February 2025 Update

SPRA Awards Luncheon 2025 – Hilton NEC Birmingham – June 12^th 2025

This year’s SPRA Awards will take place at the fabulous Hilton NEC Birmingham. This glittering event will showcase the fantastic achievements of the single ply roofing sector’s suppliers and contractors, for projects completed during 2024.

Ticketing will be open shortly through the SPRA website and will be announced through all the usual channels. There will be ‘Early bird’ and ‘Table of 10’ discounted tickets available. Get in early, as soon as ticketing opens!

SPRA Awards 2025 – Submit your entries now!

Any single ply roofing project completed during 2024 is eligible for consideration for an award in the various categories set.

This year will feature the following award categories for projects completed in 2024:

• Best Detailing
• Best New Build
• Best Refurbishment
• Best Small Project (≤100m²)
• Health and Safety Award
• Sustainability Award

Further information about the criteria for each award category; a summary of last year’s winners; and top tips for project submissions are available in the Top Tips for Project Submissions brochure. If you don’t have a copy, please send an e-mail to enquiries@spra.co.uk.

We look forward to receiving your project entries via https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RYNJCNL .

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 30 April.

SPRA Golf Day 2025 – Carden Park, Cheshire – 4th September 2025

Another date for your diary for 2025 is the SPRA Golf Day returning to Carden Park in Cheshire. This is another event that provides an opportunity for members and their guests to compete on the Nicklaus championship course as well as enjoy the entertainment at the lavish dinner and golf awards taking place later that evening. This year there will be opportunities for non-golfers to enjoy some of the other facilities that this wonderful venue has to offer.

Training & Competency Development

SPRA are running a number of training and competency development opportunities. These include Specialist Applied-Skills Programme (SAP) as well as upskilling, assessment and training (SUP/OSAT) for contractors’ installers.
These high-quality specialist training programmes for single ply roofers can lead to the Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Waterproofing Systems – Single Ply Membranes. SPRA contractor members benefit from reduced course rates and CITB registered companies can also access CITB grant funding.

Wind Load Calculation Protocol (WLCP)

These online sessions based on existing SPRA published guidance are very popular with members and non-members. They consist of one set of three 2-hour sessions. The sessions are based on the SPRA guidance document Wind Loading – Protocol for calculations (S11b/19) with extensive reference to the appropriate standards and other industry guidance that underpin this document. SPRA members again benefit from reduced course rates.

Contact SPRA for further information and to register your employees now.

SPRA joining other Trade Associations in Support of CCPI

Leading trade associations, including SPRA, across the manufacturing and supply sector are signing up to support CCPI.  In signing the Trade Associate pledge, trade associations are committing to support and promote the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) and its registration and assessment process to their members with the aim to drive a transformational step change in construction product information and management.  This is an important move to build back trust in construction product information and marketing and drive positive culture change across the sector.

Important Note 

SPRA members should not and cannot in any way imply to any third party in PR/marketing that they are registered and have been assessed through the CCPI process as a result of SPRA being an Associate CCPI member. They must go through the full CCPI process with CPI Ltd directly.

CPA Weekly UK Economic and Construction Update

The latest weekly update is available here, including:

• ONS UK CPI Inflation (January 2025)
• ONS UK Construction Employment (2024 Q4)
• ONS UK Construction Wage Inflation (December 2024)
• Insolvency Service UK Construction Insolvencies (December 2024)
• RICS UK Residential Market Survey (January 2025)

The CPA’s Winter Forecasts were published on Monday 27 January and will be available for members to download from the CPA Website, along with the accompanying webinar hosted by Noble Francis.

Source: CPA

Building Safety Regulator Launches Review

The Building Safety Regulator’s (BSR’s) Technical Policy team is planning an official review of the Approved Documents (ADs) the statutory guidance documents that advise on how to meet the Building Regulations which is expected to build on the findings of an expert group that was set up by the Government in line with a recommendation in Dame Judith Hackitt’s Interim Report on Building Regulations and Fire Safety in 2020. More information on the review and how to take part can be found here.

Building Safety Regulator Webinars

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is hosting a series of free webinars designed to provide practical advice and guidance on a range of building safety topics. Each session has been designed with a specific audience in mind. It’s important that delegates only register for those webinars most relevant to them to ensure all delegates get the most benefit from the session. Places are limited so early registration is advised. Further information and registration can be found here.

Source: CPA/BSR

The Industry Competence Steering Group (ICSG) Announces Restructure and Renewed Focus on Competence Within the Built Environment

Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings Regime

This consultation seeks views on the reform of the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) framework. It covers the following areas:

• Clarifying and consolidating regulations, and focusing on improving the applicability, quality, and data usage of energy certificates in domestic and non-domestic buildings
• Updating EPC metrics
• Refining requirements for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Display Energy Certificates (DECs)
• Improving data management protocols and strengthening quality control
• Revising air conditioning inspection reports (ACIRs)

This consultation is scheduled to last for 12 weeks from 4 December 2024 to 26 February 2025.
Further details can be found here.

Source: CPA/UK Gov

Routes of Entry

Following the recent changes to CSCS cards and withdrawal of the Onsite Construction T Level, Build UK has updated its guides setting out the most common routes of entry into the industry for young people leaving school in England and Scotland, designed to help identify which is the most appropriate for them. More skills and training news can be found in our latest Recruiting, Training and Retaining Talent update.

Source: Build UK/CSCS

To coincide with the Procurement Act coming into force on 24 February 2025, which will introduce significant changes to public sector procurement, Build UK will be publishing an updated version of the Common Assessment Standard to ensure that it remains relevant and up to date for use by public sector clients and their suppliers.

Version 4.1 will include minor updates to the question set and associated guidance to reflect the requirements of the Procurement Act, as well as the changes to company size thresholds from 1 April 2025. Suppliers will be required to answer the updated question set when they go through the certification process for the Common Assessment Standard after 24 February.

The Welsh Government has published WPPN 001 which states that Welsh authorities should use Common Assessment Standard for works contracts from 24 February. The WPPN highlights the benefits of adopting the Common Assessment Standard in Wales, including improving efficiency and saving suppliers time and money through use of a common question set.

Source: Build UK/CSA

Industry Accreditation

Consensus Delayed

CITB has announced that its Consensus process will be delayed by five weeks to enable its Strategic Plan 2025-29 to be aligned with the outcomes of the ITB review undertaken by Mark Farmer. Consensus will now start on 17 March and Build UK will be formally consulting its in-scope members on the continuation of the Levy.

Source: Build UK/CITB

Grenfell Response

The Government has issued its response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report, which confirms the Government accepts all the Inquiry’s findings and is committed to delivering a ‘strong response’ to the recommendations. The changes will be delivered using a ‘three‐phased approach’ over the course of this Parliament to deliver ‘meaningful change as quickly as possible’.

Source: BuildUK/ UK Government

Building Safety Calls

Build UK continues to hold regular Building Safety calls for members and the BSR Insight Team joined our first one of the year to provide an update on the work being undertaken to create a consistent Culture Framework to drive positive building safety culture in construction. The next call will take place on Tuesday 11 March from 8:30am ‐ 9:30am and your nominated Building Safety representative should have received the details directly.

Source: Build UK