Pick Everard reacts to the Autumn Budget 2025

Construction Industry

Gavin Mason, Operations Director at Pick Everard, commented: "For the construction industry, the Autumn Budget 2025 focused heavily on unlocking delivery by protecting the £120bn capital envelope and funding key projects like the Lower Thames Crossing. The decision to scrap the single-rate Landfill Tax overhaul is a vital win; by preventing a £15,000 per home cost hike, the government has not further challenged financial viability on brownfield sites.

However, the silence on the Building Safety Act is notable. With the UK having fallen roughly 170,000 homes short of its 300,000-per-year target over the last two years alone, the lack of new resources to clear regulatory bottlenecks remains a critical missed opportunity."

Industrial

Santosh Patel, Operations Director at Pick Everard, said: “Infrastructure investment remains at the heart of the UK’s long-term growth ambitions, and today’s £13bn in devolved funding is a clear signal of that. Giving mayors the flexibility to invest directly in skills, business support and local infrastructure is a step in the right direction. That said, industry confidence remains fragile, and meaningful progress will depend on strong pipelines, streamlined planning and consistency in long-term policy direction.”

Healthcare

Devika Parmar, Director of Architecture at Pick Everard said: “The additional funding for the NHS, including plans for 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres and capital investment in technology is a welcome change. For us at Pick Everard, this could translate into real opportunity: upgrading existing hospital estates, designing re at Pick Everard said: “The additional funding for the NHS, including plans for new health centre models, and delivering schemes that support modern care facilities.

The protected investment stream is encouraging, yet demand is huge and the existing backlog is substantial. The real test will be whether funding and procurement follow through quickly, and whether developers, designers and contractors can be mobilised at pace to meet the needs of local communities.”

Education

Sean Conneely, Director of Project Management at Pick Everard, said: “It’s disappointing to see so little recognition of the pressures facing the education sector in this Budget. Schools and local authorities are already working with stretched budgets, ageing estates and rising demand, yet the announcements barely touched the reality on the ground.

We don’t need warm words or token gestures, we need real commitment. Without clear, long-term funding for rebuilding and modernising facilities, schools simply cannot plan ahead or deliver the environments that pupils and staff deserve. The ambition for reform is welcome, but without the investment to match it, the sector is being left to fight the same battles year after year.

The education estate is fundamental to the country’s future. We need to invest in the facilities that will educate and inspire our children. It’s time for government funding to reflect that urgency and scale.”

Sustainability

Tim Danson, Director of Sustainability & Energy at Pick Everard, said: "The Autumn Budget 2025 sets out several measures that have the potential to support low impact and future proofed solutions in the built environment, and help boost progress towards the UK’s net zero commitments.

In the context that net zero will continue to be recognised as one of the Government’s seven pillars for economic growth, the £48 million investment to strengthen planning resource is a positive move: once the effects of this funding can be realised, it will improve both the capacity and speed with which renewable energy and other critical building and infrastructure schemes are delivered in the public sector.

The £2bn allocated for brownfield remediation is another hopeful step, as it should see land released to tackle the challenges we’ve faced in housing and green industry/hub provision. The £1.5bn initiative to foster improvements in the water sector is also a welcome development, noting that it must tap into the relentless drive for innovation in this industry, and resolve legacy issues in both infrastructure and its building portfolios.

Taken together, these commitments (among others) offer a potentially strong framework for accelerating sustainable development and meeting our climate ambitions.”

Andy Slaney, Managing Director at Low Carbon Estates, commented: "The Autumn Budget 2025 sets out a framework that could help support renewable energy in the public sector by increasing departmental capital spending and using the National Wealth Fund (NWF) to bring in private investment for sectors including clean energy. More public investment can improve infrastructure and increase the stock of capital, which in turn can make renewable energy projects easier to deliver.

At the same time, the Budget leaves some important points unclear, which could make private investment more cautious. It is not specified how pension funds or other investors can directly put money into public-sector renewable projects, or how risk and procurement would be managed. Government guidance on these issues, for example; rules for private investment, how risk is shared, and clear procurement processes, would help ensure private capital can participate and support the rollout of clean energy in the public sector."

Culture and Heritage

Matthew Appleton, Strategic Account Director for Building Surveying at Pick Everard, said: “Heritage buildings continue to face mounting conservation backlogs, and today’s measures are falling short of what’s required. Without sustained investment, historic estates, especially smaller museums in our towns and cities, will continue to struggle to meet even their most urgent preservation needs.

Despite our frustrations with the lack of investment or mention in the Autumn Budget, we will continue to advocate for long-term investment, because safeguarding heritage assets is fundamental to our communities.”

Final thoughts

The Autumn Budget 2025 offered stability in some areas but left several sectors wanting clearer commitment and stronger financial backing.

When we surveyed the industry ahead of the Budget, 66% of respondents told us that projects were paused or under review while they waited to see what the Chancellor would announce. That level of hesitation shows just how critical sustained investment is for market confidence.

Confidence will need to be rebuilt across the sector, and Pick Everard will continue supporting clients as they navigate this period of uncertainty and prepare for the opportunities that follow.