The Week That Was - 22 May 2026

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

Building Remediation Bill requires cladding remediation to be completed by end of 2029

By the end of 2029, cladding on high-risk buildings must be remediated under new legislation put forward in the King’s Speech last week. The new legislation was previously mentioned by the Ministry of House, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) last July, as part of its Remediation Acceleration Plan update.

The legislation will require all landlords of buildings more than 18 metres in height to remedy cladding. King Charles II said the bill would “speed up remediation of people living in homes with unsafe cladding".

The new law would also require landlords of buildings between 11 metres and 18 metres in height to complete remediation by the end of 2031.

Any landlord who fails to finish the work without reasonable excuse will face criminal prosecution, with unlimited fines and/or imprisonment, according to the MHCLG's previous Remediation Acceleration Plan update.

The MHCLG's update stated that where landlords fail, new powers – including a Remediation Backstop – will ensure the work gets done.

For more information, please click here, here and here.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports on construction output

ONS data shows construction output rose by 1.5% in March 2026, driven by increases in both repair and maintenance (0.8%) and new work (2%). Across Q1 2026, output growth was uneven: four of nine sectors expanded, led by a 4.1% rise in private housing repair and maintenance. Overall construction output is estimated to have increased by 0.4% in Q1 2026, reflecting strong repair and maintenance growth (3.4%) while new work fell by 1.9%. However, the outlook for new activity weakened, with total construction new orders down by 10.5% in Q1 2026 versus Q4 2025, mainly due to falls in private commercial and infrastructure orders.

For further information, click here.

TCC declines permission to appeal and stay in Crest v Ardmore

In Crest v Ardmore, the Technology and Construction Court refused permission to appeal against building liability orders (BLOs) made under sections 130–131 of the Building Safety Act 2022 and also declined to grant a stay of execution or extend time for payment, reinforcing the court’s willingness to facilitate prompt recovery. The judgment indicates that both anticipatory BLOs and liabilities arising from adjudication may fall within the statutory regime, while underlining the broad, discretionary nature of the “just and equitable” test when deciding whether to make such orders. It also reaffirms the strict evidential burden on defendants seeking to resist enforcement of adjudication-related liabilities.

Click here to read more. 

Construct Zero refreshed as Construction Leadership Council (CLC) broadens focus beyond net zero

Launched in 2021, Construct Zero originally set out a performance framework of 30 metrics across nine priority areas to help businesses cut carbon emissions across construction activities, buildings and transport. The updated programme expands its focus beyond net zero to include economic growth, energy security and resilience, reflecting the Committee on Climate Change’s (CCC) revised approach to decarbonisation.

The refreshed programme incorporates the CCC’s five decarbonisation pathways: electrification; low-carbon fuels and carbon capture; nature-based solutions; engineered carbon removals; and demand reduction through efficiency and productivity. 

Looking ahead, the CLC will work with the Green Construction Board, industry and government to develop updated metrics for the revised priorities, with a new performance framework due in autumn 2026. It also plans to refresh the Construct Zero Business Champion and Partners programme and has invited new organisations to apply to join the existing group of around 300 participating companies.

Click here to read further.

Developers warned to price in Building Safety Levy

Developers have been urged to factor the incoming Building Safety Levy into their project pipelines to avoid delayed starts and unexpected costs for residential schemes. Multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard said that projects expected to reach the submission stage before 01/10/2026 could still be caught by the levy if technical design work and building control applications are not completed in time.

Vaso Vaina, a Building Safety Act associate at Pick Everard, said early engagement on gateway two submissions would help reduce the risk of schemes falling within scope unintentionally. The levy will be collected by local councils regardless of whether developers use local authority or private sector building control routes, and applicants will need to submit information including unit numbers and planning references before a Levy Liability Notice is issued. The approach is also expected to affect contractor relationships, with contractors likely to face greater scrutiny on programme certainty and the quality of technical information as developers seek to avoid costs linked to delayed submissions.

For further information, click here.

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.