There is masses of existing derelect and sub-standard housing stock across the country that could be brought up to standard by making it less expensive to do so. We shouldn't need to sacrifice our precious green land. The existing VAT disincentivises a rational approach to our housing requirements. We need to protect our green land; we need to regenerate our cities; we need to improve the standards of our existing housing stock; we need new housing in the right places; we need to protect and foster our home construction industry and its allied manufacturing businesses who need help in this time of recession – we produce everything in this country to build a house – except the timber, which is Scandinavian….
Zero VAT on new build is a hangover from the tax system applied after World War II when we desperately needed new houses. Sixty years on reform is long overdue.