Mayor candidates urged to prioritise construction skills and retrofit

Metro mayor elections will take place on 2 May for nine combined authority areas. These are the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Tees Valley, the East Midlands, the North East, and York and North Yorkshire.

Metro mayors have executive powers for their city regions and hold responsibility for strategic decision-making and influence over a range of matters relating to construction and the built environment.

Combined authorities receive grant funding from central government dedicated to various areas, including adult skills, retrofit, housing and regeneration, and local economic growth and placemaking.

CIOB is asking the next elected metro mayors to prioritise the sustainability of the built environment, both in local development plans and through retrofitting of the existing building stock in their city regions. The institute also seeks to ensure local construction SMEs can compete through public procurement and business support measures.

It is also encouraging mayors to promote construction career opportunities to a wide audience and proactively close construction skills gaps.

David Barnes, policy and public affairs manager at CIOB, said: “CIOB would like to see the elected metro mayors prioritise the quality of the built environment in their regions and support the construction industry to deliver local development plans.”

This article was originally published by Construction Management.