精东影视

The government will start the process to appoint a new chief construction advisor 鈥渟hortly鈥�, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

The recruitment exercise will follow public sector appointment processes and is expected to see an individual in place this year.

It will mark a return of the role to government for the first time in a decade following the decision by David Cameron鈥檚 Conservative government to abolish the post in 2015, when it was held by former Institution of Civil Engineers president Peter Hansford.

Yesterday, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner confirmed the role would be revived as part of the government鈥檚 response to the Grenfell Inquiry鈥檚 final report, which had recommended appointing a chief construction advisor to provide ministers with expert advice.

In documents accompanying Rayner鈥檚 announcements, MHCLG said: 鈥淲e must put in place appropriate checks and balances to prevent single points of failure where serious risks go unaddressed. 

鈥淭his is why we agree with the Inquiry鈥檚 recommendation to create a new Chief Construction Adviser to advise the secretary of state.鈥�

The document adds: 鈥淭he model of one-way, government-driven activity, not based in a sense of collective responsibility and accountability, has not worked. Industry feels accountable too. 

鈥淭he Chief Construction Adviser will lead this process of shared responsibility, welcoming those in industry who are already driving positive change and holding to account those who continue to lag behind.鈥�

The appointed individual鈥檚 first assignment will be to work with the industry, residents, regulators and experts to design the model for a proposed single regulator covering the bulk of the construction sector.

MHCLG said it would publish a 鈥榬egulatory reform prospectus鈥� this autumn setting out its plans for regulatory reform.

Scheduled to come into force from 2028, the new regulator will consolidate several regulatory functions which are currently dispersed across multiple government departments to create a new body reporting to a single secretary of state.

The role of chief construction advisor was created by the last Labour government under Gordon Brown in 2009 and first occupied by Paul Morrell, who was succeeded by Hansford in 2012.

While the role did not previously come with a large office of supporting staff, the new position as envisaged by the inquiry is expected to be better resourced with a substantial budget.

Aside from advising the secretary of state, its brief will include monitoring all aspects of work relating to the 精东影视 Regulations and statutory guidance.