Listed below are our most recent news posts. You can also view our News Archive, containing posts from 2020 until present.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025, with a number of the new measures coming into force with immediate effect.
The new Act is key to meeting the Government’s targets for homes and major infrastructure, and Ministers will confirm in due course when the remaining reforms will take effect.
Ahead of the Christmas break, CITB announced significant changes to the grants and funding available to employers, which take effect from today (8 January). With the demand for financial support due to exceed the Levy paid by employers, apprenticeship grants will be maintained but there are wide?ranging changes to other funding, including:
Large employers will not be supported via Employer Networks after 31 March, with a new large employer fund to be introduced from 1 April.
Any training booked before 8 December 2025 which takes place between 8 January and 31 March 2026 will be eligible for the previous grant rates where evidence is provided. Large employers should ensure any training booked via Employer Networks is completed by 31 March 2026. Further information on all the changes can be found in these FAQs and a series of webinars hosted by CITB.
We have been made aware of 3 spam emails being sent to CFA members and wish to bring them to your attention.
The particular emails that have come to our attention have been distributed from anna@sucesshub.services, serlin@sccessmetrics.services and lilith@successebox.live although there may be other alternative emails in circulation from these companies - please see the graphics at the bottom of this notification.
We can confirm that the CFA is NOT working with or in partnership with these senders or the related businesses. We want to reassure you that we do not generally share the CFA membership list with any third parties and should we ever enter into any partnerships with a third party for a project, we would ensure that members were made aware of this in advance.
The CFA always takes action when members receive spam or spurious emails and can confirm that we have issued the senders of the spam/scam a cease and desist instruction.
PLEASE IGNORE AND DELETE THESE EMAILS FROM YOUR SYSTEM, as well as any follow-up versions. We would ask that you make sure that relevant personnel within your company are made aware that these are not genuine emails.
You can register spam emails with the ICO: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/nuisance-calls-and-messages/spam-emails/report-spam-emails/ or with Action Fraud.
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The CFA would like to welcome Specialist Flooring Group Limited, a new Contractor Member from Maidstone.
We have been made aware of two scams this week and wish to bring them to our members' attention.
Scam alert 1 - via telephone
We have been made aware that members are being approached via telephone by someone purporting to be from Hampshire Fire Brigade saying they are looking for people to advertise in their magazine and asking if the company is still a CFA member. They are offering varying advert sizes at varying costs.
Scam alert 2 - via email
The particular email that has come to our attention has been distributed from emilia@dataleadscenter.com although there may be other alternative emails in circulation from this company - please see the graphic below.
The CFA always takes action when members receive spam or spurious emails and can confirm that we have issued the sender of the spam/scam a cease and desist instruction.
PLEASE IGNORE AND DELETE THE EMAIL FROM YOUR SYSTEM, as well as any follow-up versions. We would ask that you make sure that relevant personnel within your company are made aware that these are not genuine emails.
You can register spam emails with the ICO: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/nuisance-calls-and-messages/spam-emails/report-spam-emails/ or with Action Fraud.
We can confirm that the CFA is NOT working with or in partnership with either of the above scammers or their related related businesses. We want to reassure you that we do not generally share the CFA membership list with any third parties and should we ever enter into any partnerships with a third party for a project, we would ensure that members were made aware of this in advance.
Transport for London has announced a number of changes to the London Congestion Charging scheme from 2 January 2026, including an increase in the daily charge from £15 to £18. The Cleaner Vehicle Discount will also be replaced with a discount on the daily charge of 50% for electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles and 25% for electric cars registered for Auto Pay.
The seven Recognised Assessment Bodies for the Common Assessment Standard – Achilles, Compliance Chain, Constructionline, CQMS, SCCS, Smas Worksafe, and Veriforce CHAS – are reviewed every year to ensure their competency. They have all successfully completed this process for another 12 months, meaning suppliers can continue to obtain the Common Assessment Standard from any one of them.
Last week’s Budget introduced a number of changes to apprenticeship funding. From the next academic year, the 10% top?up that Apprenticeship Levy payers receive will be withdrawn and funds will only be available for 12 months once paid into a Levy account, rather than the 24 months that employers currently have to use up their funds.
