Five years ago the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) was a panel of chief executives from the construction and house-building industry acting as a sounding board and advisory service for ministers.
Today it is three separate committees dominated by trade associations and quangos, with the net cast as wide as possible.
A forum of bosses meeting ministers, now includes almost every conceivable vested interest, including the Trades Union Congress.
Membership remains entirely at the discretion of the co-chairs of the organisation: the government minister picks the industry side co-chair, and the industry side co-chair gets to pick his or her team.
Andy Mitchell, chief executive of Thames Tideway (the organisation building a big sewer under London) remains industry side co-chair of the CLC, alongside Nadhim Zahawi, the junior minister at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy with responsibility for the construction industry.
The reorganisation of the CLC sees the creation of not just a single council, with various work groups but instead three committees, all meeting at least monthly.
At the apex 聽is the CLC Steering Co-ordination Group, then there is the CLC Task Force Group and then the CLC Senior Advisors Group 鈥� in rough terms they have 10, 20 and 30 members respectively as initially set up.
Andy Mitchell explained: 鈥淚ntentionally larger in numbers than the previous structure, the new membership broadens our industry representation and reaches into local regions, creating a CLC that better represents the three million people continuing to work in the industry,
鈥淭he new structure places the CLC Task Force at the heart of the continuing drive to lead and transform the industry as set out in the CLC Industry Recovery Plan.聽 Originally meeting daily, and now twice each week, the Task Force is about to mark its 100th meeting since March, a milestone that is testament to the time, effort and determination that all Task Force members have been putting in for which, I鈥檓 sure on behalf of the whole industry, we thank and salute the Task Force members.
鈥淭o support the Task Force, a CLC Senior Advisors Group has been established, along the lines of non-executives of a typical board. This group will provide an even wider representation of different parts of the industry, together with support, challenge and guidance.鈥�
The Construction Leadership Council was created in 2013 as a bridge between industry and government to improve efficiency, skills and growth in UK construction. Its membership was cut from 30 to 12 in 2015 to improve efficiency. Membership at that time was dominated by people who ran big construction companies 鈥� the bosses of Skanska, Bouygues and Laing O鈥橰ourke.
This put noises out of joint at the trade associations, who felt they were being denied ministerial access. They fought their way back in and are now well represented.
CLC Steering Co-ordination Group
This group formulates the strategic direction, policies and scope of activity of the CLC, for consideration by the CLC Task Force Group and CLC Senior Advisors Group.
- Andy Mitchell 鈥� Industry co-chair and Tideway
- Mark Reynolds 鈥� Mace
- Ann Bentley 鈥� director, Rider Levett Bucknall
- Simon Rawlinson 鈥� Arcadis
- Fergus Harradence 鈥� Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
- Brian Berry 鈥� Federation of Master Builders
- Suzannah Nichol 鈥� Build UK
- Alasdair Reisner 鈥� Civil Engineering Contractors Association
- Hannah Vickers 鈥� Association for Consultancy & Engineering (ACE)
- Stuart Young/Peter Payne (secretariat) 鈥� Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Meetings will be held 鈥渨hen necessary, most likely monthly鈥�. Members are expected to attend most Task Force meetings as well as the full CLC regular meetings.
Task Force Group
鈥淭he Task Force Group is responsible for day to day matters of the CLC and supports all activities and issues relating to short and medium-term needs as the convening and representation group for the CLC and the wider industry.鈥�
- Andy Mitchell 鈥� Industry co-chair and Tideway
- Mark Reynolds 鈥� Mace
- Fergus Harradence - BEIS
- Simon Rawlinson 鈥� Arcadis
- Ann Bentley - Rider Levett Bucknall
- Vince Clancy 鈥� Turner & Townsend
- Mark Enzer 鈥� Mott MacDonald
- Nirmal Kotecha 鈥� UK Power Networks
- Hannah Vickers 鈥� Association for Consultancy & Engineering
- Suzannah Nichol 鈥� Build UK
- Alasdair Reisner 鈥� Civil Engineering Contractors Association
- Brian Berry 鈥� Federation of Master Builders
- Richard Beresford 鈥� National Federation of Builders
- Steve Bratt 鈥� Electrical Contractors Association
- James Butcher - National Federation of Builders
- Peter Caplehorn 鈥� Construction Products Association
- Sarah Jardine 鈥� Health & Safety Executive
- Sarah Beale 鈥� Construction Industry Training Board
- John Newcomb 鈥� Builders Merchants Federation
- David Pinder 鈥� Green Construction Board
- John Slaughter 鈥� Home Builders Federation
- Keith Waller 鈥� Construction Innovation Hub
- Graham Watts 鈥� Construction Industry Council
- Ian Fletcher 鈥� British Property Federation
- Stephen Dance 鈥� Infrastructure & Projects Authority/Cabinet Office
- Stuart Young 鈥� Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
- Fergus Harradence (secretariat) 鈥� Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
CLC Senior Advisors Group
鈥淭he role of the Senior Advisors Group is to support the Steering Co-ordination and Task Force Groups with strategic guidance, advice and support on issue that effect the industry in the short, medium and long term.鈥�
Membership is by personal invitation of the industry co-chair of the CLC, who is themselves appointed by ministers. The group meets monthly and members have to attend at least nine a year.
Its role is to review and advise on strategy for the CLC, providing counsel and feedback.
- Mike Chaldecott 鈥� CEO, Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland
- Amanda Clack 鈥� Head of strategic advisory, CBRE
- Gregor Craig 鈥� CEO, Skanska UK
- Caroline Gumble 鈥� CEO, Chartered Institute of Building
- Amanda Long - CEO, Considerate Constructors Scheme
- Jennifer Schooling 鈥� Director, Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure & Construction
- Nick Smallwood 鈥� CEO, Infrastructure & Projects Authority
- Anna Scothern 鈥� CEO, National Home Improvement Council
- Rachel Skinner 鈥� President, Institution of Civil Engineers
- Andrew Clark 鈥� Director of programmes, Royal Academy of Engineering
- Sam Stacey 鈥� Challenge director, Transforming Construction, UK Research & Innovation
- David Thomas 鈥� CEO, Barratt Developments
- Ray O鈥橰ourke 鈥� CEO, Laing O鈥橰ourke
- Gail Cartmail 鈥� President, Trades Union Congress
- Lynn Way 鈥� President, National Access & Scaffolding Confederation
- Jennifer Whyte 鈥� Professor, Imperial College
- Mark Farmer 鈥� CEO, Cast
- Peter Reekie 鈥� CEO, Scottish Futures Trust
- Mark Spence 鈥� MD, Construction Employers Federation of Northern Ireland
The effectiveness of the Senior Advisors group will be reviewed after 12 months, including the terms of reference and membership/composition.
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