More details were this week revealed on the membership and goals of the 12-strong Construction Leadership Council, slimmed down in July by the new Conservative government from the 30-member version established under the coalition administration.
The new appointees to the council are Strategic Forum for Construction representative Simon Rawlinson, who is head of strategic research and insight at EC Harris; BDP chairman David Cash; Brian Morrisroe, founder of groundworks and concrete subcontractor Morrisroe, and Saint-Gobain’s Mike Caldecott, appointed to give a product manufacturers’ perspective.
Responsibilities for delivering six “work streams” were also clarified. Laing O’Rourke chief executive Anna Stewart will take charge of work on “people and skills”, while Crossrail chairman Andrew Wolstenholme will focus on “smart and innovation” – likely to include BIM
Skanska chief executive Mike Putnam, who is also chair of the Green Construction Board, will deliver work on “green and sustainability”, and BDP’s Cash will focus on “exports and trade”.
Rawlinson will look at “industry communication” and Bouygues’ chief executive Madani Sow will head up efforts to improve “supply chain and business models”.
The council, charged with providing leadership to transform the industry and position it as a driver of economic productivity, is co-chaired by Nick Boles MP, minister of state for skills, and Sir David Higgins, executive chair of High Speed Two.
David Cash
At BDP, Cash has been chair since 2012, and was previously responsible for setting up the firm’s overseas offices in India, China and the UAE.
According to a BDP statement, Cash will be “approaching other industry figures to join his team to discuss ways to improve the UK’s export performance in the construction sector.”
The update came at this week’s Construction Industry Summit, organised by the Construction Industry Council to mark progress on the industry’s journey to the goals set out in the 2012 industrial strategy, Construction 2025.
Chief construction adviser Peter Hansford, whose role comes to an end in November, announced that a new government construction strategy for 2015-20 would be published in the next few months.
It is understood that mapping the route to Level 3 BIM and Digital Built Britain, and focussing the industry on the business case for improving diversity will be key components of the new document.
But the absence of ministerial drive behind the updated initiative was also noted by some commentators. The event was not attended or supported by any government ministers, although former culture secretary Maria Miller was a speaker in her capacity as chair of the women and equalities select committee.
“The industry still needs support from government, if not necessarily leadership,” said one industry insider.
The new council is due to meet for the first time next month. Meetings will also be attended by a representative from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and senior civil servants from other government departments, depending on the agenda.
