Mayor to face construction question time’

The UK’s largest event for the built environment returns to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre from October 4 to 6.

UKCW Question Time with Andy Street will take place on the main stage on Thursday, October 6, and will see Mr Street answering major construction questions on the Future Homes Strategy, the Housing and Land Board, careers and skills, infrastructure, transport and regeneration.

The event will be officially opened by architect and Channel 4 presenter George Clarke and is expecting around 25,000 attendees.

The show will feature a wide range of UK and international speakers including Rick Wilmott, chief executive of Wilmott Dixon; Ann Bentley, global board director at Rider Levett Bucknall and Mark Thurston, chief executive of HS2.

There will be a focus on the West Midlands’ own construction sector, which in 2018 generated £7.2bn of GVA and employed 121,000 people in the region. This equates to 6.9 per cent of total WMCA GVA and 6.6 per cent of jobs.

The Construction Skills Network 2021-2205 forecast that the amount of construction work in the West Midlands is set to grow by 4.8 per cent annually, on average, until the end of 2025 – exceeding the UK average of 4.4 per cent.

Mr Street said: “I’m delighted to be taking part in this year’s UK Construction Week – not least given the important role the industry has to play as a major growth sector for our region and its immense potential to create tens of thousands of jobs for local residents in the coming months and years.

“As we bounce back from the setback of Covid and revive our pre pandemic status as the engine room of a thriving UK economy, we must redouble our focus on driving the West Midlands forward towards renewed prosperity –investing to generate high quality job opportunities, building on our traditional strong suits and also looking to the growth sectors of the future – whether it’s housing, skills training, transport infrastructure or urban regeneration, we have so many reasons to be optimistic.

“I look forward to an engaging conversation – interacting with the industry on all things construction. Together, the private and public sector can change lives for the better right across our region.”

Nathan Garnett, UKCW Birmingham’s show director, added: “We are delighted to welcome Andy Street to UK Construction Week in October. We chose Birmingham as the venue for this national celebration of construction back in 2015, given the wealth of opportunities for the sector around the West Midlands.

“Andy Street’s ambitious vision for the region is inspiring, whether that be around new jobs for offsite manufacturing, to harnessing the opportunities created by HS2, regenerating Birmingham City Centre, and creating green jobs in the construction industry. Times are tough, but Andy Street has a bold vision that the construction sector can be hugely optimistic about.”