The Week That Was - 24 April 2026

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

London Bootcamps Fast-Track Female Plant Operators with CPCS Accreditation

A London construction training initiative run by The Skills Centre and NOCN Group is helping women move quickly into skilled plant operator roles amid rising demand in the capital. The programme delivers intensive bootcamps at The Skills Centre’s Earl’s Court facility, London’s only dedicated CPCS training site. Participants receive hands‑on experience with plant machinery in realistic site conditions and gain accreditation through the Construction Plant Competence Scheme, giving them the certification required to work on site.

A recent women‑focused cohort, launched after International Women’s Day, has supported career changers like former farmer Charley Lillington, who highlights the quality of training and new opportunities. The programme also aims to tackle industry skills shortages by tapping into a wider, local talent pool.

More information on the transformative programme can be found here.

Monthly Construction Insolvencies Exceed 300

In February 2026, 301 construction firms in England and Wales became insolvent, highlighting the sector’s fragile position despite a modest year-on-year improvement. Insolvency Service figures show that specialist contractors made up just over half of the insolvency cases, including 62 electrical, plumbing and installation businesses.

High-profile collapses included envelope specialist FK Group and Jerram Falkus Construction, which focused on local authority and housing association projects. The February total was 9 per cent higher than January’s 277 cases, but 18 per cent lower than the 367 recorded in February 2025. Over the 12 months to the end of February 2026, 3,851 construction companies folded, down from 4,050 in the preceding 12‑month period. Nonetheless, construction remained the worst‑affected sector, representing 17 per cent of all company insolvencies in England and Wales

Rising energy costs, supply chain disruption and delayed projects continue to strain the sector. You can read more here.

New General Safety Requirement to Police Construction Products

At the end of February 2026, the government issued a major package of building safety documents on construction products reform, including a consultation on a new General Safety Requirement (GSR) for construction products. The reform is sought to resolve the systemic safety failures in the regime identified by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

The new regime aims to bring all construction products under regulatory control: products with designated standards must continue to meet those mandatory requirements, while all others will be subject to the GSR, requiring manufacturers, importers and distributors to support product safety. Under the new regime, there will be enhanced product information and transparency, improved testing and certification processes and an improved enforcement mechanism to investigate and intervene in cases of non-compliance across the construction products regime.

The government confirms that the national regulator for construction products will ultimately be absorbed into the construction regulator who will then be responsible, in relation to construction products, for compliance and enforcement.

It is anticipated that the GSR will be in force in 2028. You can read more here.

Senedd passes Building Safety (Wales) Bill

The Welsh Government has confirmed that the Senedd has approved the Building Safety (Wales) Bill, introducing a comprehensive new safety framework for residents living in multi-occupied buildings throughout Wales, regardless of height or tenure type.  The legislation is structured around three key principles.  First, it strengthens safety requirements by mandating that fire risk assessments are carried out by qualified and competent professionals, with criminal sanctions for those who fail to comply.  Second, it introduces clear accountability measures, assigning defined legal responsibilities to building managers and duty holders.  Third, it enhances resident empowerment by improving access to redress mechanisms and ensuring residents have a greater role in building safety decisions.  Overall, the Bill aims to create a more transparent, accountable, and resident-focused system for managing building safety across Wales.

Read more here.

Multiplex selected as preferred bidder for Imperial College London scheme

Multiplex has been selected as the preferred bidder for Imperial College London's plans to expand its economic presence at their White City Campus.  They will be working alongside Morrison, the architect on the project which sits within Development Zone 3 South of Imperial's White City Campus South masterplan.  The £300m building will bring together computer science, maths, and business students, promoting collaborative research.  The scheme is planned as a ground-plus-12-storey building with both academic space and public facing spaces like cafes, event spaces, and shops.  It's set to provide 42,289 square metres of academic floorspace.  The project also includes roof terraces with landscaping built both into several layers of the building and around its edges. 

Read more here.

With thanks to Emma Wherry, Tess Turner and Maddie Ward.

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

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.