Autumn Budget draws mixed construction response
The construction industry has offered a cautious welcome to the Budget’s housing and heat pump measures, but warns that rising costs, delayed delivery and policy uncertainty could blunt their impact.
The construction industry has offered a cautious welcome to the Budget’s housing and heat pump measures, but warns that rising costs, delayed delivery and policy uncertainty could blunt their impact.
The latest Plumbing and Heating Merchant Index (PHMI) report shows like-for-like value sales (no difference in trading days) for August 2026 through specialist plumbing and heating merchants were +1.8% higher than August 2025. But, year-on-year, like-for-like volume sales decreased -5.4%, while prices increased +7.6%.
The fund is open to projects within ten miles of its sites and has already financed several schemes across the country.
The Construction Products Association’s (CPA) autumn forecasts show that higher oil and energy prices since September are expected to keep inflation and lending rates higher for longer than anticipated in previous forecasts.
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