The Week That Was - 21 August 2026

Welcome to the week that was, a round-up of key events in the construction sector over the last seven days.

Data Centre insurance market projected to top $24bn by 2030

Allianz expects the global data centre insurance market to more than double from around USD $11bn today to over USD $24bn by 2030.  This will be driven by rapid AI-led expansion, rising construction and equipment values, and increasingly complex operational risk.

The insurer says insurance demand is broadening beyond property to include construction and engineering, business interruption, cyber and liability.  Allianz also highlights fire and natural catastrophes as key severity drivers, with climate-related accumulation risk increasing with a lot of global capacity sitting in higher hazard regions.

Read more via Reinsurance News.

Sto Ltd hit with £100m cladding claims before collapse

Sto Ltd, a cladding specialist, faced five High Court cases relating to historic installations of its cladding system before entering administration.

The five cases in the Technology and Construction Court sought in excess of £100m. All five cases concern the historic use of StoTherm Classic.  Four of the claims were issued in December 2024, a month before administration.

While Sto Ltd's parent company was ordered to pay £1.77m following a recent default judgement in favour of Mulalley & Co, the other four cases remain unresolved.

Due to moratorium rules, court permission or the administrator's consent is required to continue with the proceedings against Sto Ltd.

The full article is available on Construction News (may require subscription). 

RICS Survey finds AI use rising in construction and property

RICS’s 2026 global report, based on 3,148 survey responses, suggests AI is becoming commonplace: around two-thirds of construction respondents now use AI in some form (up from just over half in 2025), and more than three-quarters of commercial property respondents report using it.

Even so, deployment is still largely confined to trials rather than day-to-day operations, with the report pointing to “pilot to business-as-usual” as the main hurdle.  It also notes that privacy and security worries are growing (up from 22% to 30%) and that governance has not kept pace. Despite the RICS Responsible use of artificial intelligence in surveying practice standard taking effect in March 2026, 26% of construction and 19% of commercial property respondents are unaware of it, and reported non-alignment stands at 43% and 32% respectively.

Please read further through the RICS report.

Construction company fined £60k after worker seriously injured

A worker carrying out roof refurbishment works at a residential property in London fell through an unprotected roof light onto the concrete floor below and suffered life changing injuries.  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out an investigation and found that the company had failed to take suitable measures to protect workers from the risk of falling from height.  The company pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay costs.

HSE Inspector, Lydia Edwards, said "Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of workplace death and serious injury.  The latest HSE statistics show they accounted for around a quarter of all worker deaths in Great Britain during 2025/26...  This was a wholly avoidable incident that resulted in a worker suffering life-changing injuries.  Had suitable measures been in place to prevent a fall, this incident could have been prevented."

Read more through the HSE press release.

Free online suicide prevention training launched for construction workers

Mates in Mind and the Baton of Hope have launched a free online suicide prevention training programme aimed at sole traders and self-employed construction workers, ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September.

The initiative responds to evidence of elevated mental health risk in the sector, with construction workers among the occupational groups most at risk of suicide, estimated at 3.7 times the national average.

The course includes two digital modules on suicide awareness and suicide prevention, designed to help people spot warning signs, start conversations and signpost support.

Read further through the Construction Industry News Article.

New 2026 National Planning Policy Framework published

The revised NPPF splits plan-making from a more detailed set of national decision-making policies, recasting the presumption in favour of sustainable development around whether proposals are within or outside “settlements” and strengthening support for higher-density schemes around “well-connected stations”.  It also updates green belt and “grey belt” policy (including an 800-metre benchmark for “reasonable walking distance” in the green belt), introduces a new “strategic site” definition, and takes a more flexible approach to local standards and viability.

Read the guidance.

With thanks to Victoria Sessions and Nishtha Guha.

Disclaimer: The information in this publication is for guidance purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.  We attempt to ensure that the content is current as at the date of publication, but we do not guarantee that it remains up to date.  You should seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content.

If you have any queries please do get in contact with a member of the team, or your usual RPC contact.