As the coronavirus crisis rages on, the construction industry is still adjusting to the ‘lockdown’ way of life.
New research from Glenigan has confirmed that “3,000 on-site projects have been impacted by COVID-19”, with work halting on 29% of UK construction sites at the beginning of April 2019.
COVID-19 and the impact on the UK construction sector
Although the Government has given formal approval for work on HS2 to commence its construction phase, many other construction projects have been interrupted.
Devolved authorities across the country have suspended works due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Glenigan has reported that:
“Northern Ireland has been the hardest hit, following the decision by the Northern Ireland Executive to suspend work on almost all construction sites.”
“Non-essential” sites have also been told to close by the Scottish government, which will have a significant impact upon private housing and non-residential sites. It is believed that 79% of Scottish sites are now currently suspended.
The Scottish government has released a new Construction Policy Note (CPN) 1/2020 which complements Scottish Procurement Policy Notes 4/2020 and 5/2020. The policy note states:
“Scottish Government’s objective for the construction sector during the COVID-19 pandemic is to help ensure that Scotland as a whole takes a responsible approach to the containment of COVID-19 while being in a position to respond to both critical and longer term recovery requirements.”
When will sites reopen?
It is unclear when life will go back to normal for the construction industry. However, some sites have begun to reopen.
It has been confirmed that Bouygues UK is to reopen some of their sites week commencing 20 April 2020, after a three-week shutdown to review safe working practices. A spokesman for the organisation has said:
“Safety remains our priority. We have been working in close collaboration with our staff, supply chain and clients to ensure work can continue safely.”
How can Supply2Gov help?
Supply2Gov is committed to supporting its customers and the supplier market through this challenging time. Within public sector supply chains, COVID-19 is impacting both what the public sector buys and how it buys. Our experience, expertise and insight are fully at your disposal, ensuring you can navigate through this period successfully, and prepare for opportunities now and in the future.
We are proud to own the largest database of contract and award data in the UK, coupled with the core insight that you need to improve your win rate with the public sector.
Learn more about how you can find construction tenders with Supply2Gov.
* All information provided in this article is given in good faith. However, to the extent that any actions taken in relation to matters concerning procurement, the above article does not constitute legal advice to you. The contents of these articles are not to be construed as legal advice or a substitute for such advice, which you should obtain from your own legal advisors if required. We are not and shall not be held responsible for anything done or not done by you as a result of the information provided.