With just one year to go before we ‘Brexit’, the UK construction industry has warned that the sector faces a Brexit ‘cliff edge’ if the Government doesn’t provide more details on its plans to implement a two-year grace period for EU citizens looking to apply for settled status after the split.

A report jointly published by seven of the construction industry’s largest trade bodies, sets out the sector’s responsibilities and requirements in a post-Brexit labour market.

It calls on the Government to implement a post-transitional migration system based on key occupations where workers are in short supply, rather than on what it calls “arbitrary thresholds based on skill levels or income”.

The Federation of Master Builders said the decision to leave the EU had left the UK construction industry facing a “cliff edge” in terms of its access to EU workers.

“We know we need to step up as an industry and train more home-grown talent but we also have to be realistic about the future,” said Brian Berry, chief executive of the federation. “There will continue to be some ongoing need for migrant workers and our post-Brexit migration rules will need to be fit for purpose.”