8
MAY 2015 PRO INSTALLER
PRO NEWS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
VOTES NO CONFIDENCE
The Conservative party took the lead in a pre-election opinion poll conducted by UK Construction Week, despite
71% of respondents claiming that the needs of the construction industry were ignored by the key political parties.
The survey questioned more
than 1,000 product manufacturers, contractors, architects, house builders, developers and suppliers from
around the industry, asking
for their thoughts on policies
affecting the construction
industry.
The overwhelming majority
replied that they did not feel the
interests of the industry had been
addressed by the election campaigns, with only 29% stating that
construction has received adequate political attention.
When asked which party would
be best for the industry if it came
to power, the Conservatives
demonstrated a clear lead with
54% of the vote. The results placed
Labour well behind at 30%, while
the Green Party had pushed ahead
of the Liberal Democrats, coming
in at 6% and 4% respectively. UKIP
managed to claim 4% of the vote,
with SNP and Plaid Cymru jointly
accounting for the remaining 2%.
Despite the positive indication
for the Conservatives, the survey
also appeared to reveal a desire
for political change, with 72%
stating that a change in govern-
ment would have a positive or
neutral impact on the construction
industry and just 28% replying that
this would have negative consequences.
When asked to look more closely
at the policies they felt would have
a positive benefit the industry, two
key themes emerged: house building and skills. The Help To Buy
programme was overwhelmingly
highlighted as the most important
recent initiative in boosting construction industry growth, receiving 67% of the vote.
Interestingly, the coalition
government’s flagship energy
efficiency programmes the Green
Deal and the Energy Company
Obligation achieved just 9% and
5% of the responses, while the key
sustainability programmes the Renewable Heat Incentive and Feed
In Tariff each received just 4%.
Qualitative responses to the
research appeared to add weight
to these results, with numerous
respondents pointing to the need
for greater support for the house
building industry and the provision of more affordable homes.
Indeed, when asked what policies
they would most like to see the
main political parties include in
their manifestos, 20% of respondents stated that more measures
should be established to drive
house building.
Skills took the lead as the most
pressing issue however, with 31%
replying that government should
take more steps to address skills
shortages and provide better
support for apprenticeships. A
further 20% replied that the planning process should be simplified,
while 23% called for an end to
austerity measures with greater
public spending on construction
projects.
Richard Morey, Group Events Director at Media 10, the event company producing UK Construction
Week, commented: “The survey results were interesting because they
appear to show that the industry
felt let down by the main political parties. Despite the fact that
construction has been the main
driver behind the UK’s economic
recovery, the needs of the industry
were given very little attention in
the run up to the election.
“The results have highlighted
that while there are some very
clear issues to be addressed,
such as house building and skills
shortages, it will be down to the
construction industry itself to
rise to these challenges, without
much political support. For these
reasons, it is vital that the industry
takes charge of its own future.”
Source: www.
ukconstructionweek.com
HITTING A MILLION
A leading Lancashire-based fabricator of VEKA
PVCu glazing systems has installed the millionth
insulating glass unit (IGU) to come off the automated
SuperSpacer production line at Padiham Glass Ltd.
VEKA Approved Fabricator, Darwen Windows,
was the lucky recipient
of the milestone IGU,
with MD Bill Ainsworth
collecting a complimentary magnum of champagne as part of the
celebration!
Bill commented: “I’m very
happy that Darwen Win-
dows had the honour of
installing this landmark IGU
from Padiham v