A new survey has revealed that UK housebuilders remain divided over leaving the EU, with only 31 per cent concerned about withdrawing…
A survey of 389 owners or directors of house building companies has been carried out for property consultants McBains Cooper by Morar Consulting. The survey revealed only 31 per cent of firms are worried about an EU withdrawal.
The survey highlighted that London and North East companies were the most concerned about what a Brexit might mean on their business in terms of restricting their ability to recruit from abroad through EU freedom of movement rights. House builders have often recruited from EU countries because of skills shortages in the UK.
Only last week, the Deputy Mayor of London, Stephen Greenhalgh, warned that London risks losing the large numbers of European construction workers it needs to build new homes if Britain leaves the EU.
Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive of McBains Cooper, said: “Many of the companies surveyed are smaller businesses and it seems that Britain withdrawing from Europe is not an issue for most of them.
“London firms may be among those more worried about Brexit because, more than the rest of the country, the capital is in the middle of a building and infrastructure boom which requires skilled workers from the rest of the EU. In this scenario, a Brexit could lead to a fall in house building in London, hitting the prospects of those wanting to get on the property ladder.
“For areas such as the North East, the EU has been a huge source of inward investment. Fears over the impact on skills shortages of a Brexit are also likely to be mixed with concerns over the impact that this loss of investment will have on the regional economy and, in turn, the demand for new houses.”
Scaremongering! No one will be prevented in coming here to work – i’ll just be controlled like people from the rest of the world – they get a work visa and they can work! Europe sells us more stuff than we sell to them so are they going to stop selling to us – I don’t think so! And we’re certainly not going to set up barriers to importing goods from europe so as far as I see its – situation normal? Until a politician has the balls to say or put into print what we pay INTO europe Taxes, contributions, levies etc) against way we receive FROM europe (subsidies stc) so we actually have FACTS as opposed to ‘woe is us’ doom sayers with no facts whatsoever cos no one actually knows then I know where my cross is going!