Greg Clark
The government has finally launched a £420m sector deal for construction, first announced in November last year.
The sector deal is due to be announced today by business and energy secretary Greg Clack, in a speech to the Northern Powerhouse Summit in Newcastle.
The deal aims to:
- Increase productivity and build new homes quicker, with less disruption
- Promote a ‘bytes and mortar’ revolution through the use of digital design and offsite construction
- Boost the delivery of the government’s ambition to deliver 1.5 million new homes by 2022
- Halve the energy use of new builds by 2030 by supporting the Clean Growth Grand Challenge.
Clark was due to say: “The construction industry is fundamental to growing our economy as we build to invest in our future. Major infrastructure projects like HS2 and the commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes by 2022 mean that we need a construction sector that can drive innovation, delivering homes and infrastructure quicker.
“This Sector Deal is supported by the biggest government investment in construction for at least a decade and will drive economic growth and create well-paid highly-skilled jobs in every part of the UK.
Andrew Wolstenholme, co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council said: “Securing this deal sends out a statement about the vital contribution our sector makes to the country. Our industry builds the schools to educate the young, the hospitals to care for the sick, the police stations to keep us safe, the roads and railways that get us to work, the power stations that keep us warm and the homes we return to each day.
“We are an industry that must be at the forefront of the UK’s drive for future growth and prosperity – and I’m confident that this deal will help to achieve that.”
