Wales and the rest of the UK has voted to leave the EU. What will that mean for Wales? What will it mean for the UK? Despite the political debate, no one really knows. What we have seen though is doubt in the financial markets, delays in some decisions around investment and a slight wobble in some of the data around construction schemes and outputs. It’s likely that there will be further delays to decisions and concerns about the funding of some projects – especially as many of the major schemes that Wales is seeking are partly reliant upon European funding.
But one thing is for certain. Wales needs construction. Putting the politics to one side, the requirement for Wales to build a better environment sustainably, with a focus on community benefits and with an emphasis on long term value over short term financial savings remains a core focus for CEW and our industry.
We need to pick up the momentum again. We need to make our argument for best value, whole life costings and making construction a central element of a circular economy. On Friday15th July we will be able to showcase to Wales just why we speak so boldly on behalf of the Welsh construction industry. The CEW Awards that night will demonstrate again that projects and organisations pursuing the best practice agenda achieve better outcomes – better for local people, better for SMEs in Wales and better for our environment, whilst delivering great projects or all shapes, scales and functionality.
That was something that Sir John Armitt CBE, the new president of the ICE picked up on when he visited the CEW offices and other industry representative groups. Wales needs better infrastructure and someone like John Armitt knows how to deliver major projects. He also knows that we can’t cut corners on big schemes and when we deal with issues like energy improvement of homes. That’s again why I’d urge you support research such as the LENDERS scheme and why as an industry we have to demonstrate what the values of best practice – as exemplified in the CEW Awards – are the way forward.
Most of all, no matter how you voted – please back your industry and renew your commitment to best practice and best value. That’s where the future of the Welsh built environment lies.
