News

CLC announces new three-year strategy

CLC co-chair Mark Reynolds.

The Construction Leadership Council has published its new strategy and priorities for the next three years.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the CLC has become increasingly visible as one of the leading voices for the sector, working in partnership with government. It has supported companies through the crisis and responded to key short-term challenges while setting a plan for transformational change.

In June, following a public competition, Mark Reynolds (Mace Group chairman and CEO) took over as the CLC’s new industry co-chair, supported by Richard Robinson (Atkins CEO, UK and Europe) as the new deputy co-chair.

The announcement of today’s strategy sees an invitation from the CLC to the whole industry to get involved to drive the delivery of its priorities.

The CLC will focus its efforts on four long-term ambitions for transformational change, aiming to boost productivity and create a more resilient industry – one that has the capability and capacity to deliver future growth:

  • Net Zero and Biodiversity
  • Next Generation Delivery
  • Building Safety
  • People and Skills

It will also recognise more immediate challenges with focussed work on:

  • Mitigating impacts of inflation
  • Confidence in the forward pipeline to invest
  • Managing delivery risks
  • Business sustainability & insolvency

The CLC will shortly be appointing a new board to provide strategic direction to the council and ensure CLC, government and industry are set up for delivery.

The CLC Task Force, which drove forward the CLC’s work in response to Covid-19, will now be formalised as the CLC Council, acting as the engine room of the CLC’s day-to-day work.

CLC co-chair Mark Reynolds said: “The last two years have been momentous for the construction industry, and the CLC has helped to guide and support the sector through a very complex time, saving countless jobs and still delivering the homes and infrastructure our communities need.

“We now want to build on that success to enable a new era for delivery, strengthening collaboration across construction and speaking to government with a single voice.

“We must work together to overcome the challenges we face and leverage the opportunities available. I’d encourage everyone across the sector to step forward and engage with the new strategy.”

CLC deputy co-chair Richard Robinson said: “The CLC’s work during the Covid-19 pandemic was critical to keeping construction open and heralded new levels of collaboration across the industry.

“We now want to build on these foundations – and the momentum gained over the last couple of years – working in partnership with the sector to deliver on our key priorities.”

Speaking exclusively to Infrastructure IntelligenceRobinson added that the strategy provided a great opportunty to drive the industry forward.

He said: “Our industry has a massive impact on the economy overall, on jobs, on prosperity, on productivity and we are at a time when there’s a lot of positive momentum – there are some significant headwinds now, but challenges can be turned into opportunity.”

ACE CEO Stephen Marcos Jones welcomed the new strategy. He said: “Over the last few years the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has played an important role in bringing the industry together in the face of some of the most challenging circumstances ever faced.

“We’re pleased to support the new strategy which will help the CLC approach the new challenges we now collectively face. This includes reaching our net zero and biodiversity goals, the next generation delivery, building safety and in people and skills.

“ACE’s three year Blueprint, which we recently published, outlines our own complementary approach to this changing environment. We are looking forward to working collaboratively with the CLC for the greater good of the sector.”

In the coming weeks, the CLC will be recruiting industry sponsors and young ambassadors to sit within its new structure.

The industry sponsors will enable the CLC to increase its engagement with senior business leaders across the sector, working in partnership to leverage and effect greater change.

The young ambassadors will be young professionals currently in the sector, at an earlier stage in their careers, acting as a voice for their peers across the sector, and supporting the CLC’s succession planning.

Further details of the new strategy can be found at the CLC website.

If you would like to contact Rob O’Connor about this, or any other story, please email roconnor@infrastructure-intelligence.com.