Repairing Britain Campaign launched

Graham writes......

Our long standing client Rok plc, the nation's local builder, has started a UK wide campaign called "Repairing Britain". Working with our partner firm on this project, Redleaf, we have already secured considerable coverage on the importance of putting skilled tradesmen to work on repairing the country's built environment at a time when new build projects sare few and far between.

The campaign says up to half a million jobs could be lost in the current downturn. However, it is highlighting that refurbishment and improvement projects create many more jobs than new build schemes, require skilled tradesmen and are more sustainable.

If, over the next two years, the UK tackled just 20 percent of the buildings that needed repairing and turning into homes, 250,000 new homes would be created, which would more than satisfy the country’s need.

Currently there are:

• An estimated one million empty homes in the UK


• Up to 20 percent of UK properties are likely to be in poor condition, in need or repair or underused. This includes properties above shops, empty shops, old factories, warehouses and private dwellings.


• Four million people on waiting lists for rental accommodation


• Five million people will be on social housing waiting lists by 2010 (Local Government Association statistic)
  

These empty properties could be made habitable much faster than new homes can be built. Repair and refurbishment of existing properties is also greener than starting from scratch on green fields.

The campaign is calling for an audit of empty buildings by local authorities to identify properties needing attention, at a time when the country needs 240,000 additional housing units a year and only 60,000 are being built we need to look at the buildings that already exist for new homes.

‘Repairing Britain’ wants to encourage a sense of civic pride in our surroundings; money is being spent on new housing developments while empty homes multiply in existing neighbourhoods, causing them to become under-populated and under-resourced.

Central to ‘Repairing Britain’ is a petition on the Downing Street website, http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/repairingbritain/, requesting a reduction in VAT on property repair work to 5 percent, which will provide a much needed stimulus.

We were pleased that the Rok chief executive received coverage for the start of the campaign in national newspapers and on Radio 5 Live. He also received coverage in numerous regional newspapers. Now we want other companies in the sector to join with Rok in promoting the 'Repairing Britain' message!