A new multi-million pound Construction Sector Deal has been launched to boost innovation and productivity within the sector.

The joint government-industry initiative, worth £420 million, was announced by Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark in a speech to the Northern Powerhouse Summit in Newcastle.

The Deal aims to bring together the construction, manufacturing, energy and digital sectors to deliver innovative approaches that improve productivity in construction and accelerate a shift to building safer, healthier and more affordable places to live and learn that use less energy.

Key features include;

• £420m investment in 'bytes and mortar smart construction' - investment will transform construction through use of digital building design, new manufacturing technologies and offsite manufacturing helping cut the time taken to deliver new build by 50%

• Reducing the cost of energy bills for families and businesses by supporting the Industrial Strategy mission to halve the energy use of new builds by 2030


• Generating 25,000 construction apprenticeship starts and 1,000 Construction T Level placements by 2020, with £34m allocated to scale up innovative training models

• Delivering $2.5 trillion of global exports, a globally-competitive sector targeting the growing international infrastructure market that is set to grow by 70% over the next few years.

Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said the construction industry is "fundamental to growing our economy as we build to invest in our future".

"Major infrastructure projects like HS2 and the commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes by 2022 mean that we need a construction sector that can drive innovation, delivering homes and infrastructure quicker," he said.

"As buildings account for around 30% of total emissions, we also want to ensure that we are at the global forefront in designing and building smart, energy efficient and affordable homes and buildings through the Clean Growth Grand Challenge, saving families money on their bills.

"This Sector Deal is supported by the biggest government investment in construction for at least a decade and will drive economic growth and create well-paid highly-skilled jobs in every part of the UK."

Andrew Wolstenholme, Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council, added the deal "sends out a statement about the vital contribution our sector makes to the country".

"Our industry builds the schools to educate the young, the hospitals to care for the sick, the police stations to keep us safe, the roads and railways that get us to work, the power stations that keep us warm and the homes we return to each day," he said.

"We are an industry that must be at the forefront of the UK's drive for future growth and prosperity – and I'm confident that this deal will help to achieve that."

For more information on the Construction Sector Deal, visit here.

(LM)