'Construction Playbook' launched by UK Government

Plans have been outlined on how the Government plans to work with the construction sector in order to make sure public sector works are delivered quicker, better and greener.

Public sector works accounted for £117 billion of the UK’s economy in 2018 and supported over two million jobs.

The guidance has been developed after consultation with the construction industry and is called the ‘Construction Playbook’. It clearly defines what government expects from the work, it includes jobs from new roads and railway lines to schools, hospitals and prisons.

The Playbook reveals that construction will have a key role to play during the UK’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. It also needs to be influential in bringing greenhouse gas emissions down to net-zero by 2050.

There are many green initiatives in the Playbook that promote the use of carbon assessments. This will allow companies to understand and minimise emissions.

Other key measures include:

• Providing greater certainty to the industry through long-term plans for key programmes.
• Incentivising the industry to innovate by focusing on the output of what we want a project to achieve, rather than micromanaging.
• Modernising construction by standardising designs and parts.
• Embedding digital technologies including the UK Building Information Management Framework.
• Greater focus on building positive relationships with robust contract management between project leads and industry.
• Investing in more training and apprenticeships, boosting productivity and focusing on value for money.

It is hoped that lessons have been learnt from the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, the Playbook makes it clear that the sector must put safety at the heart of everything it does.

Cabinet Office Minister Lord Agnew, said: “By adopting the new Construction Playbook, developed with industry partners, we will help to ensure that the sector becomes greener and more innovative.”

View the Construction Playbook