CPA Weekly Notes – 10th April 2026

Issue No. 1196, 10th April 2026 FOR MEMBERS ONLY

Association Activities

Welcome to New Members
The Construction Products Association is pleased to welcome a number of new organisations into its membership, further strengthening the collective expertise and reach of the sector.
Joining as Associate Members are Attain RTC, Bimson Haulage and Pimberly. Attain RTC provides specialist recruitment and talent solutions for the construction and built environment sectors, Bimson Haulage brings extensive experience in logistics and transport for construction materials, and Pimberlyoffers product information management (PIM) technology to support digital transformation across supply chains. Together, their expertise will provide valuable insight and support to the Association’s work across policy, industry engagement and member services.
We also welcome Egger Building Products and Pavestone Group as Affiliate Members. Egger Building Products is a leading manufacturer of wood-based panels widely used in construction and interior applications, while Pavestone Group specialises in the supply of hard landscaping and paving solutions. Both organisations enhance the Association’s ability to represent the breadth and capability of the UK construction products industry.
The CPA looks forward to working closely with all new members as we continue to champion the construction products sector and support a more resilient, safer and sustainable built environment.

Amanda Long Joins CPA as New Deputy Chief Executive
We are very pleased to share with members the news that Amanda Long has been appointed as the CPA’s new Deputy Chief Executive. Amanda will join the Association on a part-time basis following the retirement of current Deputy Chief Executive, Jeff May later this month. CPA Chief Executive Peter Caplehorn said: “Amanda brings a wealth of experience from across membership organisations, with a strong track record of delivering value for members and driving growth. Her understanding of how to engage and support a range of memberships will be a significant asset to the Association.” Amanda will continue her current part-time role as Chief Executive of CPI Ltd the not-for-profit body driving forward the Code for Construction Product Information, working with manufacturers and wider industry stakeholders to prepare for major regulatory reforms. CPI Ltd’s independent governance will continue to be led by the CPI Ltd Independent Chair and Board, and the CCPI assessment process is enacted by independent assessors. To read more of the appointment in the full press release, click here.

CPA Spring Lunch – Sales Closed
Sales for the event are now closed. We look forward to seeing you at Hilton Park Lane on the 23rd April.

CPA at British Plastics Federation Event
CPA Economics Director Professor Noble Francis will be speaking at Industrialised Construction which is on on the 21st – 22nd April, discussing the performance and productivity of the sector. You can learn more about the event, see the full line up and secure your place here.

Weekly CPA Meeting Calendar

Peter Caplehorn, CPA Chief Executive, will meet with directors at the MHCLG, OPSS and Building Safety Regulator to discuss product issues; join a FloodReady/CPA Working Group Meeting; attend a Manufacturers’ Information Collaboration meeting hosted by NIMA; chair regular meetings of both the CPA Technical Committee and the CLC Standards and Regulatory Alignment Group; and join a regular meeting of the Construction Leadership Council’s Task Force.
Jeff May, CPA Deputy Chief Executive, will join a meeting of CBI members to update on the impact on our sector from the hostilities in Iran.
Professor Noble Francis, CPA Economics Director, will present to the Structural Timber Association’s Annual Conference in advance of the upcoming Spring Forecasts.
Jane Thornback, CPA Sustainability Policy Advisor, will attend a first reactivation meeting of the CPA’s Construction Packaging Group, chaired by Andy McLean (The Bathroom Association).
Hanna Clarke, Digital and Policy Manager, will have a variety of meetings with industry colleagues and civil servants around both competence and digitalisation of product information.

Economics Update

CPA Weekly UK Economic and Construction Update
The latest weekly update can be found here it includes:

CPA View on Middle Eastern Conflict and Potential Effects (9 April 2026)
S&P Global UK Construction PMI (March 2026)
DBT UK Brick Deliveries (February 2026)
RICS UK Residential Market Survey (March 2026)

State of Trade Survey for Q1 is now open
The CPA’s State of Trade Survey for Q1 is now open for members to report on the state of trade in your materials or products sub-sector during the January-March period of 2026. The deadline is the end of Friday 17 April and we would encourage you to respond so that we can present a comprehensive view of our industry’s performance as we enter a period of economic uncertainty. The survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CPASurvey26Q1. All responses are kept strictly confidential and results will be presented on an aggregate basis only.

The Construction Trade Survey Q4 2025 was published 16th March and can be found here.
The State of Trade Survey 2025 Q4 was published on Monday 9th February and can be found here.
The CPA’s Winter Forecasts were published on Monday 26 January and can be found here.

Government Update

BSR Plans to Reduce Delays
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has introduced a comprehensive plan to reduce external remediation delays and improve management of application caseloads. The plan is aimed at increasing the speed of essential higher-risk building (HRB) safety works across England. You can access the full BSR statement here.

To address application issues, BSR has published initial external remediation-driven guidance. The guidance has benefits across all work to existing HRBs. BSR will publish further improved feedback, resources and support targeted at these applicants over the coming months.
A new external remediation multidisciplinary team (MDT) will be established, supported by account managers
A recruitment drive aims to reduce individual caseloads from around 25 to approximately 10 cases
A more flexible approvals approach will allow projects to begin while resolving technical issues

Addressing delays and system pressures

Approximately 40% of remediation applications rely on government funding, with older and complex cases contributing to delays
Incomplete or poor-quality submissions have been identified as a key cause of delays
The BSR will increase direct engagement with applicants and introduce clearer prioritisation

Targets and transparency

The BSR aims to reduce average decision times to under 12 weeks by December 2026
Monthly transparency data will include remediation decisions
The regulator aims to reduce its caseload to 80–100 cases by September 2026

Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism Consultation
The government has issued two sets of draft secondary legislation for consultation. These seek to ensure the policy is delivered correctly and effectively. Find the papers here. Deadline for comments is 21 May 2026.

