The plans outlined in the Budget to support building and construction activity were welcomed by Saint-Gobain UK.
Director of Communications, Richard Halderthay said:
“The concept of the new Garden City at Ebbsfleet, and the potential for more Garden Cities or New Towns is a welcome step towards helping improve the shortage of housing supply, as is the extension of the Help to Buy equity loan through to 2020.
“In addition, the proposed £500 million Builders Finance Fund to provide loans to SME housing developer and unlock up to 15,000 homes in stalled developments is useful.
“Most intriguing is the plan to consult on a “right to build’ with up to 10,000 serviced plots to be made available by local councils for custom built homes. This would boost one of the most innovative sectors of the house building market.
“In infrastructure, the £200 million for road improvement and additional £140 million for flood defences will help create demand. The fact that the Welsh Government can now borrow to improve the M4 and other projects, is welcome, as is the proposed £270 million loan guarantee for the Mersey Gateway bridge and even the £20 million fund for repairing cathedrals.
“On the wider economy, the increase in investment allowances for business; the move to contain energy costs for manufacturers; and the commitment to increasing the number of apprenticeships by 100,000, help to support the claim that this budget was about building a resilient economy.”