CPA Weekly Notes – 20th June 2025

Issue No. 1156, 20th June 2025 FOR MEMBERS ONLY

Association Activities

CPA Response to the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy
The CPA Economics Director, Professor Noble Francis said “We welcome the 10-year infrastructure strategy and the government’s ambitions for the UK’s critical infrastructure needs over the next decade, with its intention to attract private investment in a more sustainable and realistic way than previous PFI schemes. However, in order for this strategy to be useful for the construction supply chain and help make the case at board level for major investments in skills, capacity and more efficient methods to deliver the ambitious infrastructure work within the Strategy, industry will need to know when these projects will realistically start and how long they are expected to take. This essential information will hopefully be included in the government’s infrastructure pipeline, which is scheduled for publication next month.”

Weekly Notes Special – Comprehensive Spending Review
The CPA published a Weekly Notes Special outlining the details of the Chancellor’s speech and what it means for members and construction. This Special can be viewed here.

Consultation Nation: How Bureaucracy is Slowing Infrastructure
CPA Economics Director Noble Francis has written a blog on the effects of consultation on the delivery of infrastructure projects. It can be found on the CPA website here.
Weekly Calendar of Meetings

Peter Caplehorn, CPA Chief Executive, will meet with directors at the MHCLG, OPSS and Building Safety Regulator to discuss product issues; will attend a workshop hosted by Defra around deliverability and enforceability of new packaging / waste policies; will attend a meeting with MHCLG around the desired outcomes for the BSR and regulatory system post-Grenfell; join the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC) 50th Anniversary Drinks Reception; and will attend the weekly meeting of the Construction Leadership Council’s Task Force.
Jeff May, CPA Deputy Chief Executive, will attend The Installer Show in Birmingham and attend the weekly meeting of the CLC Task Force.
Jane Thornback, CPA Sustainability Policy Advisor, will join Peter in the workshop hosted by Defra around deliverability and enforceability of new packaging / waste policies.
Hanna Clarke, Digital and Policy Manager, will have a variety of meetings with industry colleagues and civil servants around competence.

Economics Update

CPA Weekly UK Economic and Construction Update
The latest weekly update is available here, including:

ONS UK CPI Inflation (May 2025)
RIBA Future Trends Survey (May 2025)
Insolvency Service Construction Insolvencies (April 2025)

The CPA’s Spring Forecasts were published on Monday, 28th April and are available for members to download from the CPA Website. Also note that the ONS has suspended its monthly UK building materials price data (and other producer price data) due to concerns about its reliability, which the CPA has been highlighting since the impacts of the energy and price spikes in Spring 2022.

CPA Briefing Paper: The Impacts of U.S. Tariffs
Following strong demand from members and government alike, the CPA’s economics team has published a briefing paper on the ‘Impacts of U.S. Tariffs’. This document will be revised as the situation develops, and made available to CPA members every Friday with our Weekly UK Economic and Construction Update (see above). To receive this document via email every Friday please contact noble.francis@constructionproducts.org.uk; alternatively, you can click here to read it now.

Government Update

Government’s Industrial Strategy
The Government has indicated its intention to publish its Industrial Strategy white paper on Monday 23^rdJune subject to no geopolitical events over the weekend. We understand the headlines as follows but with a caveat that changes are still possible:

The Advanced Manufacturing Plan will be published at the same time alongside some other sector plans.
Priority sectors within the AMP are advanced materials (where construction product manufacturers should be interested), auto, aero, agri-tech, space and batteries.
The £3bn investment announcement for Advanced Manufacturing is linked to the AMP.
DBT says there is good news in the plan re skills and they have been negotiating with DfE for funding for engineering skills training.
Trade strategy will also be published on Monday.
Ministers are planning to make some announcement on Sunday ahead of publication.

The CPA will respond once we have had chance to review the White Paper and accompanying Plan. For further information please contact rob.lee@constructionproducts.org.uk.