Restrictions to the use and manufacture of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – consultation
The EU’s ECHA’s Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) has published a consultation on its draft opinion on the restriction on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of PFASs. This closes on 25 May 2026. More information can be found here. In the UK, government issued its intentions in the PFAS Plan: Building a safer future together,

Architects Registration Board seeks views on environmental sustainability
The Architects Registration Board has issued a public consultation on its draft guidance for architects on environmental sustainability. I This is intended to support the profession in meeting the Standards of the Architects Code. Find the papers here. Deadline for comments is 14 May 2026.

Government opens consultation on reform of the Packaging Waste Recycling Note (PRN) system
Government is consulting on a series of measures aimed at levelling the playing field between UK domestic reprocesses and exporters and reduce the risk of fraud and error. Find the consultation papers here. Deadline is 5 May 2026.

Government Consultation on General Safety Requirement for Construction Products
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched a consultation on introducing a General Safety Requirement (GSR) for construction products, which would expand the current regulatory framework to cover products not subject to designated standards or technical assessments. The consultation proposes a statutory requirement that all construction products placed on the UK market must be safe, including those not currently regulated under the Construction Products Regulation. The consultation runs for 12 weeks and closes on 20 May 2026. The CPA will be responding to this consultation via our Technical Committee.

Industry News

Siderise Named in Best Companies to Work For
‘The Good Employer Guide’ celebrates organisations that demonstrate a genuine commitment to their people, culture, and workplace experience. Key initiatives contributing to this recognition include:

A continued focus on employee wellbeing, safety, and inclusion
Clear pathways for professional development and internal progression
Supportive policies and flexible working approaches
A culture centred around collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement

The full story can be found here.

Construction Leadership Council Publishes its Biennial Report
The Construction Leadership Council has published its biennial report, setting out its key priorities for 2026 and detailing the significant progress made during 2025 under each of the CLC’s four strategic pillars: building safety; net zero, resilience and circular economy; people and skills; and next generation delivery. Over the past year highlights include:

Establishing the Construction Skills Mission Board to support the delivery of the £625m Construction Skills Mission
Developing over 40 competency frameworks through the Industry Competence Steering Group
Working closely with the Building Safety Regulator, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Health and Safety Executive to implement the Building Safety Act across the industry
Responding to the consultation on tackling late payment and to reform the practice of retentions; Growing the CO2nstructZero programme to involve over 300 companies
Continuing to embed the use of the Information Management Initiative Framework across the industry and Government.
The full report can be read here.

Technical Consultation open at the Building Safety Regulator
The Building Safety Regulator’s Technical Policy Part B (Fire Safety) have opened their 2026 consultation on proposed updates to Approved Document B, along with the supporting research reports released in December 2025.They have also launched a dedicated webpage for the Real Fires Investigation Project, as well as a new page for the continuous review of Approved Document B, which replaces and expands on the previous technical review page. Please find below the link to the consultation document, along with the Real Fires Report and the Continuous Review, for your reference:

If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Helen Duggan, Head of Stakeholder Engagement for BSR.

CPA in the News

CPA Appoints New Deputy Chief Executive
The Construction Products Association has appointed Amanda Long as its new Deputy Chief Executive. Amanda will join the CPA part-time following the retirement of current Deputy Chief Executive, Jeff May.
At a time of significant change for the construction sector, Amanda brings deep knowledge of the regulatory, commercial and policy landscape, including building safety, decarbonisation, sustainability and supply chain challenges. Amanda will continue her current part-time role as Chief Executive of CPI Ltd the not-for-profit body driving forward the Code for Construction Product Information, working with manufacturers and wider industry stakeholders to prepare for major regulatory reforms.
Roofing Today| 08/04/2026 | online
Also in Agg Net, Tilezine

Hit a pothole? Soon you can blame the war
Prof Noble Francis, economics director at the Construction Products Association, said price increases for asphalt would have a “major impact on councils”, which are responsible for maintaining 99 per cent of Britain’s road surfaces “Council budgets were already set to be very tight for 2026/27, and sharp increases in the costs of maintaining and resurfacing roads are certainly not going to help, especially given the existing concern about the poor quality of roads,” he said.
Telegraph | 07/04/2026 | Print
Also in AOL, Y ahoo News, MSN UK

Is Reform’s Simon Dudley right about building safety?
Peter Caplehorn – chief executive of the Construction Products Association – told me, ‘We are moving to the next phase of building safety reforms by putting the fine detail on the principles in the Building Safety Act. We want to ensure the regulations are well thought through, practical and can immediately be taken up by industry,’ adding ‘right now however the industry is suffering. There are so many factors coming from across the economy that while many companies would like to be fully embracing reform their current priority is survival.’
The Spectator | 02/04/2026 | online

War in Middle East Biggest Threat to UK Construction right now, CLC’s materials group warns
… and the Construction Products Association, co-chairs of the CLC’s materials group, said: “The biggest risk today stems from the impact of the Middle East …
Building Magazine | 31/03/2026 | online
Also in Construction News | Construction Index | Construction Enquirer | Builders Merchants Journal | Specification Online

Mortgage rates surge as war hits housing market recovery
“We have heard that there have been cost increases and price impacts from those products that are oil-based,” said Noble Francis, economics director at the Construction Products Association, an industry body.
Investors’ Chronicle | 31/03/2026 | online