In addition, once an employer’s Levy funds have been spent, the Government’s contribution to further training costs will drop from 95% to 75%, increasing the cost to employers from 5% to 25%. Non?Levy payers will no longer have to contribute 5% to the cost of apprenticeships for learners aged 22 ? 24.
Congratulations to Marion Marsland, Chief Executive of Build UK member TICA, who has been appointed the new Chair of the CSCS Alliance, which brings together the 37 card schemes that carry the CSCS logo. With experience overseeing the TICA Skill Card, which is part of the CSCS Alliance, Marion will serve a two-year term as Chair, with the option of a further two?year extension.
The CFA would like to welcome Screedfast Limited, a New Contractor Member from Kent.
The CFA would like to welcome back Central Flooring Services Limited, a Contractor Member from Leicestershire.
The Government has published The Construction Products (Amendment) Regulations 2025 to ensure that CE?marked construction products will continue to be accepted as an alternative to the UKCA mark in Great Britain, following the introduction of the EU CPR 2024. The new regulations, which will come into force from 8 January 2026, will not impose any new requirements on either manufacturers or the supply chain.
From Tuesday 18 November, it will be a legal requirement for company directors to verify their identity with Companies House in order to submit their company’s next confirmation statement. It follows the introduction of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act to improve transparency over UK companies and tackle economic crime.
Individuals can verify their identity by supplying the evidence requested via their GOV.UK One Login or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). Anyone using their GOV.UK One Login will need a mobile phone with a working camera and photo ID such as a driving licence or passport. The process should take around 10 minutes and verified individuals will receive a personal code which they can use for each company they are a director of.
Companies House has announced that a number of its fees will be changing from 1 February 2026. These include the confirmation statement digital filing fee increasing from £34 to £50, the incorporation digital filing fee doubling from £50 to £100, and the digital voluntary strike off fee being reduced from £33 to £13. Details of all the changes can be found on the Companies House website.
The CFA would like to welcome T W Betts Flooring Limited, a new Contractor Member from Dagenham.
The CFA would like to welcome County Contract Flooring, a new Contractor Member from Worcestershire.
CITB has developed a new online portal to make it easier for employers to access the CITB Grants Scheme. CITB Online Services now allows employers to submit and manage applications for Apprenticeship, Qualification and Short Course grants, which could previously only be applied for via email, as well as submit their Levy Return.
The online portal enables employers to save draft grant applications and track when they have been processed, as well as control who within their business has access to the information. Employers who already have a Levy or Grant account with CITB can use their existing details to log in without registering again, although Levy and Grant access are requested separately so employers who only have Levy access will need to ‘request access to your employer’ and select Grant access in order submit grant applications.
Whilst the existing route of submitting grant applications via email will remain available for the time being, employers are being encouraged to start using CITB Online Services going forwards. CITB has published a range of guidance and is running webinars to provide a ‘hands?on look’ at the portal on Wednesday 12 November, Monday 24 November, Wednesday 3 December and Thursday 11 December which members can register to attend. Further support is also available from your local CITB adviser.
The CFA would like to welcome Towergate Insurance Brokers Ltd, a new Specialist Consultant Member from London.
The Contract Flooring Association (CFA) has formally added its support to the open industry-letter spear-headed by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) opposing the recently proposed apprenticeship reforms by Skills England and the UK Government. These reforms include a significant reduction in the minimum apprenticeship duration period in England and removal of key elements of the End Point Assessments (EPA), including external verification.
Whilst CFA supports ongoing efforts to modernise apprenticeship pathways, we believe the proposed changes pose real risks to the quality, competence and safety of the construction sector and the commercial flooring sector in the future.
Shortening the minimum duration of an apprenticeship to as little as eight months could fail to provide sufficient hands-on experience and breadth of competence for a flooring installers role. Moving to an end point assessment model that allows partial or sampled knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) to determine overall competence undermines the rigour of the apprenticeship route. In a high-risk environment like commercial flooring (large projects, complex finishes, safety critical flooring) this raises concerns about inconsistent standards, quality control and risk to employers and end-clients if an apprentice is not correctly assessed.
If apprentices qualify without having demonstrated the full occupational competence required at the point of qualification, CFA fears this will erode employer trust in the apprenticeship route, create skills gaps in the supply chain, compromise reputation and stimulate a race to the bottom, as providers are incentivised to create lighter touch assessments to secure better pass rates and cost efficiencies.
