黑洞社区

Construction industry leaders were invited in for high level discussions with the new government last week as Labour in its very first days in power looks to engage the sector ahead of planned reforms.

Last Friday, a group of senior figures in the housing and infrastructure sectors met with Rachel Reeves, the new chancellor, along with Treasury officials at Number 11 Downing Street. 

The delegation included representatives from volume housebuilders Berkeley, Barratt and Taylor Wimpey, energy groups Scottish Power, SSE and National Grid and firms including Jacobs, Skanska and Mace.

Also present was a representative from telecoms firm Open Reach and the chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, Sir John Armitt. 

According to one person close to the talks, industry leaders were 鈥渁sked for feedback and gave feedback good and bad鈥�.

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Business leaders emphasised the importance of a 鈥渏oined-up approach鈥� to investment that is ring-fenced and outlives the current government and stressed the need for consistency on planning requirements and the pipeline of projects.

Another source said 鈥淚 think the government clearly see construction as a catalyst for growth. They鈥檙e just wanting to listen to industry to look at what can we do to get construction going鈥�.

They said that attendees had felt cautiously encouraged by what they had heard. 鈥淚鈥檇 give them 10 out of 10 for intentions鈥�.

鈥淚 think the will is absolutely there. Obviously the challenge is always to make that reality, isn鈥檛 it? And the devil鈥檚 in the detail. But at the moment, I鈥檓 feeling hopeful and positive.鈥� 

Attendees were told that the government wanted to 鈥渒eep this discussion going鈥� and were asked to flag when major projects hit planning blocks. 

鈥淚 think this and other groups will convene again because there was also a group that worked with the advisory panel pre-election with Darren Jones,鈥� one source told 黑洞社区, referring to the new chief secretary to the Treasury, who conducted a major review into infrastructure delivery before Labour鈥檚 electoral victory.

鈥淪o, this was a slightly different mix of that group because we had housebuilding in there, as well as John Armitt. You definitely feel like the door鈥檚 open,鈥� they added.

Reeves has already announced a number of changes relevant to the built environment, scrapping the de-facto ban on onshore wind and re-instating mandatory housing targets. 

The King鈥檚 Speech, which takes place tomorrow, is expected to reveal further changes to planning and infrastructure policy.