Viki Bell, CEO of the Construction Equipment Association (CEA), has made a statement in response to today’s Spending Review. While the announcements on housing, infrastructure and apprenticeships are welcome, Viki highlights the lack of activity on the ground and calls for urgent delivery, particularly for construction firms, OEMs and the wider supply chain. The CEA is also keen to see progress on the long-promised industrial strategy to provide the certainty the sector needs.
Viki Bell, CEO of the Construction Equipment Association (CEA), said:
“There’s a lot of ambition in today’s Spending Review – and it’s positive to see construction, housing, infrastructure and apprenticeships getting attention again. Sizewell could bring early activity through groundworks and infrastructure, and the transport and housing investment – if delivered – has the potential to boost confidence across the sector. But most of this has been announced before, and while we welcome the direction, we’re still not seeing it translate into real activity on the ground. We’re hearing the right words, but the sector urgently needs to see shovels in the ground and projects getting underway. Construction firms are still laying people off.
For our equipment manufacturers and supply chain, clarity and pace are just as vital – orders, investment and planning decisions rely on delivery, not just policy. We now await the detail of the government’s promised industrial strategy – a long-term, funded and joined-up plan that backs skills, accelerates delivery, and gives the industry the confidence to invest and grow.”
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