on properties up to £500,000 in value which was introduced in July. He was upbeat about the data claiming a rise in house moves would have a positive effect on [...]

 Housebuilders have defended proposed planning changes allowing up to 40 to 50 homes to be built before an ‘affordable homes’ quota kicks in. Last week the Local Government Association criticised the government for the proposals, which it claimed would have resulted in 30,000 fewer homes being built over the last five years. But the National Federation of Builders, NFB, said raising the limit from the current ten homes threshold to 40 or 50 would allow more small developers to build [...]