Build Magazine July 2015

Build Magazine 44 he new Council will build on the work of the government’s Chief Construction Adviser, working closely with ministers to ensure the industry’s concerns and ambitions are addressed. However the role is being axed, with the current occupant Peter Hansford leaving the post in November of this year following a successful tenure. In place of the role will be a new group of council members from numerous leading construction firms such as Laing O’Rourke and Bouygues UK, to bring new experience and a new perspective to the council. The council was initially created in 2013 to work between industry and government to identify issues and deliver actions to improve efficiency, skills and growth in the UK con- struction sector. Since then it has developed the Construc- tion 2025 strategy which sets out a vision of long term ambitions for the industry, which include the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment in order to ensure sustainability in the industry. Other aims of the strategy include a 33% reduction in both the initial cost of construction and the whole life cost of assets and a 50% reduction in the time from the outset to completion for new build and refurbished assets. There is also a focus on reducing the trade gap between total exports and total imports for construction products and materials. Co-chair of the council and Skills Minister Nick Boles indicated that the newly rejuvenated Leadership Council would be vital to maintaining the improvement the industry has seen in recent months and working towards the aims set out in the Construction 2025 strategy, ‘The construction industry recently saw its 24th month of consecutive year on year growth, and is key to our plan for increasing Britain’s productiv- ity and prosperity. We will work closely with the newly focussed Construc- tion Leadership Council, with its top business expertise, to deliver that plan and drive growth for the sector and wider economy.’ Industry Leaders Welcomed into Construction Leadership Council New members drawn from industry as council is slimmed down to create a more business led construction council following calls from the sector for a better, more industry focused approach. T