Jewson Launches Petition Calling for Urgent Action to Get UK Construction Back to Growth

Builders’ merchant Jewson has launched a new national petition urging government action to support the UK construction sector and restore confidence across the building and housing market.

The campaign, titled #LetsGetBritainBuildingNOW, calls for urgent reforms to planning, housing delivery and workforce development as the industry continues to face long-term structural challenges.

🏗️ Housing Demand vs Delivery Gap

The UK continues to face a significant housing shortfall, with industry estimates indicating a requirement for hundreds of thousands of new homes annually to meet demand and reduce the long-term backlog.

Despite government targets for new housing delivery, sector performance continues to be constrained by planning delays, rising costs, and ongoing skills shortages across key trades.

📉 Structural Pressures on the Industry

The petition highlights several ongoing pressures impacting the sector:

• Extended planning timelines and high development costs

• Continued exit of small and micro housebuilders from the market

• Labour shortages across key construction trades

• A significant proportion of the workforce approaching retirement

• High levels of unfilled vacancies across the industry

Industry data consistently shows that labour availability remains one of the most significant constraints on delivery capacity.

📢 Calls for Reform

The campaign outlines three key areas for action:

• Financial incentives to support home ownership and renovation activity

• Faster, simpler and more efficient planning processes

• Increased investment in skills, training, and workforce attraction

It also calls for greater use of digital tools and streamlined approval systems to help accelerate delivery and reduce friction in the development pipeline.

🧱 Industry Context

The initiative is supported by STARK Building Materials UK, one of the UK’s largest building materials networks, which continues to highlight the importance of supporting SMEs and trades across the construction supply chain.

STARK UK CEO John Carter emphasised that sustained downturn conditions, combined with cost pressures and global uncertainty, continue to place significant strain on the sector.

🧠 Sector Outlook

While demand for housing and infrastructure remains strong in principle, the construction industry continues to operate in a challenging environment where policy, workforce capacity, and market confidence all play a critical role in delivery rates.

The petition reflects growing industry sentiment that coordinated action is required to unlock growth and improve long-term stability across the sector.