CPA Weekly Notes – 22nd May 2026

Issue No. 1202, 22nd May 2026 FOR MEMBERS ONLY

Association Activities

CPA Webinar Recording now Available.
Thank you to all those that attended the CPA webinar for our Construction Industry Forecasts – Spring 2026. The webinar recording can be accessed on the CPA website here.

Weekly CPA Meeting Calendar 

• Peter Caplehorn, CPA Chief Executive, will meet with the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), The ICE Engineering and MIC fortnightly meeting and will attend the CLC Product Alignment Group.
• Amanda Long, CPA Deputy CEO will Chair the next meeting of the Industry Working Group on Steel Tariffs and Quotas on behalf of the CLC.  Amanda will be meeting MHCLG Building Safety Team to follow up on reforms discussions.
• Mark Wilkinson, CPA Technical Manager has meetings with the BSI, The Fire Test Study Group and the CLC’s Product Standard and Alignment Group.
• Rob Lee, CPA Senior External Affairs Manager, will be attending the Working Group On Steel Tariff and has a meeting with the British Coating Federation.

Economics Update

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

•    ONS UK Construction Employment (2026 Q1)
•    ONS UK Construction Wage Inflation (March 2026)
•    Insolvency Service Construction Insolvencies (March 2026)

The CPA’s Spring Forecasts were published on 5th May and can be found here.
The State of Trade Survey 2025 Q4 was published on 14th May and can be found here.ished on 14th May and can be found here.rade Survey 2025 Q4 was published on Monday 9th February and can be found here.

Government Update

GSR and White Paper Consultations
The CPA has made a number of submissions on the current consultations including coordinating the response for the Construction Leadership Council, and direct CPA a responses from the Technical Committee, The Sustainability Group. Hanna Clarke, CPA Digital Manager has also submitted a response from SLG 5 competence. The CPOA will provide a report on the consultation responses next week.

HSE E-Bulletin Published 
The latest bulletin from the HSE on behalf of the Building Safety Regulator has been published. It contains pieces on:

• The latest building control gateway 2 update for the 12-week rolling period to 1 May 2026.
• Building Advisory Committee appointments
• Review of Approved Document B 
• Planning Gateway One (PGO) marking its fifth anniversary.
• An invitation to participate in online research sessions on the gateway process

The newsletter can be found here.

CPA Consultation Tracker 
With an increasing number of consultations being launched by government, the CPA has launched a tracker with those consultations that are relevant to CPA membership. It can be found for members here.
New consultations will still be reported the Weekly Notes for a limited time. 

Industry News

As an Affiliate Partner of Make UK, The CPA is pleased to highlight the Manufacturing Awards 2026. If your team is doing great work in manufacturing, make sure it gets the recognition it deserves.

Entries for the Make UK Manufacturing Awards close on 19 June and it’s free to enter.

Spotlight category: Health, Safety and Wellbeing
This category recognises exceptional projects that improve occupational health, safety and wellbeing in UK manufacturing, going above and beyond legal compliance. That could be anything from strengthening safety culture and employee wellbeing, to safer systems of work (e.g. lock-out/tag-out), to using new tech (including AI/computer vision) to control workplace hazards.
 
Spotlight category: Sustainability
Recognising organisations that deliver measurable sustainability improvements beyond compliance and business as usual. Entries should demonstrate a defined project or programme with positive environmental impact, such as reducing raw materials, energy or water use; adopting clean technologies; improving waste and recycling; developing greener products; or changing processes to boost efficiency and support net zero.
 
Spotlight category: Developing Future Talent
This award recognises organisations that champion diversity, develop skills and nurture talent. It celebrates initiatives improving inclusion, recruitment and progression, addressing skills gaps through training, apprenticeships or mentoring, strengthening digital capabilities, and inspiring future talent through schools engagement and community collaboration that promotes engineering and manufacturing careers nationwide sector impact.
 
