Weekly Policy Update |
up to Friday 25th April 2025

Information provided by National Constructing Excellence

Building for growth: how can the sector make the most of investment in the Oxford-Cambridge arc?

Last month, Jane Goddard, Deputy CEO BRE, and Alison Nicholl, Head of Constructing Excellence, took part in the first Building the Future think tank regional roundtable for 2025 in Cambridge. The roundtable focused on how the built environment sector in the East of England can maximise the opportunities presented by investment in the Oxford-Cambridge arc. Read the write-up of the discussion (behind a paywall). This is the first in a series of Regional Roundtables the CE Regional Partnership is running in partnership with Building Magazine.

The week in policy

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero launches plans to strengthen voluntary carbon and nature markets

On Thursday 17 April, DESNZ announced plans to strengthen voluntary carbon and nature markets which can help leverage the finance needed to address the scale of the climate emergency while diversifying revenue streams for British businesses. This move aims to support new work to establish the UK as the global hub for green finance. These markets are estimated to be worth up to $250bn by 2050 for carbon markets, and $69bn for nature markets, under the right conditions.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announces changes to Planning and Infrastructure Bill

On Wednesday 23 April, MHCLG announced changes to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which will relax planning restrictions to build major infrastructure, with an estimated average time saving of one year. This will halve the average two-year statutory pre-consultation period.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) announces AI tool to modernise council planning

On Saturday 19 April, DSIT announced the launch of a new AI tool to increase the availability of planning data, enabling councils to make quicker, more informed planning decisions to support the government’s mission to drive growth across the country and build 1.5 million homes. Currently, many councils still use paper documents and scanned PDFs, slowing down the planning process and resulting in backlogs, inefficiencies, and wasted resources. The new generative AI tool will turn old planning documents into clear, digital data in just 40 seconds compared to the two hours it can currently take.

Membership of the Building Control Independent Panel

The government has appointed five members to the Building Control Independent Panel, which will be chaired by Dame Judith Hackitt. The panel will review the current building control model in England, addressing recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. The panel includes Elaine Bailey, Ken Rivers, Rt Hon Nick Raynsford, and Dr David Snowball; all of them have extensive experience in building control and safety. The panel aims to ensure the building control system prioritises safety, supports remediation efforts, in addition to help deliver 1.5 million safe homes, and is expected to report its findings to the government by autumn 2025.

PAS8700 Launch

CE Member BSI is launching a new standard for Modern Methods of Construction on 13 May. pages.bsigroup.com/l/35972/2025-03-18/3t8ptcx

In the news

Government names CEO of new infrastructure body – Construction Management

Number of UK homes overheating soars to 80% in a decade, study finds | Extreme heat | The Guardian

Setting a new standard for procurement competence – Construction Management

High Court judge rules contract made over WhatsApp is valid – Construction Management

Companies plan shift to green energy despite Trump-era rollbacks, survey shows, FT

AI start-ups join accelerator programme to address inefficiencies in UK construction industry | BE News