We need an exit strategy NOW, warns homes giant

THE head of one of Britain’s biggest housebuilders has urged the Government to set out an exit strategy to get the country moving again.

Pete Redfern, the chief executive of FTSE 100 firm Taylor Wimpey, has broken ranks with rival bosses to push the Government to outline a plan to end lockdown.

Redfern told The Mail on Sunday the exit strategy does not necessarily need a fixed date, but insisted it was time to give businesses ‘a direction that people can plan around’.

Taylor Wimpey last week became one of the first businesses to announce plans to resume work after it formulated a way to restart construction safely. It was joined by rivals Persimmon and Bovis Homes owner Vistry.

Redfern said Taylor Wimpey had spent the past four weeks hatching a plan to return to business while meeting the Government’s lockdown guidelines and social distancing rules.

The builder has been in regular contact with No 10 and the Treasury, which Red fern said had given supportive signals for its initiative.

Redfern said most jobs on building sites could be carried out while maintaining social distancing measures. Builders performing tasks where that is not possible – such as heavy manual lifting jobs involving more than one person – would be equipped with personal protective equipment.

Taylor Wimpey plans to reopen the majority of its building sites from May 4 in England and Wales, but will keep si t es in Scotland shut in accordance with Scottish guidelines.

Construction firms were allowed to continue operating after the lock down as the Government classed them as essential businesses. However, amid criticism from the public about builders flouting social distancing rules, housebuilders began to shut down operations as they said they were unable to operate safely under the Government’s guidelines.

Redfern said: ‘We were uncomfortable with the idea that construction was an essential industry. To us, housebuilding is clearly important to the economy in the long term, but I would not argue that it’s essential in the short term.’

He said the Government had ‘done a good job in a difficult set of circumstances’, but added that ‘it helps to talk about a plan’ about easing the lockdown more widely.

Redfern, whose company built 16,000 homes last year, said he thought Ministers were reluctant to set out a strategy in case they were accused of making a U-turn should they change course.

However, he said the public would understand that any plan would be subject to change if new information emerges about the spread of Covid-19.

He added that Taylor Wimpey’s return to work would send a strong signal of confidence to buyers.

The company has said its order book remains strong despite concerns about the impact of the crisis on the housing market.

‘The reason we’ve been so direct and actually so detailed [ in our planning] is we do actually feel a degree of responsibility to set out a road map,’ he said.

‘Not everybody will follow exactly the same structure. Different businesses will have different solutions and that’s fine.

‘But if we can set something out that’s real, then other companies will move in a similar way and that makes everything easier.’

He added: ’ I think that does give people confidence. And we will be prepared to tweak and change our plan.’