CONSTRUCTION 2025 – A vision of the future for the UK construction industry

At the CPA (Construction Plant-hire Association) Conference in October 2014, Peter Hansford, Chief Construction Advisor to HM Government, provided delegates with an update on Construction 2025, the government’s vision for improvement within the built environment, which was initially announced in September 2012.

“Construction is important for the UK economy. It provides £90bn per annum to the UK economy, around 7-8% of GDP and safeguards 3 million jobs, 10% of the workforce. The important message now, is that the Government gets this.”

Objectives of Construction 2025

Construction 2025 aims to show the way forward for construction over the next two decades. It calls for:

a 50% reduction in construction time
a 50% reduction in greenhouse gases
a 50% reduction in the trade gap between construction imports and exports
a 33% drop in costs.

“This is not about reducing margins, but reducing waste, doing things more efficiently,” said Mr Hansford. “This is about thinking and doing things very differently,”

What needs to happen

Mr Hansford went on to outline what he feels needs to happen, which includes:

recognising the role that technology can and will play in the future. Technology is moving very fast and we will see a lot more site assembly of off-site manufactured components.
Focussing on attracting the people we need to work in the industry by transforming the image of the construction industry. According to Hansford, 35% of careers officers are actively discouraging children from a career in construction.
Embracing diversity when looking for new employees. At present just 14% of construction workers are female, while only 2% come from ethnic minorities.
Improving procurement methods – through greater co-operation and partnerships between suppliers, contractors and clients.

Commented David Elsdon, Managing Director of London- area [construction equipment hire] company, Mr Plant Hire:

“Whether you work at the delivery end of the business, or, like us, as a supplier, I agree that we all need to be thinking about attracting new blood to the industry and that is something we will certainly be conscious of as we recruit in 2015.”

UK based construction equipment hire company, Mr Plant Hire, supplies the building, maintenance, mechanical and electrical industries around Enfield, London and the Home Counties and reports steady growth in their business over the past 12 months.

Mr Plant Hire’s comprehensive range of plant hire includes powered access hire, lifting equipment hire and a wide range of diggers to accommodate all excavator hire needs.