There is also a danger that this undermines the governments initiatives towards embedding better routes to competence following changes to the Building Safety Act. For CFA, our members and the wider sector, current apprenticeship standards and qualifications (all recently updated and approved by industry) have been considered as a strong foundation for our competence work.
CFA will continue to work with member companies, training providers, awarding organisations and industry bodies to ensure that the commercial flooring sector remains underpinned by robust, employer-led training and assessment pathways.
Alongside twenty-two other leading trade bodies, CFA has urged the Government and Skills England to pause the implementation of these reforms, engage meaningfully with sector employers (including specialist trades such as flooring), and ensure that any change strengthens, not weakens competence, safety and quality.
CFA reaffirms its commitment to the highest standards of training, assessment and competency in the commercial flooring sector, recognising that our clients’ trust and the safety of built environments depend on it.
By standing with the letter signed to the Prime Minister and industry leaders, CFA is signalling that the flooring sector is fully engaged, prepared to speak up, and committed to preserving quality in a changing regulatory environment.
To read the letter and see all contributors, please follow this link. CFA would like to thank and acknowledge the hard work of the BWF in leading this important piece of lobbying work.
The CFA would like to welcome B2B Flooring Limited, a new Contractor Member from Fife in Scotland.
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has published new data on Gateway Two applications up to 1 October 2025, reflecting its new model for processing applications. The BSR highlights that an ‘all-time high’ 209 decisions were made during August, with 152 new build applications and 253 remediation applications currently in progress.
The new Innovation Unit, which has been established to speed up the processing of applications, is managing 27 of the 152 live new build applications, with the majority of these meeting the 12-week service level agreement. The BSR has confirmed that its focus for the remainder of this year is resolving the 91 historic new build applications and that all but three of these are expected to reach a decision by 31 December.
The Government has announced further amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to ‘get Britain building faster’. The Bill, which is expected to become law by the end of this year, aims to streamline the planning system to support the Government’s ambition to deliver 1.5 million homes and make decisions on 150 major infrastructure projects by the end of this Parliament.
Construction is at the heart of the Government’s plans to kickstart economic growth, and the amendments to the Bill, which are currently being considered by the House of Lords, include:
The Chancellor has also outlined new proposals to reduce the length of time that judicial reviews take for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, which is currently over a year. Only four of the 34 infrastructure projects that have faced judicial reviews since 2008 have been upheld, and the proposed measures should reduce the time taken by around six months.
Building on the discussion with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury at the Build UK AGM last month, a group of members joined a roundtable at HM Treasury this week to provide feedback directly to NISTA on the new Infrastructure Pipeline. The meeting focused on how the pipeline could be used to support business planning and the data that should be included in the next iteration of the pipeline due to be published in early 2026.
The My CSCS App provides the foundations of a ‘digital skills passport’ for the industry, as recommended by Mark Farmer in his Industry Training Board (ITB) Review published earlier this year, to enable Clients and other dutyholders under the Building Safety Act to demonstrate and enforce the competence of individuals working on their projects.
The app holds an individual’s digital CSCS card, which is identical to the traditional plastic version and shows their photo, qualifications, training, occupation and the expiry date of the card. To help both cardholders and employers, the My Skills section within the app allows an individual to store in one place their qualifications; successful completion of the Health, Safety and Environment Test; and any additional training and CPD undertaken. Cardholders can then generate a CV?style summary of the information within the app, which can be shared with employers as part of demonstrating the skills and knowledge elements of competence.
CSCS Smart Check can be used to digitally check all 2.3 million cards carrying the CSCS logo, and Build UK members should be using it across their projects and supply chain.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has completed the first stage of its review of the Temporary Shortage List (TSL) and provided recommendations for the future. The stage 1 report includes a list of occupations for potential inclusion on the TSL, which will be considered further after an industry?wide call for evidence.
