Ecobuild latest: The UK Contractors Group urges the chancellor to use budget to put in place a new national retrofit plan to boost green construction
The UK Contractors Group (UKCG) has called on George Osborne to use this month鈥檚 Budget to boost construction through a new plan to retrofit homes across the country.
The UKCG said that despite the upturn in housing, growth in the wider industry remained 鈥渕oderate鈥� and the chancellor should take steps to boost confidence and minimise costs on firms in his Budget statement on 19 March.
The organization, which represents the UK鈥檚 largest contractors, said it wanted to see the government move to boost construction through a national retrofit plan to support energy efficiency work across housing and commercial buildings.
It also called for further progress on delivering public sector pipelines of work and a delay in the introduction of measures on tax and self-employment until January next year, arguing that the industry needs time to adapt.
The UKCG added that the chancellor could help support apprenticeships by allowing public sector clients to give greater recognition to training, alongside costs, in their assessment of project bids.
UKCG director Stephen Ratcliffe said, 鈥淭hree quarters of construction work is outside priva