Steve Mulholland, CEO of the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA), one of the UK’s largest construction trade bodies, represents just under 2,000 firms that supply 85 per cent of the machinery used in British construction.
He said: “These latest figures lay bare what housebuilders and their supply chain contractors across the country have been telling us for months on end: fuel costs are devastating, it’s too expensive and risky to hire staff, especially young people, and spiralling tax liabilities are stymying investment.
“We back Andy Burnham’s 1.5 million home target, but housebuilders and supply chain contractors are desperate for support and the cost of living crisis is critically undermining housing market activity.
“Without addressing these challenges, the PM’s ambitions cannot be turned into homes for people to live in.”