The government wish to withdraw the use of rebated fuels i.e. Red diesel (otherwise known as gas oil) in the construction industry and quarrying industry yet allow it in farming, forestry and believe it or not golf clubs.

The government obviously have to raise taxes and that is understandable, however, they are trying to explain their reason as the environment and saying the construction industry need to find alternate sources of power, but to fuel large excavators plant and machinery there quite simply is no alternative. Yet to allow golf clubs to use diesel powered golf buggies when electric has been available for many years just makes no sense.

They simply are trying to pull the wool over Joe Publics eyes and pretend they are tackling climate change. It’s a Tax a tax on everyone in the country!.

The fuel they are proposing to ban is Diesel plain and simple but a diesel with a red dye it’s that simple and for many many years an alternative is not going be available.The fuel remains the same as do the harmful emissions regardless of colour.

Therefore it’s a TAX on everyone in the country. A respected organisation in the industry estimate this will add £5000 to every house built in 2022 and beyond. This will be on top of huge increased costs of materials, transport and labour already added due to COVID-19 and Brexit, some of these costs already having risen by 50%. This will also impact on every building in education, health care and factory construction we so desperately require which is equally as important as agriculture.

The one major challenge for contractors is security/ theft which appears to have been totally ignored by government and is frankly ignored by everyone including the police who we all know just dish out crime numbers to us all following the theft of fuel and damage done amounting to £1000s. With theft and security on site, fuel is going to be a massive challenge for everyone involved in construction and that has had no consideration at all. New fuel storage facilities and equipment will be required to implement this change in fuel on site with 24 hour security.

We are emerging from a period of an unprecedented crisis with covid, to be entering another crisis on costs in materials in the industry (which was unknown when this consultation of fuel was carried out) and frankly should be taken into account before any implementation of the findings are reconsidered.

We have been led into a false belief that electric power is the solution to powering the future when clearly it is unachievable and now we are being told hydrogen is the only feasible solution.

Notably the agricultural sector has remained unaffected, whilst it is important I suggest it’s a deliberate move by government as they are aware that farmers would revolt (and fair play they stick together and stick to their guns on issues like this).

We in the construction and quarrying industries need to stick together also and stop this mindless and pointless move going ahead.

Construction needs your help to stop this happening and for us to be heard.

Please support this petition and make the government rethink the proposed change going through and save everyone from this massive financial burden because it is going to affect every single individuals lives and future for many many years come.

Given the current situation we should delay any moves on further increasing costs in construction until we have an alternative solution for powering large equipment in the industry.