BILLIONS of pounds pledged for roads, infrastructure and housing in the UK Government’s Autumn Budget may not be enough to guarantee delivery, a Gloucestershire-based construction expert has warned.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget, delivered last month, included major commitments to infrastructure and an ambition to build 1.5 million new homes. Addressing MPs, Ms Reeves said the government had “overhauled our planning system to get Britain building” and reiterated Labour’s focus on unlocking stalled developments.

However, industry specialists say persistent skills shortages, supply-chain pressures and rising costs continue to pose serious risks to delivering projects on the ground.

Antony Heath, Marketing and Development Director at Glevum, which is based in Gloucestershire, said: “The Budget sets out ambitious investment plans for roads, infrastructure, and housing. However, the construction industry continues to face real challenges from skills shortages and supply-chain pressures to planning bottlenecks that could slow delivery and impact the sector’s ability to meet these targets.”

Alongside the investment announcements, the Chancellor confirmed that the National Living Wage will rise to £12.71 per hour from April 2026. While welcomed by workers, the increase is expected to add further pressure to construction budgets already affected by inflation and rising material costs.

Experts warn that higher labour costs, combined with ongoing supply issues, could push up production costs for developers and contractors, potentially slowing the pace of new housing and infrastructure schemes.

While the government has positioned the Budget as a driver of growth and modernisation, concerns remain over whether the sector has the capacity to deliver at the scale promised without further intervention.

Mr Heath added:“Investment is welcome, but the sector’s ability to deliver will hinge on addressing these bottlenecks. Without targeted measures to support skills development and streamline planning, even multi-billion-pound investment packages risk under-delivery.”

Industry figures also point to wider challenges such as labour availability, planning delays and fiscal pressures on housing demand, which could continue to restrict progress despite increased funding.

As the construction sector digests the Budget’s commitments, experts say the success of the government’s housing and infrastructure ambitions will depend not only on funding levels, but on reforms that enable projects to move more quickly from approval to completion.