The next Mayor of London must back the needs of builders in the city to train the next generation of tradespeople and produce greener homes, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) London, following the recent launch of its Programme for the London Mayor.
These calls follow a recent survey of London Master Builders asking which policies affected their businesses the most. The survey said that builders’ top three priorities are encouraging the next generation into construction, greening London’s homes, and ensuring builders can access the city practically and affordably.
Provide builders with access to workplace
FMB London called on the next mayor to assess the impact road closures and restricted travel and parking areas have on small to medium-sized enterprise builders, and consider exempting tradespeople from such restrictions. Furthermore, ensure that builders comply with potential new boundary tax initiatives in Greater London by mitigating their impact through considerations such as exemptions and grants to upgrade their fleet to greener vehicles.
Provide access to skilled labour
Develop a strategic plan to support and incentivise people into careers in construction. Analysis by the Institute for Public Policy forecasts that 750,000 construction workers could retire within the next 15 years, and with just 20.3% of construction workers aged under 30, without intervention, the number of skilled workers will drop.
Long-term plan to cut carbon from buildings
FMB members stand ready to work with the Mayor to meet this challenge in London, but London builders will need to reskill and upskill which requires investment.
Sam Eden, director of FMB London, said: “Local builders are at the heart of training the next generation of London’s tradespeople and greening our homes, but they need more support to do so. The next London Mayor must back builders by supporting policies that matter the most to them.”
He concluded: “This year we celebrate 80 years since the FMB was founded by a consortia of builders wanting to re-build London after the Blitz. It is only fitting that local builders are once again at the forefront of helping London to re-build after the coronavirus pandemic, by supporting our communities with new jobs and quality, sustainable places to live and work.”
Meanwhile in Wales…
What’s more, FMB Cymru has launched its Programme for Welsh government 2021 – 2026 (English/Cymraeg), which includes key asks based on a recent survey of builders in Wales. The survey asked builders to rank their priorities in order of importance to their business. The most popular answers were:
- Reform the planning system to provide local firms with more opportunities to build homes within their own communities
- Increase investment in vocational skills training to ensure that building companies have access to the skilled labour they require
- Incentivise homeowners to carry out energy efficiency measures in their homes, and ensure that local builders are at the heart of delivering this work.
Ifan Glyn, director of FMB Cymru, said: “The next Welsh government must put local builders at the heart of their plans to rebuild our post-COVID economy. Builders stand ready to deliver the homes that we need, train the next generation of tradespeople, and to drive our green revolution. However, after what has been a very challenging year, they need greater support to do so.”
