The Construction Industry reacts to the Levelling Up white paper

Early February saw Housing Secretary Michael Gove unveil the government’s flagship Levelling Up Whitepaper which sets out the plans to spread opportunity to all parts of the UK.

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A large part of Boris Johnson’s manifesto during his time as PM, the whitepaper was long-awaited from all corners of the country.

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Enshrined in the whitepaper are twelve cross-government missions that form the policy objectives and form the heart of the government’s agenda for the upcoming decade.

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At the heart of the missions is the narrowing of the economic gap between the best and worst performing areas. For example, by 2030 the government hopes to have the country’s local public transport systems on par with that of London, as well as widespread access to 5G broadband.

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As part of the announcement, Gove said: “Not everyone shares equally in the UK’s success. For decades, too many communities have been overlooked and undervalued. As some areas have flourished, others have been left in a cycle of decline. The UK has been like a jet firing on only one engine.

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“Levelling Up and this White Paper is about ending this historic injustice and calling time on the postcode lottery. This will not be an easy task, and it won’t happen overnight, but our 12 new national levelling up missions will drive real change in towns and cities across the UK, so that where you live no longer determine how far you can go.”

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PM Boris Johnson added: “From day one, the defining mission of this government has been to level up this country, to break the link between geography and destiny so that no matter where you live you have access to the same opportunities.

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“The challenges we face have been embedded over generations and cannot be dug out overnight, but this White Paper is the next crucial step. It is the most comprehensive, ambitious plan of its kind that this country has ever seen, and it will ensure that the government continues to rise to the challenge and deliver for the people of the UK.”

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Here’s how the industry reacted to the Levelling Up White Paper.

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Matt Ace, Director at the Wales office of engineering firm Hydrock believes the document focuses too much on English prosperity compared to the other three nations.

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“Like other parts of the?UK, many communities in Wales continue to experience significant poverty, deprivation and economic stagnation – and the Welsh people deserve better.

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“It’s imperative we derive best value from the funding we do get and create the strongest voice and case for Wales to re-level the playing field in the UK.”

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Jamie Holmes of smart city design firm VU. CITY is heartened to see proposals being brought forward to empower local people to revitalise and improve communities but would like to understand how the government aims to do this.

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“The paper has little detail on how it will simplify the planning system to make it more accessible. We know that digitisation is key to improving efficiency, speeding up decisions and accelerating the levelling up process to support much needed revitalisation in our towns and cities.”

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) notes that for the agenda to succeed, a focus should be put onto local builders.

“Local builders work all across the UK, building much needed new houses, improving existing homes, and offering high quality career opportunities for young people. Builders are at the heart of every single community and are key to making sure people can work locally, train locally and stay local, which uplifts every part of the nation in equal measure.

“Local builders will be critical to the success of this policy and should be considered at each point of its implementation. Similarly, the strategy’s ambition to create locally developed and led skills plans is much needed. Small building companies train 71% of all construction apprentices and have a central role to play in training the next generation of tradespeople and offering highly skilled, highly profitable careers.”

?- Matthew Wood

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