There was lots of nodding and murmurs of approval among the audience as the room filled with talk of efficiency, cost cuts and innovation.

But in contractors’ offices and site huts across the country yet another long-term wish list from construction trade bodies and civil servants will have little effect.

And the thought of cutting costs in an industry working on wafer thin margins must have had many spluttering into their coffee.

Sure the Construction 2025 report has good intentions and not many would argue with its ultimate goals.

But we have been down this road many times before with efficiency reports launched in a great fanfare before being largely ignored in the ensuing years.

The ghosts of the Latham and Egan reports still rattle around the industry and Construction 2025 uses a lot of worryingly familiar phrases.

What contractors need now is real action which will make it immediately easier to win work and get paid on time.

To that end the Enquirer suggests an alternative construction strategy which would:

Abolish the outdated and abused retentions system

Scrap all unnecessary paperwork and admin across the whole industry

Make the Prompt Payment Code compulsory for main contractors

Boost bank funding for construction companies

Cut VAT on home improvements to 5%

Revolutionise industry training

Reform planning laws to encourage development as a default position

End suicide bidding by barring awards to ludicrously low tenders

Stop the scandal of phoenix firms dumping their debts and restarting trading within days

These are just some of the measures which would have an instant impact across construction.

There are many more but sadly they won’t get much of a look-in while the Government is fixated on grand plans and strategies.