Welcome to PBC Today August 2025, where our expert contributors offer their insights on everything from the government’s 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, Spending Review and reforms to the Building Safety Regulator through to the use of experimental technologies to transform road maintenance, the legislative gaps already burning brightly in plans to include solar panels on new builds and the role of AI in driving towards a sustainable built environment
In our PBC Today August 2025 cover story, Sam Gould of the Institution of Civil Engineers examines the new 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, heralded by the government as a core element of its drive to boost living standards in every part of the UK. What will it take to make it work?
Meanwhile, Dame Judith Hackitt, chair of the landmark Independent Review of Building Regulations & Fire Safety, sits down with SFG20 to discuss the “shocking” findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the government’s plans to improve fire safety regulations and the need for a culture of competence, rigour and accountability.
Elsewhere, Tom Wilcock of Arup argues that embracing AI experimentation, balanced with risk, can help the sector resolve some of its biggest challenges, while Zühal Duran Goeminne examines the lingering barriers to full BIM integration.
We also have an exclusive interview with PJ Rudden, chairman of construction innovation and digital adoption with the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform, on the drive to improve productivity, sustainability and digital adoption across Irish construction.
There’s much more besides, here’s a selection of what’s in store in our August issue:
1. The UK has a 10-year Infrastructure Strategy: Now what?
Sam Gould, director of policy and external affairs at the Institution of Civil Engineers, examines the 10-year Infrastructure Strategy, the government’s long-term plan for delivering economic, housing and social infrastructure.
2. Spending Review: Ambition must translate into delivery
The UK needs long-term planning and systems thinking to deliver resilient infrastructure of the future, writes Neil Sansbury, managing director for the UK and Ireland at Ramboll.
3. Dame Judith Hackitt advocates for a culture of competence, rigour and accountability in fire safety interview
Speaking with SFG20, Dame Judith Hackitt urges professionals to make and stand by their expert decisions.
4. Are the Building Safety Regulator reforms the solution to the housebuilding bottleneck?
Emily Leonard, Emma Medina-Wallace and Eleanor Folger of law firm Freeths examine the government’s reforms to the Building Safety Regulator and ask if they will help deliver much-needed housing for the UK.
5. Is the government turning the tide on the construction skills gap?
David Barnes, head of policy and public affairs at the Chartered Institute of Building, examines the government’s drive to tackle construction’s skills shortages.
6. NUAR goes public as it moves into next phase of development
A significant milestone in the journey of the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) has been reached with the news that it has now moved out of minimum viable product (MVP) and into the ‘public beta’ phase, on its way to being fully operational by the end of 2025.
7. Environmental savings, social expenditures: Who is footing the bill for solar panels on new homes?
The government’s “rooftop revolution” promises solar panels on nearly all new homes. But, write Mark Greatholder and Aliki Zeri of Foot Anstey, the legislative gaps already burn brightly
8. How AI can drive progress towards a sustainable built environment
As AI becomes part of the daily routine of built environment professionals, Tom Wilcock of Arup argues that embracing experimentation, balanced with risk, can help the sector resolve some of its biggest challenges from sustainability to recruiting the next generation of engineers, architects and planners.
9. Barriers to BIM integration and how to overcome them
The benefits of BIM are well documented. But two challenges stand in the way of its full integration: a lack of interoperability and a lack of training. Leica Geosystems’ senior product engineer Zühal Duran Goeminne explores how we may overcome these hurdles.
10. Transforming Ireland’s construction: PJ Rudden on the challenges of innovation and digital adoption
Ireland correspondent Carol Tallon spoke with PJ Rudden, chairman of construction innovation and digital adoption within the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform, about seven priority actions intended to drive productivity, sustainability and digital adoption.
