CPA welcomes construction and infrastructure plans

Government’s Construction Strategy and National Infrastructure Delivery Plan bring clarity and confidence

THE Construction Products Association (CPA) has welcomed the Government’s Construction Strategy and National Infrastructure Delivery Plan, both of which were published yesterday (23 March), saying the clarity and confidence that they bring are key.

Dr Diana Montgomery, chief executive of the CPA, said: ‘We are very pleased to see the Government further clarify its wider strategy for construction, along with the means to deliver the pipeline of projects in an effective, efficient way which will ensure that the country gets the high-quality infrastructure it needs and taxpayers get value for money.

‘We particularly welcome the inclusion, for the first time, of the Government’s plans to support the delivery of large-scale housing and regeneration projects as well as key social infrastructure such as schools, together with those for economic infrastructure.

‘The Construction Strategy…spells out the Government’s plans to embed digital technologies such as BIM, effect new procurement methods which support greater collaboration, skills capacity and fair payment, and drive whole-life approaches to cost and carbon reduction.

‘These changes should lead not only to further efficiencies but to government being a better client that more clearly and transparently communicates its requirements to industry about its programme of work.’

She continued: ‘The National Infrastructure Delivery Plan provides much-needed, unified information on how the Government intends to plan, prioritize, finance and bring critical projects to completion.

‘We have long called for such details as we believe they are key to ensuring that construction products manufacturers and distributors, together with the wider construction supply chain, have the clarity and confidence for the future in order to invest in skills and manufacturing capacity.’

Dr Montgomery concluded: ‘Taken together, these publications reflect that, with more than a quarter of construction output from the public sector, government recognizes its central role as the largest single construction client in the UK with significant influence across the marketplace.

‘With the details provided, we are encouraged to believe that government is focused on delivery and committed to driving positive change in the industry.’