House of Lords call for Evidence on the Building Safety Regulator
The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee, chaired by Baroness Taylor of Bolton, has launched an inquiry into building safety regulation, with a particular focus on the work of the Building Safety Regulator, which was established following the Building Safety Act 2022. Concerns have been raised by Industry that delays in approvals by the BSR have slowed down the delivery of new buildings and homes. The Committee invites interested individuals and organisations to submit evidence here by 31 August 2025.

Men’s Health Strategy for England
Government would like CPA members to be aware that the call for evidence to inform England’s first ever Men’s Health Strategy is currently live and will close on Sunday 17 July 2025. The Men’s Health Strategy for England will seek to improve the health and wellbeing of all men in England and take a life-course approach. Government is inviting insights from employers, the public, health and social care professionals and academics to shape the strategy – and would be very grateful for your support to share this far and wide. The call for evidence is available at: Men’s Health Strategy for England: call for evidence – GOV.UK. Further information is available in the government’s press notice.

Govt Opens Consultation on Improving Integrity of Voluntary Carbon Markets
Government seeks to clarify and test their proposed policy and governance framework for helping to ensure the integrity of voluntary carbon and nature markets. Find the consultation here, deadline is 10 July 2025. For further details contact Jane Thornback.

Govt Opens Consultation on the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
This is a technical consultation running until 3rd July to get feedback on the drafting of the primary legislation of the UK CBAM. The purpose of a CBAM is to place a carbon price on specified goods imported to the UK from sectors that are at risk of carbon leakage. The aim being to protect UK manufacturing. Find details here. For further details contact Jane Thornback.

Industry News

Health, Safety and Well-Being Summit – 01 July (London)
The CLC’s inaugural Health, Safety and Well-Being (HS&WB) Summit is taking place on 1st July at the Institute of Directors in London. Around 150 attendees at CEO level are expected to attend. The aims and objectives (together with intended outputs) of the day are:

To launch the CLC’s vision for HS&WB
To hear from the Construction Minister on the importance government attaches to this
To showcase and demonstrate how the CLC is leading and bringing together the industry in this space
To discuss this with industry and secure their commitment to taking forward a set of actions

If you have an interest in attending, please click here or all other enquiries, please contact Henrietta Frater, The Crown Estate Head of HSE & Wellbeing at henrietta.frater@thecrownestate.co.uk.

BSI Invitation to Join CB/3 Committee
The British Standards Institution is an Associate of the CPA and would like to extend an invitation across our membership for any persons interested in joining its BSI CB/3 committee. CB/3 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. Horizontal functions include:

CB/3 facilitates the timely exchange of information on regulatory matters related to construction products between UK Technical Committees, stakeholders, industry, government, and regulators. This allows updates on the UK and EU regulatory landscape to be communicated clearly, accurately, and efficiently to all relevant parties.
CB/3 provides guidance on the UK Construction Products Regulations and EU Construction Products Regulation, advising where needed to help UK Technical Committees align their work with the latest regulatory requirements, assisting committees in navigating regulatory changes and maintaining compliance with both UK and EU standards.

Excluded is the responsibility for fire resistance and reaction to fire tests for building products, including test methods for external fire exposure of roofs and facades, is outside the scope of CB/3 and falls under the remit of FSH/0 and its associated committees. However, information exchange between CB/3 and FSH/0 is necessary. Any interested parties should contact Tom Stack, BSI Standards Development Manager directly on Tom.Stack@bsigroup.com.

HSE Newsletter
The latest Building Safety Regulator Bulletin has been published and can accessed here. It includes articles on Building Assessment Certificates, The Government’s position on roof top gardens and local authority guidance on Multi Disciplinary Teams (MDT).

Building Products & Services – 2025 sector insights
BDO’s latest sector insights publication is now available to download here. Produced in association with the CPA, this provides a detailed review of M&A activity, alongside valuable views on major market themes from industry leaders. Alongside the CPA, key contributors this year include GK Strategy, the Property Institute, Epwin Group, SDS Infrastructure, Jet, InstaGroup, Tetra Consulting, Plastecowood and H.I.G. Capital, with commentary on the economic and policy landscape, housebuilding, regulation, infrastructure, water, data centres, home energy, sustainability and the circular economy.
The team at BDO examines UK trends, activity and valuations by sub-sector, the private equity landscape (with views from H.I.G. Capital), current deal considerations, case studies, and views on the sector from our BDO colleagues around the world. If you’re thinking of embarking on M&A or would like to discuss any of the issues driving change and value in the market, please get in touch with john.stephan@bdo.co.uk or susannah.perkins@bdo.co.uk.

