More than one in three London homeowners, 35%, have put off building work in the last five years because they could not find a builder they trust – the highest rate anywhere in the UK – the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said ahead of next week's Budget.
That amounts to £2 billion of building work delayed in the capital every year, part of £11.2 billion across the UK, according to research by the FMB and the HomeOwners Alliance. The UK average is one in five.
Most of that work is not cosmetic. More than a quarter of homeowners having work done were upgrading electrics, plumbing or heating to keep their homes safe.
Part of the answer is the supply of skilled builders. A quarter of Londoners do not know an apprenticeship can be a route into construction, and the FMB's Build Academy in London has spent a year showing what happens when small building companies open their doors to young people. It is now nominated for a national award.
The FMB is calling on the Chancellor to use the Budget on Wednesday 28 October to establish a UK-wide network of Build Academies to help those not in education, employment or training (NEET), and to fund the support small employers need to take on apprentices.
It is one of six measures the FMB is calling for in this Budget, alongside mandatory licensing of domestic building companies, mediation before Ombudsman escalation, faster planning for smaller developers, development finance that small house builders can actually access, and a lasting retrofit market.
Tom Peardon, FMB London Director, said:
"London homeowners are the worst affected in the country. More than a third have walked away from work on their own homes because they could not find someone they trust, and that is £2 billion of work a year not happening in the capital.
"Part of the answer is more good builders coming through. A quarter of Londoners do not know an apprenticeship can be a route into construction. Build Academy has shown what works here in London. If the Chancellor wants growth in every postcode, next week's Budget should back a UK-wide network of Build Academies and fund the support that takes the paperwork and financial risk out of hiring an apprentice for small firms."
