The Voice of Construction Leadership Professionals
through the
UK Construction Industry Task Force |
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... you are invited to attend the next Sprint meeting of the Task Force on Thursday, 30th April, in the comfortable new Meeting Room in the Business Lounge at the impressive RICS HQ in Great George Street, just off Parliament Square
This is the meeting that kicks off Q2, the second important Sprint of 2026, marking the important interim reporting milestone of Q1 and setting the Task Group topics for Q2 and beyond. The work of the Task Force is sequenced through quarterly sprints. The Task Force was set up to be an agile and responsive unique link between the industry and government. |
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Task Force progress is turning concern into action. Since launch, the Task Force has built real momentum by moving beyond criticism and into practical, evidence-led proposals that aim to improve safety, restore confidence, and put residents at the centre of decision-making.
The strength of this work has been the collaboration behind it. The Steering Group has already done important work to shape the first priorities, and the emerging programme shows that this is not a talking shop but a serious effort to produce something the sector, regulators, lenders, and residents can rely on.
We are now taking the next step with the proposed launch of the Residents Task Group. This group will help ensure that the lived experience of residents is not an afterthought, but a core part of the Task Force’s thinking from the outset. It will provide a structured route for residents’ voices, concerns, and priorities to inform the consultation and help test whether the emerging proposals are credible in real homes, with real families, and real consequences.
Alongside this, we are launching a consultation on a viable alternative to the flawed PAS 9980 framework. The intention is not to dismiss specialist technical appraisal, but to replace the current ambiguity with a clearer, more robust approach built around evidence, transparency, competence, and defensible thresholds. The proposed direction is deliberately practical: a framework that is better able to distinguish what is known, what is unverified, and what must be remediated, so that risk is not quietly shifted onto residents through vague tolerability judgements.
We are also launching a consultation on the reintroduction of laminated glass in HRBs. This is an important issue because well-designed laminated glass can offer real safety and performance benefits, yet its use has become constrained by regulatory interpretation and the broader post-Grenfell reaction to combustible materials. The consultation will examine how laminated glass can be responsibly reintroduced where it is appropriate, balancing fire safety, fall protection, durability, and the needs of modern building design.
These consultations matter because the sector needs solutions, not just statements of concern. The Task Force is creating a route to better decisions: one that is evidence-led, open to challenge, and shaped by those who live with the outcomes.
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Since its formation, UK Construction Industry Task Force’s clearest achievements have been to move the debate from complaint to construction and to create a structured, credible programme for change. The Task Force has brought together industry expertise to develop an evidence-led alternative to the current PAS 9980 approach, with a clear focus on resident safety, accountability, and practical deliverability.
Key achievements
- It has established a serious, action-oriented Task Force rather than a discussion forum, with the stated aim of producing real proposals that the sector can use.
- It has built a Steering Group capable of shaping and navigating the initial priorities after launch.
- It has developed a coherent draft alternative to the current PAS 9980 framework, based on stronger verification, clearer thresholds, ALARP justification, and a precautionary approach where evidence is missing.
- It has reframed the assessment process around what is actually verified on site, rather than what is assumed from limited sampling or incomplete records.
- It has introduced the idea of binary, action-led outcomes instead of vague “tolerable” labels that can leave residents in limbo.
- It has elevated competence, independence, and auditability as core requirements for future assessment practice.
- It has put residents at the centre of the process by proposing a Residents Task Group and making resident confidence a formal objective of the work.
- It has created a consultation structure around the hardest unresolved issues, including legal boundaries, verification standards, mandatory remediation triggers, uncertainty handling, and trust.
What that means
In plain terms, the Task Force’s achievement has been to turn a broad frustration with the status quo into a credible reform agenda. Rather than simply criticising PAS 9980, it is building a route toward a safer, more transparent framework that residents, regulators, lenders, and practitioners can trust. |
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Incredible people are part of the Task Force and raise the spirit in the room. Some who attended the launch in Westminster last year reported feedback that History was made that day , and others said they felt the magic in the room ... the Sprints also develop their unique experience and interaction too ...
John Lytton, Earl of Lytton, delivered an inspired speech at the Task Force meeting on 27th February. It was an incredible, insightful speech ...
... it was particularly a proud moment for Task Force Chair David Jones to welcome the serving Lord to speak, and a delight to realise they both share the professional status of chartered surveyors and come together in the RICS HQ ...
... John Lytton, the 5th Earl of Lytton, retired from the House of Lords in March after a magnificent service of 29 years, focusing on rating, building safety, and leaseholder protection. A champion of our time, His incredible depth of knowledge and work in the House of Lords is a legacy ...
... it is hoped he will be free to join us to mark this official launch of the Residents Task Group |
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Competence is Key! ─ Safety is No Accident!
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A paid-up Membership Subscription provides each ICM member with a voting right. Click the link to go directly to a secure, easy bank payment gateway and be part of the decisions ...
If you're not already a Member of ICM, we're always happy to welcome you as our guest ... as our guest, you will soon realise this is the place to be ... always happy to welcome new members to sign up and join with us ... |
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