CPA Weekly Notes – 23rd January 2026

Issue No. 1185, 23rd 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 Hosts Enterprise Forum 
The CPA hosted The Enterprise Forum this week, with guests Sarah Bool MP, Aphra Brandreth MP and Katie Lam MP.  The panel which included CPA Deputy CEO Jeff May discussed Industrial and economic matters and took questions from the floor.

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 have a number of meetings with members this week; will meet with directors at the MHCLG, OPSS and Building Safety Regulator to discuss product issues; and join a regular meeting of the Construction Leadership Council’s Task Force.
• Professor Noble Francis, CPA Economics Director, will host the quarterly webinar for the Winter Forecasts 2025/26, as well as provide an overview of the Forecasts at an Electrical Distributors Association “Talking Shop” webinar.
• Jeff May, CPA Deputy Chief Executive, will join a regular meeting of the Construction Leadership Council.
• Mark Wilkinson, CPA Senior Technical Manager, will meet with the technical team at the NHBC to discuss a variety of issues including the Code for Construction Product Information, certification bodies and UKAS, and the industry response to government consultations and papers.
• 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.
• Rob Lee, CPA Senior External Affairs Manager, will join the Enterprise Forum meeting with Chris Curtis MP Co-Chair of the Labour Growth Group. 

Economics Update

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

• ONS UK CPI Inflation (December 2025)
• ONS UK Construction Wage Inflation (November 2025)
• RIBA Future Trends Survey (December 2025)
• Insolvency Service Construction Insolvencies (November 2025)

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

Warm Homes Plan Launched 
The government has launched a £15 billion Warm Homes Plan to upgrade up to five million homes by 2030, focusing on insulation, solar PV, batteries and heat pumps to reduce energy bills and improve energy efficiency. The programme targets low-income households with fully funded retrofit packages, while also offering low- and zero-interest loans for homeowners and new protections and standards for rented and social housing.

The plan aims to lift up to one million households out of fuel poverty and reverse long-term declines in insulation rates. It includes requirements for new homes to include solar panels as standard from 2026 and introduces a £7,500 heat pump grant. Delivery will be supported by a new Warm Homes Agency and devolved funding across the UK, with the programme expected to create significant demand for retrofit, clean heating and energy efficiency work across the sector. the plan can be accessed in full here.

• £15bn public investment to 2030
• Up to 5 million homes upgraded
• Focus on insulation, heat pumps, solar and storage
• Full funding for low-income households
• Loans and grants for owner-occupiers
• Higher standards for rented and new homes
• New Warm Homes Agency to coordinate delivery
• Significant retrofit and skills pipeline for industry

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

The Built Environment Competence Hub is now live
The Built Environment Competence Hub, managed by BSI and developed in collaboration with the Industry Competence Steering Group (ICSG) and the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is designed to bring industry together in a central space to strengthen competence across the UK built environment. Join the hub today to attend a virtual launch event on the 27th of January. Register for the hub here.

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.

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
This story has achieved widespread regional coverage across the US.

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