Announced on 5 July by the Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark, the Sector Deal will see the government bringing together the construction, manufacturing, energy and digital sectors to deliver innovative approaches that improve productivity in construction and accelerate a shift to building safer, healthier and more affordable homes.
Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: “The construction industry is fundamental to growing our economy as we build to invest in our future. Major infrastructure projects like [high speed railway network] 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.”
“As buildings account for around 30% of total emissions, we also want to ensure that we are at the global forefront in designing and building smart, energy efficient and affordable homes and buildings through the Clean Growth Grand Challenge, saving families money on their bills.”
He added that the Sector Deal was supported by the biggest government investment in construction for at least a decade. The Construction Sector Deal will deliver:
£420 million investment in ‘bytes and mortar smart construction’ – investment will transform construction through use of digital building design, new manufacturing technologies and offsite manufacturing helping cut the time taken to deliver new build by 50%.
Cheaper energy bills for families and businesses to support the UK’s Industrial Strategy mission to halve the energy use of new builds by 2030 are also a central tenet of the deal.
The initiative also promises 25,000 construction apprenticeship starts and 1,000 Construction T Level placements by 2020, with £34m to scale up innovative training models across the country. ■
