Marking 20 Years of Another Kind of Nightmare

‘But’, he went on, ‘the year still had too many nasties, villains and financial grey days.

‘Chancellor Nigel Lawson was prime baddie with his imposition of VAT on home improvements, including double glazing, a move which temporarily flattened sales of double glazing to consumers. It also put the lid on expansion plans and employment opportunities among many smaller, progressive firms in an industry which is, by its nature, labour intensive.’

For the past 20 years, taxation on home improvements has given the cowboy plenty of room to operate. The currrent Labour government has made noises about reviewing VAT on home improvements, and the matter receives a brief airing at every GGF lobby lunch at Parliament.

New VAT structures have been put forward, covering maintenance/refurbishment work and also adding newbuild, all at a harmonised low rate. But implementation is another matter entirely.

We all know from our own experience that new standards and regulations are years, sometimes decades in the making.

Which is why mandatory safety glazing in low level and risk areas for all new construction was something to get excited about in January 1992, when copies of Approved Document N were eagerly awaited in the Glass Age office.