CPA Weekly Notes – 16th January 2026

Issue No. 1184, 16th January 2026 FOR MEMBERS ONLY

Association Activities

CPA Webinar: Construction Industry Forecasts – Winter 2025/26 Edition – Wednesday 28^th January at 11:00
We would like to invite you and your respective members to join the CPA webinar for our Construction Industry Forecasts – Winter 2025/26 Edition. The webinar will cover the UK economy this year, the latest construction data, new construction forecasts for the key sectors, and highlighting key risks to the economy. The webinar will be hosted by Professor Noble Francis, CPA’s Economics director. Click here to register.

CPA Manager to Chair BSI Committee
Mark Wilkinson, CPA Senior Technical Manager has been appointed as the chair of the CB/3 – Regulation and Standards for Construction Products committee. The Committee is responsible for reviewing market demands and regulatory drivers for the safe, compliant, and efficient use of construction products. The committee examines the interaction between the Building Safety Act, UK Construction Products Regulations, and EU Construction Products Regulation, seeking alignment with safety standards to enable the free movement of construction products within the EU single market. Congratulations Mark!

Weekly Calendar of Meetings 

• Peter Caplehorn, CPA Chief Executive, will chair meetings of both the CLC’s Material Supply Chain Group and the Standards & Regulatory Alignment Group; will meet with directors at the MHCLG, OPSS and Building Safety Regulator to discuss product issues, including a meeting of the MHCLG Industry Consultative Group (ICG) for Building Safety; will attend a regular meeting of the CPA’s Technical Committee; and join a regular meeting of the Construction Leadership Council’s Task Force.
• Jeff May, CPA Deputy Chief Executive, will co-host an Enterprise Forum meeting with Katie Lam MP, Sarah Bool MP and Aphra Brandreth MP to speak on business policy areas of their choice; and will join a regular meeting of the Construction Leadership Council as well as the CLC’s Material Supply Chain Group meeting.
• Rob Lee, CPA Senior External Affairs Manager, will join the Enterprise Forum meeting with Katie Lam MP, Sarah Bool MP and Aphra Brandreth MP. He will also be having a meeting with Reform UK.
• Mark Wilkinson, CPA Senior Technical Manager, will attend the meeting of the CPA Technical Committee, as well as meetings of the Future Homes Hub’s Part O Liaison Group and the Construction Leadership Council’s Standards & Regulatory Alignment Group.
• Jane Thornback, CPA Sustainability Policy Advisor, will join a meeting hosted by the Department for Business & Trade of the Energy Intensive Industries Stakeholder Forum.
• 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:

• ONS Construction Output (November 2025)
• DBT UK Brick Deliveries (November 2025)
• RICS UK Residential Market Survey (December 2025)
• Persimmon 2025 Trading Statement (January 2026)
• Vistry Group Trading Update (January 2026)
• Taylor Wimpey Trading Update (January 2026)

The CPA’s State of Trade Survey for Q4 is now open for members to report on the state of trade in your materials or products sub-sector during the October-December period of 2025. The deadline is the end of Wednesday 23rd January and we would encourage you to respond so that we can present a comprehensive view of our industry’s near-term performance. The survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CPASurvey25Q4. All responses are kept strictly confidential and results will be presented on an aggregate basis only.

The CPA’s Winter forecasts will be published on Monday 26 January. The Autumn Forecasts were published on Monday 27th October and can be found here.

Government Update

The Single Construction Regulator Prospectus
The Single Construction Regulator (SCR) Prospectus has now been published by the HSE. This marks a significant milestone in reform of the built environment, following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendations.  The prospectus sets out our vision for a coherent, accountable regulatory system that prioritises safety, quality, and trust across buildings, products, and professions. It outlines how a new regulator will consolidate oversight functions, reduce fragmentation, and drive cultural change across the sector. You can read the full prospectus here. The CPA technical committee will lead our response to this publication.

Building Safety Newsletter
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is launching a new Building Safety Newsletter in the coming weeks. You can sign up to the newsletter here. 

Building Safety Regulator E-Bulletin 
The latest ebulletin from the regulator has been published with the following items included:

• Building control staged applications – updated guidance published.
• Criteria for validating, approving or rejecting building control applications.

Also updates from the government on the following: Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Government’s third progress report, The Single Construction Regulator prospectus and consultation, the BSR’s review of the higher-risk building definition, Fire engineering authoritative statement and next steps document. The E-Bulletin can be accessed here.

Building Safety Regulator – Ministerial Statement 
The BSR has attracted some recent attention in parliament, including a Ministerial statement and in committees links to the statements, debates and committees can be found below.
Written Ministerial Statement 
Grand Committee
House of Lords Debate

Industry News

Futurebuild and UK Construction Week London to Unite in 2026 
In a landmark move for the UK construction sector, UK Construction Week London and Futurebuild will come together from 12–14 May 2026, creating a new national platform for the built environment at Excel London. The collaborative co-location will form the UK’s Built Environment super event, designed to reflect the full scale, complexity and ambition of an industry facing unprecedented change. The events are hoped to bring 25,000 built environment professionals, 600+ exhibitors and 700+ speakers across 14 dedicated stages under one roof – making it the largest and most comprehensive construction event in the UK calendar. The CPA will continue to support these events.

The Built Environment Competence Hub
The Hub, developed by BSI in collaboration with Industry Competence Steering Group (ICSG), is almost ready to launch and  is open for people to register ahead of the official start date in the new year. Launching  in January 2026, the hub is a central space for professionals to access the latest competence frameworks, standards and practical guidance—all in one trusted location.
The Hub is designed for all those working in the built environment sector, including designers, contractors, regulators and anyone involved in competence development or oversight. It brings together the work of all the ICSG Sector Led Groups and provides curated tools, resources and insights from ICSG, BSI and wider stakeholders of competence. You can register at the Hub here.

CPA in the News

Tender prices rise 2.5% in a year
Construction Products Association economics director Noble Francis pointed out that brick deliveries between January and November 2025 only managed to climb 6.2 per cent higher than the figure for 2024 and were 25 per cent lower than in 2022. They were also lower than in 2020, when most housebuilding shut down for a period due to the Covid pandemic. “This is very disappointing, as back in summer 2024, we would have expected double-digit growth in starts and high single-digit growth in completions in 2025 and 2026, from a low base,” he said.
Construction News | 15/01/2026 | online

UK Construction Industry Poised for 3-4.5% Growth in 2026, But Critical Workforce Shortage Threatens Recovery
The report from the UK Construction Blog, which synthesises forecasts from leading industry bodies including the Construction Products Association…
Today in Business | 08/01/2026 | online

What will happen in the built environment in 2026? What the Construction Products Reform White Paper means for manufacturers 
The transition of the Construction Products Reform Green Paper into a formal white paper will mark a decisive shift from consultation to commitment, with expected significant implications for construction product manufacturers. While the green paper set out options and invited industry feedback, the white paper will signal government’s settled policy direction and intent to legislate…
Riba | 08/01/2026 | online

Fix Radio reveals its predictions for 2026
The Construction Products Association (CPA) has forecasted total construction output growth of 2.8% in 2026, with infrastructure expected to rise by 4.4% and private housing by around four per cent.
Fix Radio | 08/01/2026 | online

Builders aren’t building – and that’s a major worry for the economy
To find out what is happening I turned to Professor Noble Francis, economics director at the Construction Products Association, and Rebecca Larkin, its head of construction research. How bleak a midwinter is this for construction? 
Sunday Times | 20/12/2025 | Print