Research from the Build Show has found that the UK’s construction industry feels let down by the government, with 71 per cent of builders and contractors claiming they do not feel supported by Whitehall policy.

Lack of investment in the sector, coupled with low consumer confidence and the absence of positive changes in the economy were among the criticisms levelled at government by the survey respondents. The restrictive VAT system was also cited as a major challenge, with more than 71 per cent of respondents stating they are worried about the cost of VAT on building materials.

Keeping up to date with changing legislation was highlighted as another problem area, with 60 per cent of respondents pointing to crippling red tape and regulatory compliance as a serious concern.

Other issues brought up by the survey include the lack of young people coming into the industry, with 68 per cent citing this as a concern, while the need to compete with less skilled or unregistered tradespeople was revealed as a worry for 66 per cent of respondents.

Small to medium sized businesses in particular reported feeling squeezed by both local and national government, with the majority claiming that government policy shows preferential treatment to larger corporations.

The survey also revealed an overwhelming lack of confidence in the banks throughout the construction industry, with more than 77 per cent claiming that they do not feel supported by the banking sector.  All sizes of business represented in the survey felt that the banks are still reluctant to lend to the industry, despite the continued success of the housebuilding sector driven by the Help to Buy scheme.

Paul Godwin, managing director of the Build Show, said: “These results show that although the construction industry is paving the way for the UK’s economic recovery, builders and contractors feel alienated and neglected by government policy.”

The Build Show will take place at the Birmingham NEC from Tuesday 28th to Thursday 30th April 2015, and for more information please visit www.buildshow.co.uk