Government

The chair of the Building Safety Regulator’s Industry Competence Committee has said the construction industry must ensure a tragedy like the Grenfell Tower blaze never happens again. On the seventh anniversary of the West London fire in which 72 people died, Jon Vanstone called for the industry to honour the…

The Labour Party has promised to overhaul planning rules and fund infrastructure in a bid to revive the economy. In a 132-page manifesto published ahead of the 4 July general election, the Labour Party pledged to shred planning constraints for infrastructure and housing, adding that it would reform delivery of…

The Green Party has said demolition work should require a full planning application, unless already included in a local development order. In its 46-page manifesto released on Wednesday (12 June), the party said it would tighten the rules around demolition if it enters government after the general election on 4…

The Conservative Party has pledged to invest in apprenticeships, infrastructure and housing if it remains in power next month.  In an 80-page manifesto published this afternoon (11 June), the Tories unveiled policies including investment in rail, road and energy infrastructure as well as boosting housebuilding on brownfield land (see more…

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has called on the next government to reform the planning system and provide a “regulatory roadmap” for boosting retrofit. In a three-page open letter signed by 16 council members (see box below), the group listed 12 policies it would like to see enacted by whoever…

The Liberal Democrats have reiterated a commitment to build 380,000 new homes per year in the UK if they are elected to power after the 4 July general election. Their 117-page manifesto also promises to review last October’s decision by the Conservative government to cancel phase two of the HS2…

Babcock Rail is bracing itself for a lack of clarity on government plans to restructure the UK’s rail sector. The contractor has been carrying out “regular reviews” on plans for a publicly-owned Great British Railways (GBR) company but said it considered government infrastructure policy as a “key uncertainty”. The comments…

A new voluntary code of conduct for directors has been unveiled, partially in response to the collapse of Carillion, Construction News can reveal. The code of conduct, developed by the Institute of Directors (IoD), aims to “build trust in business” after high-profile corporate failings have shaken public confidence in business…

Construction bodies have slammed Nigel Farage for “laughable” claims about migration and the sector. Industry leaders dismissed Farage’s claim that the construction sector does not need any workers from abroad and the “myth” that builders are “unskilled”. They described remarks by the Reform UK leader as “incorrect”, arguing that he…

Plans for the next five-year period of road investment have been delayed due to the general election, Construction News can reveal. A draft of the third road investment strategy (RIS3), outlining which road schemes the government will fund between 2025-2030, was due to be published in late May. However, in…