British Property Federation manifesto launched ahead of UK General Election

28 November 2019, London: Ahead of the UK General Election, the 2019 British Property Federation Manifesto has been published, setting out proposals that will drive investment into the UK property sector and help to address some of the country’s key challenges.

The BPF is seeking a new partnership with the next government so that the property industry can maximise its impact in underpinning a successful and productive economy; supporting communities; nurturing a diverse workforce; and unlocking sustainable, inclusive growth across the country.

Melanie Leech CBE, Chief Executive of the British Property Federation, said:

“We welcome the commitment from all the main parties to tackle the key challenges facing our country including safeguarding the environment, ensuring access to good quality housing and the infrastructure to support a modern productive economy and thriving communities. As a nation, we can only solve these issues through effective collaboration and partnerships across all stakeholders, in both the public and private sectors.

“Therefore, we are seeking a new partnership with the next government, recognising the role of the property industry in underpinning a successful and productive economy, as well as unlocking sustainable and inclusive growth across the country.”

“Our manifesto contains a broad spectrum of proposals that would help to provide a solid platform on which we can continue to create strong, successful and sustainable communities.”

Key Policy Proposals

Key proposals put forward by the BPF include:

Deliver more homes and better places by –
- Investing £12.8bn a year in social housing.
- Reduce or zero-rate VAT on residential repairs, maintenance and management.
- Providing a social infrastructure fund to support community facilities in areas where land values will not deliver them.
Nurture and retain talent by –
- Reforming the UK Apprenticeship Levy to increase apprenticeship numbers and boost investment in training.
Support and transform our nation’s town centres though –
- Reducing the total business rates burden and stopping the automatic annual inflation increase.
- Investing in local authority planning departments to improve the planning process.
Achieve net zero carbon by –
- Working with the property sector to set a clear roadmap towards net zero carbon.
And, spread prosperity throughout our regions by –
- Reforming the Treasury Green Book appraisal methods to take account of a broader range of criteria.