Worcester Bosch is calling on the Government to consider including hybrids in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, following an industry-first trial to prove hybrid heating technology is an effective solution to lower carbon heating for UK homes. The joint research project between manufacturer Worcester Bosch and University of Salford took place …
Read More »MPA warns construction materials demand at crisis levels
The third quarter (Q3) figures from the Mineral Products Association (MPA) reveal continued weakness in aggregates, concrete and asphalt sales. The Association claims the survey, using actual sales volume data from its members, is a warning that the Government needs to put business first in the Autumn Budget, to restore …
Read More »Build, baby, build
It looked as if it had once been a large house of entertainment; but the roof had fallen in, in many places, and the stairs were steep, rugged, and broken. In today’s least surprising news comes the headline at the top of The Times App: “Labour will miss 1.5m new …
Read More »Pre-Budget uncertainty slows down construction output
Pre-Budget jitters have seen growth expectations for construction output revised substantially down in the Construction Products Association’s Autumn Forecasts published today (October 27). Total construction output is now only forecast to grow by 1.1% in 2025 and 2.8% in 2026, which is a significant revision down from the 1.9% in …
Read More »BMF shares ideas for growth with Chancellor
In the lead-up to the Autumn Budget, the Builders Merchants Federation has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, asking her and fellow Ministers to consider five policy topics with ideas for economic growth. The BMF had previously welcomed the Labour Government’s ambitions to build 1.5 …
Read More »Frying pan, fire etc
All life long, the same questions, the same answers. Smile, they said, for things can always get worse. So they smiled, and low and behold, things got worse. I’m not, as it happens, talking about the news from across the Atlantic this morning. That I can’t deal with right now. …
Read More »BMF CEO warns budget will threaten recruitment and growth
The Building Merchants Federation (BMF) CEO, John Newcomb, has voiced concerns over the Budget’s impact on small and medium-sized merchants. Newcomb’s response follows government announcements of new revenue-raising measures, which, while anticipated, have sparked worries over increased operational costs. “We fully expected this to be a difficult budget for our …
Read More »BMF: Spring budget “missed opportunity to get Britain building”
The Builder’s Merchant Federation’s (BMF) CEO, John Newcomb, has expressed his disappointment with the chancellor’s Spring budget. He explained that the budget is a “missed opportunity to get Britain building again”, and is designed to buy short term electronical support as opposed to promoting the long-term economic success of the …
Read More »BMF: Government pledges for decarbonising must remain on track
The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has called on the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to invest in property repair, maintenance and improvement to create purposeful jobs in every region and boost much-needed local growth across the country. The government has previously announced increased spending on energy efficiency for homes, businesses, and public …
Read More »Balancing the books
Money makes the world go aroundThe world go aroundThe world go around By and large, how one feels about a Chancellor’s Budget depends upon how much an individual will be fiscally affected by it. Unless you are lucky enough to be able to afford to be altruistic, chances are, the …
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