The government has announced business leaders will join ministers on the renewed Construction Leadership Council…
In a bid to streamline the Construction Leadership Council the government worked alongside David Higgins, the chief construction adviser, to create a smaller, more business-focused team.
The council will consist of people who have been identified as having the necessary skills and seniority in business to drive change. The new council represents a broad range of perspectives from the industry.
Created in 2013, the council seeks to bridge the gap between industry and government to ensure growth in the UK construction sector.
Skills Minister Nick Boles, who also co-chairs the council, said: “The construction industry recently saw its 24th month of consecutive year on year growth, and is key to our plan for increasing Britain’s productivity and prosperity.
“We will work closely with the newly focused Construction Leadership Council, with its top business expertise, to deliver that plan and drive growth for the sector and wider economy.”
The changes made to the membership will see the council reduce from its previous 30 members to 12. Members have been picked from construction firms such as Laing O’Rourke and Bouygues UK.
Co-chair David Higgins said: “I’m delighted the government has responded to calls for a smaller, more business-focused Construction Leadership Council.
“The new Council of 12, with its business leaders from across the sector, will be best placed to drive the skills, innovation and productivity outcomes to help the industry build on its recent growth.”
The new council will work closely with ministers to ensure industry concerns and ambitions relating to the construction sector are addressed.
Bouygues’ chairman and CEO of UK Madani Sow joined the council as a new member. He said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Bouygues UK and the industry.
“The UK’s construction sector is growing and leading the way in many fields, but productivity and skills are big issues we need to address and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Council to achieve this.”
The new members of the council are as follows:
- Madani Sow, of Bouygues UK
- Anna Stewart, of Laing O’Rourke
- Mike Putnam, of Skanska
- Andrew Wolstenholme, of Crossrail
They will join the chair of UKTI’s Construction Advisory Group, a volume housebuilder, a supply chain small/medium business, and the council’s co-chairs: Skills Minister Nick Boles and Sir David Higgins, Executive Chair of High Speed 2.
Council members will lead a specific workstream in the aim of delivering improvements. This will see Anna Stewart take skills; Madani Sow take supply chain/business models; Andrew Wolstenholme take innovation; and Mike Putnam take sustainability. The chair of the UKTI Construction Sector Advisory Group will lead trade.
The council will meet with ministers four times a year to offer advice in an effort to improve productivity. Council members have committed to their roles for a two year period.
The government said the changes to the council means the role of chief construction adviser will not be continued after Peter Hansford, who is currently in that role, finishes his tenure in November.