Persimmon to restart construction work within days, after similar moves by other major housebuilders
Persimmon has said it will restart construction work within days, following similar moves by other major housebuilders.
The company yesterday said it will resume building from April 27, with sites reopening in phases.
Workers will follow strict social distancing rules, meaning in practice that they will have to remain two metres apart at all times – except for work deemed ‘essential’ that requires them to stand closer together.
Back to work: Persimmon said it will resume building from April 27, with sites reopening in phases
Rivals Taylor Wimpey and Vistry Group made similar announcements on Thursday.
Persimmon said the decision followed talks between industry figures and the Government, which wants to get the construction sector ‘back to work’.
The company said it would be able to resume work quickly because, unlike other housebuilders, it has not furloughed any staff using taxpayer-funded schemes and has kept everyone on full pay.
Persimmon’s boss David Jenkinson said: ‘The Government has been very clear on the importance of the construction sector to the economy and its desire to see activity continue through the current period of crisis, provided appropriate public health measures are adopted. Nothing is more important to us than the health, safety and well-being of the public, our colleagues, sub-contractors and suppliers.
‘Having spent the last month developing and testing new site protocols that incorporate the necessary social distancing and protective measures, we believe that we are now able to return to site safely and support the UK’s economic recovery from the pandemic. These new measures are fully compliant with government public health guidance and will be strictly enforced.’
Although work on building sites had not been barred in Britain, many companies shut down their construction sites last month due to concerns over social distancing and problems in obtaining materials.
However, Persimmon, which made more than £1 billion in annual profits last year, said it had continued to pay supplier invoices, with 95 per cent of invoices being settled within two months.