Andy Sommerville, Director at Search Acumen, comments:
“The end of the decade can’t come soon enough for those in the housebuilding trade. Since the financial crisis we’ve seen rates of planning applications flat line for nearly a whole decade.
“Q3 2019 was not inclined to buck this trend. The last three years of destructive political wrangling over Brexit have not helped and led to inevitable inertia within the industry which is also to blame.
“Instead of wallowing in gloom we should look to the 2020s as a chance for a fresh start and some new thinking. There have been encouraging initiatives in government and a renewed energy on digitalisation such as local authorities collating data on brownfield sites. With the right financial incentives, and a tech positive attitude, construction will be well place to take advantage of an exciting new decade.”