SCAPE’s policy paper, Building for Public Good: A Charter for Change, urged Central Government to address critical built environment challenges, through four key recommendations.
Building for Public Good: A Charter for Change
Addressing critical built environment challenges
Partnerships
Overview
Ahead of the General Election in 2024, SCAPE published Building for Public Good: A Charter for Change. The policy paper was an urgent call to Central Government and policymakers, asking them to recognise construction as an enabler of change. Through the right legalisation, the built environment can drive financial, social, environmental, and economic growth.
The Charter for Change outlined key recommendations around the construction skills agenda, enabling efficient building, empowering local government and supporting sustainable construction, including:
- Spearhead a national recruitment campaign to elevate the construction skills agenda
- Reinstate the Chief Construction Advisor (CCA) role within central government
- Give local authorities more devolution of powers and fair funding
- Set strict national targets and commercial incentives for reducing construction waste
Over a period of 14 months, the Charter for Change created meaningful conversations, amongst Central Government, local authorities, and construction leaders. Stephen Dance, Director of Commercial Advisory Team at HM Treasury, Kari Williams, Head of Sustainability at Balfour Beatty and Paul Simpson, Chief Executive Officer at Derby City Council discussed the recommendations during a panel at UKREiiF.
Senior leaders in local authority and construction also addressed the challenges and solutions presented in the Charter for Change during four roundtables in Leeds, Nottingham, Southampton and Cardiff. Following these, SCAPE used the insight from the roundtables to publish a follow-up report - A Year of Change: Public Good, Public Building – What the Nation Needs Now.
Gallery
The Charter for Change has ignited important conversations across the public sector, and two recommendations within the paper – elevate the construction skills agenda and reinstate the Chief Construction Advisor – have now been implemented by Central Government. SCAPE continues to speak to MPs, minsters and policymakers to improve delivery and outcomes across the construction sector.
“There is a shared commitment to delivering public good through construction. The next step is clear: we must turn policy into action by empowering local authorities, investing in skills, and fostering meaningful collaboration.”
Mark Robinson, Group Chief Executive at SCAPE
Key dates
- April 2024: SCAPE launches Building for Public Good: A Charter for Change.
- May 2024: UKREiiF panel discusses findings
- September 2024: First roundtable kicks off in Leeds
- November 2024: Roundtable in Wales discusses the importance of a skilled workforce
- February 2025: SCAPE partners with Business South for its third roundtable in Southampton
- May 2025: The final roundtable takes place in Nottingham
- June 2025: SCAPE publishes its follow up insight report - A Year of Change: Public Good, Public Building – What the Nation Needs Now
Partners involved
