RLB Managing Partner for the West and Wales, Jackie Pinder recently joined a regional roundtable hosted by Building and in partnership with Constructing Excellence Wales as part of its Building the Future think tank. The discussions explored what the sector needs to both be resilient and create communities that are moving forward.
As construction in Wales sees continuing growth, it is important to monitor progress and identify where the industry could use a boost. But there is another factor that must be considered: how the sector can continue to deliver growth while balancing other demands such as biodiversity and social value.
At the same time, there are considerations such as the country’s skills shortage and recent changes to infrastructure regulation, as well as the hoops that supply chain firms must jump through during procurement stages.
Against this backdrop, a group of sector leaders and government officials gathered in Tŷ Hywel, part of the Welsh parliament’s Cardiff estate, to discuss the future of construction in Wales.
The panel, hosted by the Building the Future Think Tank and Constructing Excellence Wales, explored how those working in the built environment can help to build both resilient communities and a strong construction sector.
Nick Sullivan, head of policy and capability for the Welsh government, celebrated the vibrant small business ecosystem: “We’ve got some great micro and small businesses,” he said, asking, “How do we provide the environment and the incentive for those smaller businesses to want to grow so that they become medium-sized employers in a place rooted in the communities where they’re located?”
Rebecca Evans, the Welsh government’s cabinet secretary for economy, energy and planning, emphasised the power of early exposure to construction: “What’s more exciting than when you’re a schoolchild [than] going on to a construction site, putting the hi-vis jackets on and getting to see all the machinery? Those kind of community benefits can be really impactful. Because how can young people or children imagine themselves in those kinds of careers if they don’t get a chance to see them?”
Strengthening industry collaboration
Another positive is the fact that the sector is embracing opportunities for enhanced collaboration, supported by new legislation. Catherine Griffith-Williams, chief executive of Constructing Excellence Wales, noted: “We’ve got enabling law and key drivers that are going to help force us to collaborate more effectively,” referring to progressive legislation like the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023.
Evans emphasised the collaborative approach to policy development: “We’ve got our new infrastructure act, for example; we’ve updated Planning Policy Wales – but it’s important in all of those pieces of work that we do it in collaboration with the industry.”
Procurement and risk management
Industry leaders were actively working to streamline procurement processes. Jackie Pinder, managing partner for RLB’s West and Wales region, advocated for better alignment between insurance coverage and procurement requirements: “There needs to be an understanding from procurement, from central government, from local authorities, on what current businesses, commercial businesses – small and large – are actually insured for.”
Leading in sustainability and social value
The industry in Wales has been making significant strides in sustainability and social value. RLB’s Pinder was optimistic about future developments: “As the younger generation comes through, we’ll see a lot more focus around biodiversity, net gain, sustainability, ESG [because] they talk that language more than we do.”
Evans highlighted breakthrough developments in sustainable construction: “The UK government recently announced the high net proposal, and that would mean that Heidelberg – a cement factory in north Wales – could become the UK’s first net zero cement factory.”
Vince Hanly, chair of the Consortium of Local Authorities in Wales (CLAW), saw sustainability initiatives as a catalyst for industry growth, describing the “sustainability and biodiversity agenda” as “an open door from the local authority” offering “lots of opportunities in terms of training new skills and new people.”
Future of Welsh construction
The roundtable demonstrated that Welsh construction was entering an exciting period of transformation.
Through innovative procurement strategies, enhanced collaboration, and a strong focus on sustainability and social value, the sector was well-positioned to overcome contemporary challenges.
The emphasis on local engagement, combined with forward-thinking approaches to project delivery and risk management, suggested that the industry was not just building structures, but creating lasting positive impacts for Welsh communities.
This is an abridged version of the follow-up article which first appeared in Building.
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