Build UK Daily Update

Source – Build UK

With Public Health England (PHE) guidelines being updated regularly, we have been working hard to ensure that the Site Operating Procedures published by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) are aligned, whilst also protecting the construction workforce and providing the clarity that industry has been calling for.

Unfortunately, the updated version issued yesterday resulted in more confusion than clarity. Whilst we review the developing PHE guidelines, we can confirm that version 1 of the Standard Operating Procedure remains in place. We are extremely sorry for any disruption caused; like many of you we are doing our best to keep construction operational whilst protecting the health of our people during these difficult times.

Build UK continues to support the CLC and, by working collaboratively across the industry, we have gained strong Ministerial support. This resulted in a conference call yesterday afternoon with Nadhim Zahawi, Minister for Business and Industry with responsibility for Construction, and Andrew Stephenson, Minister of State at the Department for Transport with responsibility for HS2 and the Northern Powerhouse Rail, where they heard from industry representatives, including Suzannah Nichol, Build UK Chief Executive, and Leo Quinn, Chief Executive of Contractor member Balfour Beatty, on the issues affecting the whole supply chain.

The Ministers reaffirmed that construction is a cornerstone of the economy and the vital work it is performing now, and in the future, will be crucial to the economy’s recovery.

Read our latest statement which provides further details of the Ministerial discussion.