Chief construction adviser
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
The Chief Construction Adviser was a UK Civil Service appointment created by ministers in 2008 to provide cross-departmental coordination and leadership on UK construction industry policy.
[edit] History
The creation of a post of Chief Construction Officer was recommended by the House of Commons Business and Enterprise Select Committee in July 2008. Subsequently referred to as the 'Chief Construction Adviser' (CCA), the role included chairing the Government Construction Board, responsible for overseeing the Government Construction Strategy.
The intention of the strategy is to reduce the cost of public sector construction by up to 20% and to stimulate growth in construction. The strategy:
…calls for a profound change in the relationship between public authorities and the construction industry to ensure the Government consistently gets a good deal and the country gets the social and economic infrastructure it needs for the long-term……
[edit] Paul Morrell
The first Chief Construction Adviser, appointed in November 2009, was Paul Morrell, a quantity surveyor and former senior partner of Davis Langdon. The role was initially for two years, but Morrell was re-appointed for a further one-year term in October 2011. Morrell focussed on the use of government purchase power and benchmarking to drive down tender prices and on the roll out of Building Information Modelling (BIM) for public projects.
[edit] Peter Hansford
In July 2012, the name of Morrell's successor, Peter Hansford, was announced. Hansford had previously been President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Chairman of the Infrastructure Steering Committee and executive director at the Nichols Group. He took up the role on 1 December 2012.
[edit] Abolition
On 16 July 2015, Skills Minister at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) and Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) Nick Boles MP announced that the CLC would be restructured. Ref Gov.uk. The restructuring of the CLC involved reducing the number of members from 30 to just 12.
The new Council is intended to ‘build on the work of the government’s Chief Construction Adviser. However, since the role was created, the Government Construction Strategy has been developed, Construction 2025 published and the CLC created. The government argue that this has led to duplication of roles. As a result, the CCA position was scrapped in November 2015 when the tenure of Peter Hansford ended.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) said, “The loss of the Chief Construction Adviser role at this crucial time will leave a significant gap in terms of drawing together the skills of the sector. The industry needs to look at how the workstreams announced will be coordinated to avoid silos developing in the new approach. It’s therefore vital that the work of the new Construction Leadership Council is informed by the whole of the industry and the professional services sector has strong representation.”
The Construction Industry Council (CIC) proposed that the construction industry itself might fund the role of chief construction adviser to "keep this important post which combines both expert advice to ministers and the highest representative of the industry."
However, the role was abolished as planned, and Cabinet Office minister Nick Hancock took over responsibility for the Government Construction Strategy.
For more information see Restructuring the Construction Leadership Council for more information.
On 19 February 2016, The House of Lords Select Committee on National Policy for the Built Environment published Building Better Places, which called for the role to be reinstated. However, the Government Response to the Report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the Built Environment, published in November 2016, rejected the proposal. The report suggested that, 'At present the chief planner provides the central leadership to ensure the planning system supports the delivery of housing growth, climate change, sustainable economic development and works to protect and enhance the natural environment...We consider this a better use of resources than creating a specific new senior role."
This article was created by --Eepaul 09:17, 20 February 2013 (UTC)
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Building Better Places.
- Building Information Modelling.
- Built Environment Professional Education BEPE.
- Chief planner.
- Common Minimum Standards.
- Construction Industry Council.
- Construction Leadership Council.
- Construction minister.
- Government Construction Board.
- Government Construction Strategy.
- Housing minister.
- Infrastructure UK.
- Major Projects Authority.
- Public procurement.
- Restructuring the Construction Leadership Council.
[edit] External references
- Construction Matters, Ninth Report of Session 2007–08.
- Paul Morrell has been re-appointed as the Government’s chief construction adviser by Business Minister Mark Prisk.
- Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. "Government names new Chief Construction Adviser". Wiredgov.net.
- Government Construction Strategy: One Year On Report and Action Plan Update.
Featured articles and news
Installing solar panels on listed structures.
The current and future global market dynamics of boilers
Significant challenges but adaptation to sustain for longer.
Designing sustainability and performance into buildings
Specifying and selecting sustainable resilient timber products.
Modifying wood to improve resistance to decay and movement.
A last minute, long look for built environment professionals.
The architecture of creative reuse. Book review.
Sustainable development global goals, history in progress?
"Unless we act now, the 2030 Agenda will become an epitaph for a world that might have been."
Mike Kagioglou FCIOB named CIOB President
'Sustainable Development Goals must be focus for construction'
BSRIA training; a look at what's on offer
From energy management to compliance training.
TESP video warns to beware of rogue trainers.
Highlighting the slippery tactics of non-approved providers.
New Building Safety Wiki launched
Boosting awareness and understanding of the new fire safety regime.
New playbook on AI in construction published by CIOB
How to get to grips with, and the best from AI.
Digital Construction Report NBS
BIM, cloud, off-site, immersive tech, AI, twins and sustainability.