Spotlight category: Innovation
This award recognises strategically driven innovation across products, processes, markets and business models that has delivered productivity, efficiency or growth in the past three years. It celebrates digital transformation, adoption of emerging technologies, collaborative partnerships, operational innovation and new models such as servitisation or circular economy approaches within manufacturing sector.
 
Spotlight category: SME of the Region
This award celebrates manufacturing SMEs with fewer than 250 employees that demonstrate bold leadership, strong management and progressive best practice. It recognises ambition, innovation and investment, adoption of new technologies, agility through diversification, commitment to people development and communities, and the drive to scale sustainably despite limited resources constraints sector.
 
Spotlight category: Strategic Business Growth
This award recognises outstanding business growth driven by a clear, well‑managed strategy delivered within the last 12 months. It celebrates expansion through exports, new markets or diversification, investment in digitalisation and skills, development of new products and customers, and strengthened distribution or supply chains to support resilient, sustainable growth objectives.
 
Spotlight category: Manufacturing Impact
This award recognises UK manufacturers that deliver a positive social or environmental impact beyond the workplace. It celebrates inspiring initiatives such as community engagement, volunteering, wellbeing support, employability and training programmes, charitable fundraising, adaptive business practices, and innovative products or services that demonstrate manufacturing’s wider contribution to society and local communities.

Spotlight category: Apprentice Categories

Apprentice Endeavour Award This category recognises apprentices who demonstrate exceptional resilience, commitment and determination in continuing their apprenticeship despite facing adverse circumstances. It shines a light on individual journeys, celebrating progress, perseverance and personal growth rather than traditional measures of success alone. By recognising these stories, the award reinforces the importance of inclusive apprenticeship pathways that enable individuals in manufacturing to overcome challenges and achieve their potential.

Apprenticeship Champion Award The Apprenticeship Champion Award celebrates apprentices who go above and beyond their role to advocate for manufacturing and apprenticeships more widely. It recognises individuals who act as ambassadors for the sector through outreach, STEM engagement, community or campaigning work, and who actively support and inspire others. By highlighting these role models, the category helps promote apprenticeships as a powerful and positive career pathway while strengthening the future talent pipeline for manufacturing.

Manufacturing Apprentice: Rising Star This category recognises apprentices in the early stages of their apprenticeship who have fully embraced training and development opportunities and are already making a meaningful contribution to their employer. It celebrates enthusiasm, initiative and potential, highlighting individuals who show strong promise for the future of manufacturing. By identifying and rewarding emerging talent early, the Rising Star category helps encourage engagement, confidence and long‑term progression within the sector.

Manufacturing Apprentice: Final Year The Manufacturing Apprentice: Final Year category recognises apprentices who, in the final stage of their apprenticeship, have made a significant and measurable contribution to their organisation. It celebrates those who have seized development opportunities, delivered results and demonstrated readiness for a successful long‑term career in manufacturing. By showcasing these achievements, the award highlights the impact apprentices can make on business performance and the value of investing in skills at a critical transition point.

Why enter?
• Gain recognition and raise your company’s profile
• Celebrate your achievements as a team
• Network with peers at Make UK’s celebratory Regional Dinners

Make UK would love to see your story and celebrate your achievements.
Enter now: www.makeuk.org/awards

BBA/UKAS
Many members will be aware that for a number of months now UKAS has suspended BBA activities.
Information has been sparse despite us raising the issue with Government Departments at very high level. We understand this does not affect current certificates but does effectively stop recertification and any new work. We also understand that this is not a technical matter but procedural. It is now subject to the Accreditation Regulations 2009.  When a dispute such as this arises, these regulations call for an independent board to adjudicate on the issue.  We understand this is underway but it is unclear what progress has been made.
We are deeply concerned on several levels about the lack of information being provided concerning this issue, and any progress towards resolution.
We are also concerned that there seems to be little or no appreciation of the severe damage this is doing to the supply chain and the wider industry. We are working through a number of channels for answers, including with the CLC.  We are also very concerned as to what plans are in place to manage and address the impact in the event that the suspension continues after the independent board has concluded.
We want to make clear we will continue to press for answers and action as well as acknowledgement of the damage this situation is causing at the highest level.  In the meantime, if your business has been directly affected and can supply a factual account we want to pass this information on to Government and Ministers. Please email CPA Senior External Affairs Manager, Rob Lee here.

