Spring Statement 2025: What It Means for Outdoor Leisure Businesses

The UK Chancellor’s Spring Statement 2025 was packed with pledges, policies, and forecasts.

But what do they‌ mean for caravan dealers, motorhome retailers, glamping operators, campsite owners, and manufacturers in the outdoor leisure sector?

We’ve read the full 62-page document, so you don’t have to. Here’s what matters.

Economic Backdrop: Stabilising but Still Fragile

The UK economy is forecast to grow at 1.0% in 2025, picking up to 1.9% in 2026. Real wages and disposable income are slowly rising, but inflation will peak at 3.8% in July before falling back toward 2%.

👉 What this means for you:
Consumer confidence may remain cautious until inflation eases, but rising wages could support discretionary spending on holidays, leisure vehicles, and experiences later in the year.

Housing & Planning Reforms: More Touring, More Stays?

The Statement doubles down on housing growth.

Major reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) aim to deliver 170,000 new homes by 2030, potentially unlocking demand for outdoor leisure facilities, especially in growth corridors.

👉 Impact for campsite owners and park operators:
New homes mean new markets. Sites near high-growth areas—especially in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, West Yorkshire, and Manchester—should prepare for increased demand.

£625m Construction Skills Boost: Supply Chain Benefits

A major skills package aims to train 60,000 new workers to deliver housing and infrastructure projects—including £100m for construction-specific colleges.

👉 Impact for campervan, motorhome and caravan manufacturers and accessory suppliers:
With skilled labour in short supply, this investment could ease recruitment challenges and unlock production bottlenecks for custom-built leisure vehicles and aftermarket upgrades.

Tax & HMRC Modernisation: Compliance Gets Stricter

Expect tighter enforcement:

• 500+ new HMRC staff

• Expansion of Making Tax Digital for self-employed and landlords over £20k

• Harsher late penalties from April 2025

👉 If you're a sole trader or SME:
Now’s the time to get your books in order. Use digital accounting tools (we use Xero) to stay compliant and avoid growing fines.

Green Growth & Regional Investment

No new headline sustainability grants were announced. But £13 billion in new money for infrastructure and regional growth funds will indirectly help rural and leisure economies.

Plus: the government recommitted to reducing business regulatory burdens by 25%—a potential win for small outdoor businesses.

The Bottom Line: A Mixed Bag

This Spring Statement won’t change the outdoor leisure world overnight. But with interest rates softening, wages rising, and investment flowing into construction, ‌macro conditions are slowly improving.

What matters most now is being ready to capitalise on the recovery when it comes:

• Review your tax and compliance setup

• Plan for digital and automation upgrades

• Keep a close eye on regional housing growth and infrastructure projects

📮 We'll bring more insights after the June Spending Review—so stay tuned.