Construction union UCATT have warned that the Government’s package of measures announced to help kick start the construction industry will not tackle the key problems and will worsen the housing crisis.

As part of the Government’s proposals, the rules on section 106 planning applications requiring developers to build new social/affordable homes will be relaxed and schemes will be able to go ahead without any of these properties being built.

Steve Murphy, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "The move to reduce the building of social homes for rent is madness. This sector has seen the greatest fall in output in recent months and this is directly a result of Government policies. There are five million people on housing waiting lists; we should be examining every possible measure to increase social house building not cutting it."

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The Government are also proposing to relax planning laws to make it easier for homeowners and businesses to build extensions and loft conversions without requiring full planning permission.

Mr Murphy added: "This policy will increase the number of neighbour disputes but it won’t significantly boost the construction industry. There might be slightly increased work at a very local level but this in no way meets the shortfall created by the Government’s slashing of construction and infrastructure budgets."

UCATT has made representations to the Government about getting large-scale shovel ready projects started, in order to boost the industry. However it appears that the Government has chosen to ignore these proposals.

(CD)