'A present-day emergency': Govt urged to support housebuilding

Construction leaders are demanding urgent government action to help encourage housebuilding - warning that the industry is facing "a present-day emergency".

Builders, tradespeople and businesses have united behind a national campaign calling for an emergency package of measures to "get Britain building again".

Calling for immediate action, a representative from builders' merchants chain Jewson said: "This is no longer a future challenge; it is a present-day emergency.

"Construction sits at the heart of the British economy and infrastructure. It delivers homes, jobs and investment in every town across Britain, yet the sector is under enormous pressure from every direction.

"If the government wants growth, it needs to support the people and businesses that are physically building the country."

He added that material costs have risen by around 40% since 2020 and are "expected to increase further in the years ahead".

The newly launched Let's Get Britain Building - NOW! campaign says Britain is facing a housing shortfall of approximately 6.5 million homes.

To close that gap by 2040, it says around 565,000 homes would need to be built every year - but current projections suggest the annual number of new homes is likely to only reach 305,000 by 2029.

The campaign adds that nearly 4,000 construction firms became insolvent in the year to February 2026, making construction the worst-affected sector in the country's economy in terms of business failures.

It is making three urgent policy demands:

? Replacement of support schemes that helped buyers enter the market, such as reducing deposit requirements, expanding mortgage access and stamp duty relief

? Removal of VAT on building materials and on the refurbishment of existing homes

? Reform of the "slow, costly and unpredictable" planning system

Ashley Woodcock, a painter and decorator, said he has taken on a second job as a milkman to supplement his income.

"Everyone agrees Britain needs more homes, but the reality on the ground is that it is becoming harder and harder for tradespeople," he said.

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A spokesperson from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "We're leaving no stone unturned to build the homes this country needs, and we know that to achieve this we need a thriving construction sector.

"This is why we've launched major planning reforms and invested billions to make housebuilding quicker, easier and more cost-effective for developers alongside investing £39bn to build the social and affordable homes this country needs."

The campaign's demand comes after Andy Burnham laid out a plan his likely premiership on Monday, stating in a wide-ranging speech that a new "Number 10 North" would oversee "the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war".

The former Manchester mayor also said he would focus on higher-density development in existing towns, to both reinvigorate high streets and protect green spaces from development.

(c) Sky News 2026: 'A present-day emergency': Govt urged to support housebuilding