The CMA says the UK’s £19bn-a-year road and rail infrastructure market is being constrained more by fragmented planning, funding and procurement than by a shortage of contractors. It argues for longer-term sector planning, multi-year funding, better coordination between public bodies and more consistent, data-driven procurement practices to improve delivery and reduce bid-rigging risk.
A cross-border plant safety campaign has been launched in Ireland to reduce the risk of workers being struck or run over by moving machinery. The initiative follows 25 fatalities recorded between 2016 and 2025 in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and will involve site inspections focused on traffic management, exclusion zones, operator competence and communication.
The Building Safety Regulator reported a rise of more than 100 cases in its live gateway two caseload in August, which it said may be linked to the forthcoming Building Safety Levy. It also said its inspection programme had identified a small number of departures from gateway two-approved designs, requiring remedial work, while approval times and approval rates improved across several application types.
