FMB recommends national strategy for repairs and maintenance

Following the publication of the ONS Construction Output Report for September, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have recommended that the Government develop a National Retrofit Strategy to boosting the repairs and maintenance sector which is now in dire need of revival.

The statistics, which were published on the report, showed repairs and maintenance to be consistently declining across all subsectors within construction, with private housing repair displaying a decrease in output of some three per cent.

The Chief Executive of the FMB, Brian Berry stated: “Homeowners are holding off upgrading and improving their homes due to political and economic uncertainty. The increase in construction output seen in Quarter Three masks the fact that the repair and maintenance sector has contracted, the bread and butter sector of the construction industry and one which keeps thousands of builders active and in work.

“This contraction in the private domestic sector even led to a fall in output in September, compared to the previous month. The UK has some of the oldest housing stock in Europe, that urgently needs upgrading.

“At a time when the Government has set an ambitious target of net zero carbon by 2050, we need to be rolling out energy efficiency measures across our existing housing stock, full steam ahead. However, uncertainty is holding us back.

“In order to boost consumer confidence, the new Government must create a National Retrofit Strategy that sets out how to encourage home owners to upgrade England’s housing stock to the highest levels of energy efficiency.

“This will not only help reach the 2050 target but will also address the scourge of fuel poverty which puts a strain on our educational institutions and the NHS. We need to urgently reverse the decline in the repair and maintenance sector which keeps so many builders active in the industry.”

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