21st Century Construction

The government’s £15bn Warm Homes Plan, launched in January, is aimed at upgrading the nation’s homes and cutting energy bills.

By 2030, it is expected to upgrade five million homes as part of a comprehensive retrofit programme, focusing on targeted interventions through insulation, solar panels and heat pumps.

For contractors and housing providers, the scale of the challenge ahead should not be underestimated. Delivering homes that are fit for the future will require more joined-up thinking across funding models, tenant engagement and supply chain management.

In this episode of the 21CC podcast, we hear from Thomas Fountain, director of asset knowledge and insight at Places for People, and Dan Germann, managing director at Durkan Regen.

They discuss what lies ahead and reveal the key ingredients for successful partnerships between contractors and housing providers. They also outline what successful delivery of the Warm Homes Plan could look like in five years’ time.

Listen now to hear what it will take to turn retrofit ambition into action across the housing sector.

To mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the latest episode of the 21CC podcast sets out why men across the industry must prioritise their health.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men in the UK – a disease that touches thousands of families every year.

Sadly, one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. This risk increases with age, and it is particularly high among black men, where the figure rises to one in four.

For many, there are no early symptoms, which is why awareness and understanding the risks is so important.

In this episode, we hear from Nick Molyneux, an MEP manager at Mace, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer aged 51. Due to being diagnosed early, he remains on active surveillance, which involves routine blood tests and MRIs.

Molyneux is now a passionate volunteer for Prostate Cancer UK and regularly visits construction sites to raise awareness and ensure men understand their risks.

Also joining the podcast is Meg Burgess, a specialist nurse at Prostate Cancer UK with more than 35 years of nursing experience. During the discussion, she highlights the importance of not waiting for potential symptoms of the disease.

“If you’re waiting for symptoms of prostate cancer, you risk cancer developing,” Burgess says. “Finding prostate cancer early means that it’s much easier to treat or to monitor.”

Listen now for honest insights and vital information that could help save lives across the construction industry.

Prostate Cancer UK has created a free and confidential online risk checker that asks a small number of straightforward questions and provides clear guidance on what to do next. While the risk checker does not provide a diagnosis, it is a useful starting point.

Every construction client brings a different set of priorities to a project, but all share the same goal: getting the best value from their supply chain.
In this episode, we hear from the people commissioning construction projects to uncover how stronger supply chain collaboration can deliver better outcomes.
From the key benchmarks that matter most and how performance is measured, to the innovations clients are looking for around sustainability, digital tools, and safer ways of working, this discussion explores the approaches that are making a real difference.
We also dive into common frustrations and showcase best practice examples of what’s working.
The discussion, captured at a panel debate organised by the Chartered Institute of Building and the Institute of Asset Management, features insights from:
Dan Hollas, director of building safety, Clarion Housing Group
Jason Glasson, head of asset management development, National Highways
Julie Blight, property and contracts manager, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Listen now for honest insights and practical lessons on how stronger partnerships between clients and the supply chain can unlock better project delivery.

In our final episode of the year, we take stock of the biggest issues that are defining construction and look ahead to what will be on the industry’s agenda in 2026.

From reforms of the skills system and strengthened safety oversight, to the government’s response to its late payments consultation, we unpack the developments that matter most to professionals across construction.

Technology is another major focus for this discussion as we explore the rise of artificial intelligence in design, planning and site operations. The episode also examines the role of modern methods of construction and why questions remain over whether 2026 will be a turning point for wider adoption of repeatable designs.

We also hear from Pete McKinley, commercial director for Seddon Property Services, and Ryan O’Loughlin, regional director at Henry Boot Construction, about the opportunities and trends construction teams should be preparing for in the New Year.

Whether you are looking back at the challenges and shifts of the past 12 months or planning for the year ahead, this episode brings together the insights that will shape construction’s journey into 2026.

This episode dives into one of construction’s biggest and most stubborn challenges: avoidable error.

Ten years on from its launch, the Get It Right Initiative (GIRI) has made real strides in raising awareness across the industry of the £21 billion lost to error every year.

Executive director Cliff Smith joins us to discuss what’s changed and what still needs to happen to reduce error and improve productivity in construction.

While the industry has made progress, significant challenges remain. A relentless focus on lowest-cost procurement and inconsistent competence standards continue to undermine quality and compliance across projects of all sizes.

These issues are particularly acute when viewed through the lens of a recent National Audit Office report, which criticised major energy-efficiency retrofit schemes for poor quality installations, weak government oversight, and an under-skilled workforce.

Smith believes that regulatory reforms such as the Building Safety Act can drive improvement, but only if leaders create environments where people feel confident to “push pause to avoid error” and call issues out early.

His message for the next decade is clear: rebuilding respect, pride and fairness across the industry is essential to ensure construction professionals have the motivation – and the support – to get it right first time.