British standard on construction products competence published for public consultation
BS 8670-2 Built environment – Core criteria for construction product competence – Code of Practice has been published for public comment this week, closing 13 July. The standard aims to bring consistency across all how all disciplines working with construction products and product information throughout its life cycle. It does this by describing the core principals that should be included in all competence frameworks, training and qualifications. It also may impact how organisations delegate responsibilities with construction products in the organisations and their supply chain.
BS 8670-2 originates from the white paper that CPA published on behalf of WG 12 – Construction Products Competence – that has since been superseded by SLG 5 – Construction Products Manufacturers under the Industry Competence Steering Group, and has contributions from much of the CPA membership and colleagues across the Industry Competence Steering Group.
BS 8670-2 is available for comment here.

CPA in the News

The global construction industry is struggling due to material shortages
According to Prof Noble Francis, economics director at the UK Construction Products Association (CPA), some contractors have been warned that raw material prices could rise by another 10–30% over the next three months. The CPA also forecasts that the number of construction companies going bankrupt will increase over the next 12 months.
Vietstock(Translated)| 15/05/2026 | online

Legal Developments in Construction Law: May 2026- Construction Products Association forecasts sharp decline in Construction Output for 2026
The Construction Products Association (“CPA”) has released its Spring 2026 Forecast on UK Construction Output. While it had previously predicted growth of 1.7% in 2026, the CPA has revised this downward substantially to forecast a decline in activity of 2.5%. 
Lexology| 15/05/2026 | online

Hormuz closure stalls construction projects as material costs soar
Noble Francis, economics director at the Construction Products Association, said some UK contractors had been warned of 10-30 per cent price increases over the next three months. The CPA is expecting an increase in contractor insolvencies over the next 12 months. Major price rises are already a reality in Japan. Yoshihide Kimura, chief executive of Toyama-based contractor Tomiso, said that emails and faxes poured in last month notifying him of “extraordinary” increases. PVC prices, for example, jumped as much as 70 per cent, he said. Kimura said his firm could not pass on the costs to customers, as they would need to renegotiate housing loans, and the uncertainty was causing customers to hold back. “Everyone feels stuck,” he said.
FT | 13/05/2026 | online

Guerra do Irã impacta construção civil e paralisa projetos em vários países
Noble Francis, diretor de economia da Construction Products Association (CPA), declarou que algumas empreiteiras britânicas foram alertadas sobre aumentos de preços de 10% a 30% nos próximos três meses. A CPA espera um aumento nas insolvências de empreiteiras nos próximos 12 meses.
Folha de S.Paulo | 13/05/2026 | online

UK housebuilders scale back as Iran war and interest rates mute demand
Noble Francis, economics director at trade body the Construction Products Association, said the sector had already experienced double-digit increases in the price of energy-intensive products and materials derived from oil. Francis said China would be a “big determinant” of costs, noting that one quarter of the UK’s light construction products such as electrics and ventilation were imported from the country, which is heavily dependent on Iranian oil. Such imports were likely to be hit by double-digit and triple-digit percentage increases in shipping costs, he warned
FT | 08/05/2026 | online

Construction activity expected to fall 2.5% in 2026 amid Iran war impact
The Iran war has led to a sharp revision in expectations for how the sector will perform this year, with overall output now forecast to fall by 2.5 per cent. In its spring forecast, the Construction Products Association (CPA) said.
Construction News | 05/05/2026 | online
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