In response to today’s Spring Statement from the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA)Director of Public Affairs, Jennifer Pheasey, said:
“The Chancellor’s Spring Statement offers little relief for horticulture businesses and has failed to put a spring in the step of our members across the sector. Facing fragile consumer confidence and rising costs on all fronts, from inheritance tax to border chaos to plant health fees, this is not an agenda for growth for the environmental horticulture sector. “Confidence and certainty are key, but with imminent new costs this April, such as National Insurance Contributions, confidence to invest remains elusive. Whilst we welcome measures to drive housebuilding and unlock planning, green spaces and gardens must be part of this, and we know these ambitions will not be immediately realised. We urge the government to prioritise decisive action to alleviate the cost burdens in the sector and commit to fair policies, so that our members can continue to contribute to the UK’s environmental sustainability and overall economic wellbeing.”
