Government pledges to start three new towns before next election, retention fee reform will free up working capital for small builders and Martin Daly named Screwfix Top Tradesperson
Labour has promised to start building three new towns before the next general election.
A taskforce has recommended 12 sites across England for possible development.
Tempsford in Bedfordshire, Leeds South Bank and Crew Hill in North London have been identified as the most likely locations.
Each new town will deliver more than 10,000 homes, with a minimum of 40% affordable housing.
A New Towns Unit will now be established to push the programme forward, remove barriers and test delivery models.
The unit will also act as a test bed for innovation and work across departments to drive progress.
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Proposed changes to construction retention fees could free up working capital for small and medium sized builders, claims a lawyer.
The Department for Business & Trade is looking at reforming retention fees as it tackles poor payment practices.
According to Michael Kitson, director of construction law at Lindsays, the proposed reforms will strengthen SME working capital and reduce insolvency risk.
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Martin Daly, a builder from Motherwell was crowned Screwfix’s Top Tradesperson at the weekend.
In qualifying for the final, the 30-year-old impressed judges with his unwavering passion and extraordinary commitment to going ‘above and beyond’ for customers.
Daly, who has been in the industry for the last 13 years, runs MD Builders with two other employees and an apprentice.
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