Industry finds Budget positives but laments “missed opportunities”

The industry has highlighted some positive points from the Autumn Budget while expressing its frustration and disappointment over a lack of demand measures to aid buyers and the sector.

Neil Jefferson, ceo of the Home Builders Federation, noted it was “encouraging” that the government had heeded the industry’s warnings over the proposed change to landfill tax and had “chosen not to impose the 3,000% increase consulted on earlier in the year”.

But the revised measures – chancellor Rachel Reeves said she would prevent any further widening of the two rates of landfill tax – “still represent an increase in tax on development when the economics of home building are already challenged,” Jefferson cautioned.

He also said: "Whilst the government’s planning reforms have been very positive, ministers need to now acknowledge the worsening viability of new housing schemes as a result of new taxes, levies and policy costs.”

Speaking to Housebuilder, Andy Hill, ceo of Hill Group, said of the landfill tax revision: "It’s positive that a longer-term threat has been pushed further down the line. If you started taking [changes to landfill tax] on board, you’d seriously think about stopping building.”

But Hill expressed concern over …