Following the recent changes to the Points?Based Immigration System, which included raising the threshold for a Skilled Worker Visa to RQF Level 6, the TSL is a way for occupations at RQF Levels 3 - 5 to be eligible for a Skilled Worker Visa. The MAC has provisionally identified 82 occupations, out of the 151 occupations at RQF Levels 3 - 5 in the UK, as ‘potentially crucial’ to delivering the 10?Year Infrastructure Strategy, and this initial list will be considered further at the next stage of the review. It includes a range of construction occupations such as bricklayers, carpenters and joiners, construction supervisors, floorers and wall tilers, painters and decorators, plasterers, plumbers, roofers, stone masons, steel erectors, and welders, and Build UK will be working with the CLC to coordinate the industry’s response to the call for evidence.
The MAC has recommended that occupations on the TSL should generally be reviewed every three years and not receive any discount against the standard salary threshold for a Skilled Worker Visa. MAC’s stage 2 report, including final recommendations for the occupations that should be included, is expected to be published in July 2026, and the Home Secretary will make the final decision on whether to accept the recommendations.
Build UK have produced a number of support documents: a flowchart providing an overview of the process of employing a worker from outside the UK is being regularly updated in line with changes to the immigration system, detailed guidance on How to Get a Sponsor Licence and How to Apply for a Skilled Worker Visa. All three documents can be accessed via the CFA member area and are located in the contractors section under the Build UK tab.
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The CFA would like to welcome back SPJ Interiors Ltd t/a Simply Interiors, a Contractor Member from Cambridgeshire.
We have been made aware of a spam email being sent to CFA members and wish to bring it to your attention.
The particular email that has come to our attention has been distributed from summerclark24477@gmail.com although there may be other alternative emails in circulation from this company - please see the graphic at the bottom of this notification.
We can confirm that the CFA is NOT working with or in partnership with this sender or the related business. We want to reassure you that we do not generally share the CFA membership list with any third parties and should we ever enter into any partnerships with a third party for a project, we would ensure that members were made aware of this in advance.
The CFA always takes action when members receive spam or spurious emails and can confirm that we have issued the sender of the spam/scam a cease and desist instruction.
PLEASE IGNORE AND DELETE THE EMAIL FROM YOUR SYSTEM, as well as any follow-up versions. We would ask that you make sure that relevant personnel within your company are made aware that these are not genuine emails.
You can register spam emails with the ICO: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/nuisance-calls-and-messages/spam-emails/report-spam-emails/ or with Action Fraud.
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CITB has developed a new online portal to make it easier for employers to access the CITB Grants Scheme. CITB Online Services now allows employers to submit and manage applications for Apprenticeship, Qualification and Short Course grants, which could previously only be applied for via email, as well as submit their Levy Return.
The online portal enables employers to save draft grant applications and track when they have been processed, as well as control who within their business has access to the information. Employers who already have a Levy or Grant account with CITB can use their existing details to log in without registering again, although Levy and Grant access are requested separately so employers who only have Levy access will need to ‘request access to your employer’ and select Grant access in order submit grant applications.
CITB has published a range of guidance on signing up to and using the portal, and further support is available from your local CITB adviser. Whilst the existing route of submitting grant applications via email will remain available for the time being, CITB is encouraging all employers to start using CITB Online Services going forwards.
The BRE has published Version 7 of BREEAM, the recognised industry framework for specifying and measuring the sustainability performance of buildings. The new V7 places greater emphasis on decarbonisation and improving sustainability across all stages of a building's lifecycle, and full details of the changes between V6 and V7 can be found in a series of FAQs.
We would like to remind members that there are now just six weeks to go until all CSCS cards obtained via Industry Accreditation expire on 31 December and that they should have a plan in place to move workers onto the relevant card as soon as possible. CSCS has issued guidance on replacing Blue, Gold and Black Industry Accreditation cards, and there are increased CITB grant rates available for workers achieving certain S/NVQs to replace cards.
CSCS does not issue cards for non?construction occupations and any workers who are no longer undertaking a recognised construction occupation on site do not require a CSCS card.
CSCS has also announced that the initial validity of a Labourer card will be reduced from five to two years from 1 February 2025 to encourage more new entrants to start on the appropriate Red card with a recognised training pathway. Any operatives who continue in a labouring role will be able to renew their card for five years by providing evidence that they are employed as a labourer.
We have today been notified by the CLC (Construction Leadership Council) that the The Minister for Building Safety and Homelessness has made a statement regarding CE Marking for construction products.
The statement announces an extension of the recognition of CE marking for construction products in Great Britain.
