Let’s Get Britain Building – NOW!

Britain’s building and construction sector is in crisis. Slow, costly and contradictory planning processes, chronic skills shortages, and a collapse in public confidence are pushing one of our most vital industries to the brink.

The system is broken. Despite years of consultations with housebuilders, policy discussions have yet to translate into meaningful action. With economic growth flatlining and global instability adding further pressure, the Government must stop deliberating and start building, in genuine partnership with the professionals who know how.

We’re calling on Government to build certainty and confidence in the market: Provide financial incentives for people to buy or improve their homes; Implement a simpler, faster and cheaper rules-based planning consent process, powered by AI; Incentivise careers in building and construction, accelerating workforce training and talent attraction, to help upgrade existing and deliver the new housing stock and quality required.

We're petitioning for

Britain cannot grow without building. Yet the construction sector – one of our most critical economic engines – is being held back by high financing costs, planning gridlock, labour shortages, and rising compliance burdens. The result? Too few homes, stalled regeneration, and delayed national infrastructure. No incentives for young people to build a career in construction. With forecasts showing that construction output could surge by 10% in 2026 and 11% in 2027 if barriers are removed, this is the moment for bold government action.

The solution is not complicated. The housebuilding industry would materially benefit from a pro-building stimulus package, including: simpler, faster and cheaper rules-based planning – powered by AI; a package of demand-stimulus that supports property owners across the housing ladder; and a systemic focus on making ‘building and construction’ an inspirational career of choice, both for secondary school learners and employers looking to support newly skilled colleagues.

The building and construction sector is the backbone of Britain’s economy; Government must act to at least protect the sector’s foundations: deploy AI to accelerate and depoliticise planning decisions; suspend duties on essential heavy building materials; and invest urgently in workforce training and talent attraction. Do this now, and the sector will be ready to surge when confidence returns. Delay, and the window will close.

With support from