Portsmouth MP welcomes government crackdown on ‘cowboy builders’

Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan has welcomed new government measures aimed at protecting homeowners from rogue builders and giving customers greater security when paying for renovation work.

The plans include a government-supported scheme designed to help people identify reputable traders, alongside a new payments system intended to protect customers’ money until agreed stages of building work have been completed.

From September, businesses will be able to sign up to an Approved Code, demonstrating that they meet higher standards for customer service, transparency and dispute resolution.

The government says the measures are intended to tackle problems caused by rogue traders while also supporting reputable builders who could otherwise be undercut by businesses offering poor-quality work.

More than one in four UK adults who carried out home improvements during the previous 18 months reported experiencing problems.

Examples include projects being abandoned before completion, elderly customers being pressured into paying for poor-quality work and builders taking upfront payments before carrying out little or no work.

More than a third of people who experienced problems during recent renovations also faced additional costs, with an average reported loss of £750.

Mr Morgan said he had heard from constituents in Portsmouth who had suffered financial losses and stress after experiencing problems with builders.

He said: “This will be a welcome announcement for many families across Portsmouth. After hearing the financial devastation and stress that families in my constituency have experienced at the hands of rogue builders, I’ve been pushing for more action to give local people more security.

“I’m delighted this Labour Government is now calling time on cowboy builders. This action is a really important step forward, meaning residents can now have more confidence when hiring traders, secure in the knowledge that their money will be protected whilst building works are ongoing.”

The government also plans to introduce stronger regulation of private bailiffs as part of the same package of consumer protection measures.

The changes are aimed at ensuring people who fall behind with bills are treated fairly and are not subjected to aggressive behaviour.

Private enforcement agents will be expected to meet consistent professional standards, while people facing enforcement action are set to be given access to an independent complaints process.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the measures were intended to protect families from both financial losses and the disruption caused by unfinished building work.

He said: “Cowboy builders don’t just rip people off. They leave families with months of stress, the disruption of unfinished work, and that horrible feeling of being taken advantage of.

“Not only that, but they give the vast majority of decent, hardworking tradespeople a bad name.

“So we’re putting the cowboys out of business. These changes mean you’ll now have the option to make sure your money is held safely and released bit by bit as the work gets done.”

Kate Dearden, the minister responsible for consumer protection, said homeowners should be able to trust those carrying out work on their properties.

She said: “When you hand a builder thousands of pounds, you’re not just trusting them with your money. You’re trusting them with your home.

“Yet cowboy builders have left too many people with work half-finished, thousands of pounds down the drain and, in the worst cases, homes that aren’t safe to live in.”

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