The Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) has called on Labour to focus on detailed infrastructure projects to boost economic growth.<\/p>\n
These could include the building of new hospitals, roads, schools and prisons.<\/p>\n
The BCIS provides price and cost data for the construction industry.<\/p>\n
Dr David Crosthwaite, its chief economist, said: \u201cThe government has had a difficult first year. Some of the challenges faced have been external, but some have been of its own making.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had NISTA\u2019s commitment to an \u2018investor-focused\u2019 pipeline but what\u2019s desperately needed is a clear outline of projects and increased public sector investment in construction. This, with a more stable wider economic environment, should spur the private sector to invest.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpecifically, the government must invest in fixed assets. This means building hospitals, roads, schools, prisons and not just new assets, but renovations too. This is clearly not going to happen overnight so it\u2019s important that the government is transparent and realistic with its project pipeline.\u201d<\/p>\n
BCIS also called on the government to address labour capacity issues in construction.<\/p>\n
Karl Horton, its head of data services, said: \u201cThere\u2019s huge appetite for infrastructure development, but the construction industry faces the same challenges that have existed for at least last two decades.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Labour doesn\u2019t address these head on, it risks undermining its entire economic campaign. That\u2019s the bottom line.<\/p>\n
\u201cCapacity is perhaps the biggest problem. Undertaking complex, large-scale schemes like the Lower Thames Crossing requires specialists. In most cases, the industry needs skilled labour, not just extra hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cLabour\u2019s aim is to substitute overseas labour with training up workers in the UK, but if this isn\u2019t delivering results, the government must be upfront and prepared to change tack.\u201d<\/p>\n
BCIS executive director James Fiske, who is also chair of the Built Environment Carbon Database steering group, argued the government must invest in data and standardising embodied carbon assessments to support its green agenda.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe aim should be to make carbon assessing as simple as possible. Mapping the requirements of whole life carbon assessments (WLCAs) in policy, mandating carbon assessments in planning or building regulations, and investing in tools and training that empower people to collect and use data easily, must be the first ports of call.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral European countries are already leagues ahead. INIES, France\u2019s national reference database on environmental and health data for construction products and equipment, is a prime example. The benefits of replicating a similar system in the UK could be a game-changer for understanding our embodied carbon output more explicitly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Few expect the government to meet its target of building 1.5 million homes over the course of the parliament.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) has called on Labour to focus on detailed infrastructure projects to boost economic growth. These could include the building of new hospitals, roads, schools and prisons. The BCIS provides price and cost data for the construction industry. Dr David Crosthwaite, its chief economist, said: \u201cThe government has had a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":581,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-second-home"],"yoast_head":"\n