Government

Firms involved in major public sector construction projects in Wales are to benefit from strengthened payment protection under a government initiative. Three high street banks have been accredited by the devolved Welsh Government as part of its project bank account (PBA) scheme, which is designed to speed up payments for…

Construction sector leaders, including Balfour Beatty chief executive Leo Quinn, have warned that US tariffs on the UK will raise prices and reduce demand for steel. Speaking yesterday (12 March) during a presentation on his company’s annual results, Quinn warned that main contractors will need to tread “very carefully” to…

Tom Pashby An updated business case for the revised programme of works for High Speed 2 (HS2) will not be published until 2026 – more than a year later than originally planned. The delay came to light in a letter dated 27 February from Department for Transport (DfT) permanent secretary…

Key construction industry figures have hailed the publication of the “landmark” Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Ministers introduced the legislation to Parliament yesterday (11 March), promising “bold action” to “get Britain building”. Measures within it include overhauling the order in which new developments are connected to the power grid; fast-tracking green…

The Department for Education (DfE) is set to unveil a £15.4bn construction framework, it has announced. The new framework is planned to run for six years, from December 2025 to December 2031, with a two-year extension period possible afterwards. Potential work involves construction jobs in all areas of England, covering…

Industry figures have welcomed the government’s signal it will support the expansion of Gatwick Airport, and called for it to be brought forward quickly as part of a wider pipeline of work. The £2.2bn expansion of the West Sussex airport, which is majority owned by Vinci, would see what is…

The government will allow hydrogen-powered diggers, mobile cranes and other construction machinery to operate on public roads. Transport minister Lord Peter Hendy told Parliament that the Labour government would move ahead with the law change, which was first proposed in 2024 by the previous Conservative administration. Hydrogen-powered non-road mobile machinery…

Building regulations should be changed so that no new homes are completed with gas grid connections after this year, an influential body has said. The Climate Change Committee (CCC), the government’s official advisory body on reducing emissions, outlined a range of measures needed to decarbonise the UK by 2050. The…

The government has proposed harsh penalties for manufacturers and distributors of unsafe construction products, including prison time and unlimited fines. Under plans set out yesterday (26 February), it would become a criminal offence for companies or online marketplaces to provide inaccurate production information or fail to comply with an enforcement…

The government’s response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry has been welcomed by industry figures, though some called for it to go further on licensing. Yesterday (26 February), communities secretary Angela Rayner told the House of Commons she would accept all 58 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendations. Among the measures…