This extension, as well as the longer-term future of CE/UKCA marking, is conditional on a commitment from the Government to system wide reform of the construction products regulatory regime. The full announcement can be viewed here.
In summary this means that:
• CE marking will be accepted past 30 June 2025 for construction products.
• The Government has committed to system wide construction product regulatory reform.
• UKCA marking will remain a valid and accepted regulatory mark.
• The Government will explore the long-term future of CE/UKCA marking as part of this regulatory reform.
• Any subsequent changes to the recognition of CE marking would be subject to a minimum 2-year transitional period.
• The Government will engage with UK Conformity Assessment Bodies, the UK Accreditation Service, and the wider industry to strengthen the conformity assessment market.
The Statement also makes announcements in relation to National Classes fire testing standards.
Source: CLC (2.9.2024)
We are delighted to publish a new member only document our Guidance Note on Moisture Measurement – In-Situ Probe Method. This is now available via the members area of the CFA website www.cfa.org.uk.
Following concerns raised by industry regarding moisture testing using the sleeve/probe method, work began on the guidance note in December 2022 with the formation of a working group. Whilst the changes proposed were relatively simple, the technical research to support them was discussed in detail, as was the format, and some additional critical parameters. The final document was approved for publication in June 2024.
Richard Catt (CFA CEO) commented: “This is a really important update that ensures a better understanding of the moisture condition of a subfloor. I am delighted that the CFA has been able to facilitate and deliver this work for industry.”
The CFA would like to take this opportunity to thank all those members who have been involved in the project for their hard work and support.
The CFA’s recently launched Clear Our Workspace campaign toolkit is available for members to view and download from the CFA website member area.
This initiative is designed specifically to address a significant challenge faced by our contractor members - maintaining clear and accessible workspaces on multi-trade sites.
Central to this campaign is the CFA principle of the “responsible no”, supporting members in occasionally making the tough decision to delay installation if site conditions are not suitable.
Building on the success of our first site conditions campaign “Winter Warning” (developed to helps members to achieve adequate heating on sites during the colder months) the new “Clear Our Workspace” campaign tackles another critical area: clear workspaces and uncontaminated subfloors. Every UK flooring contractor knows the frustration of working in environments where multiple trades overlap, leading to cluttered workspaces and contaminated subfloors. Such conditions not only hinder productivity but also jeopardise the quality and integrity of flooring installations. This latest campaign offers a comprehensive response to this widespread issue.
The Clear Our Workspace toolkit has several key resources to help raise awareness and foster better collaboration from main contractors and other trades on-site. Among these resources are a site poster, which can be printed and displayed on notice boards ensuring that all trades are aware of the requirements for a successful flooring installation.
The full kit includes the site poster/flyer, an email footer for members to add to their emails to highlight the importance of clear workspaces, and section 2 of the CFA Guide to Contract Flooring that applies. We have also created some tea/coffee coasters for members to use as giveaways for clients to help raise awareness. Members can obtain these by emailing info@cfa.org.uk or calling 0115 941 1126 - please note supplies are limited and so will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
We are delighted to publish our digital 2024/2025 Guide to Sustainability. This annual publication highlights key information, products, services and case studies, and is fast becoming more and more important as a reference document for our sector. It aims to help anyone with a current flooring project (with sustainability at its heart) to deliver best practice. At the same time, it provides some thought leadership pieces around the future of sustainability in the commercial flooring sector.
Returning to its roots as a guide, there is a very practical article on ways that contractors can improve their green credentials outside of installing sustainable products. A whole list of accessible actions and improvements that make both environmental and business sense. Doing the right thing, whilst at the same time making a flooring contractor more attractive as a supply chain partner to work with.
Included in the Guide is an update on the CISUFLO project https://www.cisuflo.eu/. Our work has really begun to gain momentum and we are supporting trials of a circular broadloom carpet. It’s an incredibly interesting project that has many threads including design for circular products and tagging materials so that they can be identified at the end of life and recycled. Tagging concepts have included bar codes and other electronic tags read by scanning the floor with something such as an RFID reader that will provide data such as the manufacturer, design and how they can be recycled. A product passport if you like.
All of the content has a wide reach and audience and we would like to thank everyone who contributed.
Here we have our full archive of previous news posts available to view in date-order.
