'Significant' industry response needed post-Grenfell, says Crossrail boss

The construction industry needs to provide a “significant” response to building safety following the Grenfell fire, according to Andrew Wolstenholme, chair of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC).

Crossrail chief executive Wolstenholme (pictured) welcomed the establishment of a post-Grenfell industry response group, comprising the Construction Industry Council (CIC), Build UK and the Construction Products Association (CPA), announced by the Department for Communities and Local Government last Thursday.

“The scale of the response from the sector that is necessary to address the challenge of building safety is significant, and the industry will need to work together to deliver this,” he said.

Responsibilities of the response group include:

• advise on possible solutions for use in particular types of buildings to ensure homes, offices and public buildings are safe;
• advise on better ways of building and the latest methods of construction, and ensure access to the necessary technical expertise in industry when required; and
• help mobilise industry for a major programme of construction work across the UK, by acting as a focal point for government-industry communications;
• advise Government on the relevant sub-sectors of the construction industry, their expertise and capacity to deliver work at pace.

“The group has been created by the government to lead the industry response to the Grenfell fire and the work currently underway to ensure the fire safety of buildings,” a statement from the CLC said. “The group will work across the construction industry and will include all relevant parts of the supply chain, enabling the industry to support public and private sector clients in delivering safer buildings.”

“The CIC, Build UK and the CPA are the right organisations to lead this group and I hope that the sector will fully support their efforts,” Wolstenholme added.