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.
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.”
