Announcing the CIOB’s manifesto for Wales

With the 2021 Welsh election fast approaching, to elect sixty members to the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament), the CIOB Wales Hub have published a manifesto setting our vision for the built environment in Wales.

They coincide with the UK local elections and Scottish Parliament election, taking place against the backdrop of the most significant public health and economic crisis in modern memory – the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the response to the pandemic will not be the only thing that a future Welsh Government will be judged on.

Given that the Welsh construction industry is the fifth largest employer in Wales, directly providing over 100,000 jobs and contributing approximately 6% of Wales’ GDP, it is important that the industry is well recognised and represented by the next Government.

This is why we have developed Our Vision for the Built Environment in Wales, to advise Senedd candidates on the key challenges affecting the Welsh construction sector and potential solutions to maximise the potential of the sector. These are centred on build quality and safety; education, skills and training; and tackling net zero.

It is important to note that the themes of our manifesto strongly align with the Well-being of Future Generations Act, which gives Wales the ambition, permission and legal obligation to improve its social, cultural, environmental and economic well-being. Although the construction industry is not specifically named under the Act, it is clear our work sits at the heart of the happiness and prosperity of our communities.

It is my firm belief that we, as members of the world’s largest and most influential body for construction management and leadership, stand ready to drive forward the aims set out in this manifesto to improve the quality of life for users and creators of the Welsh built environment.

In line with its commitments under the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015, we are calling on the future Welsh Government to:

• Increase its investment in construction, to create safe, high-quality buildings that are fit for the future generations that will use them.
• Implement the findings of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety to continue to lead on improving existing standards of building safety and quality.
• Support the development of degree-apprenticeships in key areas of skills shortage for the industry. 
• Commit to training construction technicians and professionals in the skills they will need to decarbonise our existing building stock.

I urge you to read our manifesto, available in English and Welsh, and to lend your voice to these calls to make clear what the industry needs from the future Welsh Government. To provide you with further information, we have created a campaign page on the CIOB website with a variety of resources that will guide you through the Welsh election, prospective candidates and the major political parties’ own manifestos. 

I firmly believe that members in Wales are in a strong position to support the delivery of this vision for the future and that the manifesto is a credible platform to launch our proposals towards advancing the collective goals that underpin the Well-being of Future Generations Act. 

I hope you can join us in voicing your support.