2050 Connected Conference (1-2 July, London)
BEAMA (British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers’ Association) and the Lighting Industry Association are offering CPA members free places at an exclusive industry event that brings together manufacturers, suppliers, and sustainability leaders to accelerate industrial decarbonisation across the supply chain. This is an opportunity to engage directly with peers and partners on critical topics such as embodied carbon measurement, Scope 3 emissions reporting, and supplier collaboration strategies. Through expert-led discussions and interactive sessions, you’ll gain practical insights into measuring and reducing emissions, aligning net-zero strategies with Scope 3 targets, and engaging stakeholders to drive meaningful change. This event offers a platform to network, share best practices, and inform your net-zero transition planning. For more information click here and to register your place please click here.

The Installer Show (24-26 June 2025)
The CPA and many of our members are supporting The Installer Show at the NEC Birmingham from 24-26 June, and we encourage others to attend. The Installer Show has gone from strength to strength over the past years and is highly recommended for its industry representation and engagement as well as a topical speaking agenda. To register, click here.

CPA in the News

First timber import growth in Q1 since 2021, figures show
The latest Construction Products Association (CPA) forecast suggests that the UK new housebuilding and housing repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) markets will grow over the next three years. The Spring CPA forecast has reduced its growth rate since its previous Winter forecast, but despite the uncertainty, growth of 2.8% is still forecast in 2025, with a more than 4% increase for 2026 and 2027.
Specification online | 20/06/2025 |Online

Rachel Reeves to set out 10-year UK infrastructure plan
Noble Francis, economics director at the Construction Products Association, a trade body, said the spending review had confirmed a 17 per cent cut to roads funding over the life of this parliament. “The government keeps making more announcements on improving the state of road infrastructure, but once you dig below the headlines, the reality is markedly different,” he added. “Annual funding for our crumbling roads and bridges is being cut and the use of private finance on key projects may prove an expensive bet for taxpayers.”
FT | 16/06/2025 | Online
also in: Les Actualites, WDC.TVNews,

Brick by brick: UK builders gear up for post-pandemic boom despite global gloom
Noble Francis, chief economist at the Construction Products Association, says brick deliveries are a useful proxy for housebuilding starts, where he anticipates a 5% expansion this year and 7% in 2026. Brick production was up by 31.4% in February, before slipping back to an 8% annual rise March, possibly because there is still a surplus of 459 million bricks in stock, according to the Department for Business and Trade.
Guardian Online | 11/06/2025 | Online
also in: ExecReview, Tribune International, Yahoo Finance UK, Les Actualites

LBC News – Comprehensive Spending Review
The Construction Products Association effectively said seeing is believing and moreover that sometimes Government spending plans can get reviewed, paused and cancelled later on.
LBC | 11/06/2025 | Broadcast

Deliveries of bricks and blocks up more than 10 per cent
Professor Noble Francis, economics director of the Construction Products Association, told Construction News that the latest figures represented a “gradual recovery” in housebuilding. “Brick deliveries in April were considerably higher than a year ago, but it is worth noting that a year ago was still a very low base from which housebuilding demand was only starting to recover after hitting a low point in Winter 2023/24,”
Construction News | 05/06/2025 | Online

Modular construction firm Elements Europe in administration
..this means that the construction industry accounts for 17.4% of all insolvencies. At the time, Construction Products Association (CPA) economics director, Noble Francis, said: “Taking out monthly volatility, so far this year the number of firms going out of business continued to broadly flatline but at its highest levels since the financial crisis. The largest impacts of downturns in house building and rm&i, rises in labour, materials and financing costs plus project delays continued to be on specialist contractors.”
PBC Today | 05/06/2025 | Online