The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has submitted its Autumn Budget proposals to the Chancellor, calling for urgent action to ease pressures on its member businesses and unlock the environmental horticulture sector's potential to contribute over £51 billion to the UK economy by 2030.
Environmental horticulture is an often-overlooked contributor to the UK economy, generating £38 billion in 2023 and supporting over 722,000 jobs across the supply chain – from growers and retailers to landscapers, manufacturers, wholesalers and garden designers. With barriers lifted, the sector could grow to £51.2 billion by 2030, creating an additional 40,000 jobs. However, the HTA warns that this growth will depend on the decisions made in November.
The Autumn Budget comes at a time when businesses, particularly SMEs, are facing sharp increases in employment and input costs, weakened consumer confidence, and new tax and regulatory pressures. Certainty, the HTA stresses, is urgently needed if businesses are to invest with confidence. Unlocking barriers in the planning system and ensuring consistency across councils will also be vital to enable retrofitting and the delivery of green infrastructure at pace.
© Horticultural Trades AssociationJennifer Pheasey (HTA Director of Policy and Public Affairs) with Rt Hon James Murray MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury at the Labour Party Conference
Fran Barnes, Chief Executive of the HTA, said: "Rising costs, combined with tax and regulatory changes announced in last year's Budget, are squeezing horticultural businesses to breaking point. From higher employment costs and National Insurance to proposed changes in inheritance tax reliefs, the impact is being felt throughout the entire supply chain. Many of our members have already told us they've had to raise prices, scale back recruitment, or postpone vital investment as a direct result. That isn't sustainable — and it risks fewer jobs and less tax revenue in the long run.
"That's why we've submitted a clear set of proposals: no further tax hikes on employers, urgent reform of business rates, and a pause to consult properly on Agricultural and Business Property Relief changes. Environmental horticulture is a £38 billion industry today, with the potential to grow to more than £51 billion by 2030. We provide skilled jobs, we help green our towns and cities, and we play a vital role in helping the UK adapt to climate change and meet its net-zero commitments. With the right framework, our members can invest in water resilience, peat-free growing, green skills, and the landscapes that support health and wellbeing across the country.
"Last year's Budget put barriers in the way of growth. This year, we must begin to remove them and give our sector the certainty and confidence to deliver greener growth for Britain."
The HTA's submission sets out detailed proposals, with priority areas summarised below.
The first priority is to support businesses to invest and grow by reducing regulatory and financial barriers. The HTA calls for a halt to further rises in employer taxes, including the Landfill Tax, as any additional costs would severely impact members. Proposals on landfill tax in particular risk significant costs for landscapers and new housing projects. The submission also urges government to pause and consult on changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR), warning that reforms could shrink the economy by £143 million and result in the loss of more than 1,300 jobs by 2030. Reform of business rates is also proposed, with a call for fairer treatment of garden centres. To encourage investment, the HTA recommends improving access to investment allowances and tax reliefs, particularly to support peat-free research and innovation. It also highlights the need to support skills, automation, and technology adoption to boost productivity. Additional proposals include investing in green intellectual property, such as Plant Breeders' Rights, to make the UK competitive with EU and US fee structures, and reversing harmful reclassifications such as the treatment of double-cab pickups, which add unnecessary costs for landscapers.
The second priority is to ensure businesses can invest and deliver for climate resilience and a net-zero future. The HTA recommends establishing an Office for Green Spaces to coordinate cross-government work on green infrastructure. It calls for every new home to include high-quality gardens of a minimum size, securing health, wellbeing, and climate benefits. The submission also highlights the need to cut planning barriers and expand access to water storage and resilience funding. It urges government to back the industry-led transition to peat-free growing with a clear roadmap, timelines, and funding for research and development. Another proposal is to ensure that non-black polypropylene pots are classed as green and recyclable under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules. Furthermore, the HTA calls for horticulture, landscaping, and arboriculture roles to be recognised in official definitions of green jobs, alongside expanded funding for skills development and apprenticeships.
The third priority is for government to work with businesses to deliver on the shared ambition of a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. The HTA urges the UK to secure such an agreement as soon as possible, with specific easements for plants, to reduce costly border friction. It also calls for full funding of new and upgraded digital systems to support and streamline plant trade, alongside the design of workable pre-notification schemes. Finally, the submission emphasises the need to support businesses that have already invested in Control Points to ensure that trade processes remain viable and efficient.
For more information:
Horticultural Trades Association
[email protected]
www.hta.org.uk
