SPRA Awards Luncheon 2025 – Hilton NEC Birmingham – Get your tickets now!
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.
Tickets are selling really well so ensure to book to avoid disappointment.
SPRA Awards 2025 – Last week to submit your entries!
Entries for the SPRA Awards 2025 and now being accepted up to 30th April. Any single ply roofing project completed during 2024 is eligible for consideration for an award in the various categories set.
More information can be found in our Awards Top Tips Brochure.
We look forward to receiving your project entries: Submit your entries here!
SPRA Golf Day 2025 – Carden Park, Cheshire – 4th September 2025
Another date for your diary this year 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. So mark this date in your diary as ticketing will open soon.
Sponsorship – Limited opportunities available!
There are still a few opportunities to be a SPRA sponsor at this fabulous SPRA event. Contact enquiries@spra.co.uk for further information.
Training & Competency Development
New NVQ level 2 in Single Ply Roofing being planned for Northern England and separately for Scotland this year. Register your interest now! Get your employees a skilled worker’s qualification in single ply roofing.
 SPRA are planning 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 have signed 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 NoteÂ
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
Build UK Update
- Common Assessment Standard
- Building Safety Regime
- Gateway Two – Validation of Applications
- Contract Terms Guidance
- Degree Apprenticeships in Construction
Build UK members also have exclusive access to their helplines and services providing free advice on issues ranging from contracts and disputes to employment law and health and safety.
Common Assessment Standard
Build UK is finalising an updated version of the Common Assessment Standard for publication on1 July 2025, which will ensure it remains relevant and up to date and can be used to demonstrate companies across the supply chain have the organisational capability to fulfil their duties under the Building Safety Act.
A year on from its introduction in July 2024, the Building Safety section will be updated and become mandatory for all companies carrying out design or building work under the Act.Version 5will also contain key updates to both the Environmental and Fairness, Inclusion & Respect (FIR) sections to reflect the latest legislation and guidance. Companies will be required to complete the updated question set when they next go through the certification process for the Common Assessment Standard with a Recognised Assessment Body after 1 July.
The Common Assessment Standard is used by a growing list of organisations across the public and private sectors. This includes a number ofBuild UKTrade Association members who accept it as part of their membership audit schemes – ASUC, BCSA, BESA, FIS, HAE and IPAF – further reducing duplication and cost for the supply chain.
To support the continued development of the Common Assessment Standard, the name and logo have been registered as trademarks with the Intellectual Property Office, which will prevent other organisations from using the Common Assessment Standard brand without permission.
Source:Build UK/CSA
CSCS Latest News
CSCS has announced that the Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) will no longer issue cards carrying the CSCS logo from 21 April 2025 after withdrawing from the CSCS Alliance. Construction sites are advised to continue to accept SAFed cards until 30 September 2025 as long as they are valid and within the original expiry date.
During this transition period, SAFed cardholders should take the following steps to obtain an appropriate new card depending on their occupation:
- Engineer Surveyor – Obtain a CSCS card via CSCS
- Steel Fabricator Welder or Stud Welder – Replace their SAFed issued card via CSCS
- All other welding occupations or Welding Inspector – Replace their SAFed issued card via TWI Cert.
Build UK members are encouraged to use CSCS Smart Check to verify that individuals hold the right card for the occupation they are undertaking. It can also help to identify card fraud where individuals have obtained cards illegally, including with genuine qualifications. CSCS Smart Check enables all 2.2 million cards carrying the CSCS logo to be checked with the same platform, and any suspected fraudulent cards should be reported to CSCS.
CPA Webinar:Â U.S. Tariff Disruption, Uncertainty and the CPA Construction Forecasts (11am, 30 April)
U.S. tariff disruption has increased uncertainty and made market forecasting even more difficult than during Covid-19 Pandemic and the 2008 financial crisis. This webinar – hosted by the CPA Economics Director, Professor Noble Francis – focuses on the potential impacts for the U.K. economy and construction sector.  The webinar will be from 11.00 – 12.00 on Wednesday, 30 April via Zoom, and will include time for Q&A. Click here to register.
CPA Weekly UK Economic and Construction Update
The latest weekly update is available here, including:
- ONS UK CPI Inflation (March 2025)
- ONS UK Construction Wage Inflation (February 2025)
The CPA’s Spring Forecasts will be published on Monday, 28 April. Also note that the ONS has suspended its monthly UK building materials price data (and other producer price data) due to concerns about its reliability, which the CPA has been highlighting since the impacts of the energy and price spikes in Spring 2022.
CPA Briefing Paper:Â The Impacts of U.S. Tariffs
Following strong demand from members and government alike, the CPA’s economics team has published a briefing paper on the ‘Impacts of U.S. Tariffs’. This document will be revised as the situation develops, and made available to CPA members every Friday with our Weekly UK Economic and Construction Update. To receive this document via email every Friday please contact noble.francis@constructionproducts.org.uk ; alternatively, you can click here to read it now.
Today’s version includes, on Page 2, the results of an investment bank polling its key stakeholders on the probability of a U.S. recession (in the light of no hard data or surveys covering the period since the U.S. tariff disruption as yet). The new text is highlighted in yellow.
Source:CPA
Government Survey re Tariff Impact
The CPA has been contacted by the Department for Business and Trade to share this request (below). Please cascade this for response from your organisation or members. Note that the link for providing feedback is directly to the Government:
On 2 April President Trump announced universal 10% tariffs on top of existing US duties, fees and taxes on all imports from all trading countries, including the UK. This will come into effect (on 5 April). The new 10% tariffs announced on 2 April will not apply to US imports of steel, aluminium and automotive products, which are already subject to additional S232 tariffs of 25%.
To enable the UK to have every option open to us in the future, the Department has launched a Request for Input. We want to hear from business and stakeholders about your concerns and your assessment of the impact of any further steps we take and want UK businesses to help shape our response to US tariffs. Further information on the Request for Input and an indicative list of potential products in scope of any future UK tariff response can be found here. Â
The Request for Input will run for four weeks until 1 May 2025. Once the Request for Input closes, the Government will reflect on the feedback and consider how best to respond.
The Government will continue to engage with the US Administration on the details of these tariffs, to understand how they will be implemented. The UK will continue discussions with the US on an economic deal that strengthens our existing fair and balanced trading relationship.
Source: CPA/UK Gov
BSI Built Environment Summit 2025 – 30 April 2025 | 09:30 – 17:00 BST
The BSI is hosting an interactive online event that brings together professionals, innovators, and thought leaders to address the challenges and opportunities of our rapidly evolving built environment sector.
This is a cross divisional event with experts from all parts of the BSI business as well as external speakers, and will be hosted on line. Â The agenda highlights include:
- Insights from industry leaders: Learn about advancements in BIM, AI, and sustainability.
- Interactive sessions: Engage directly with speakers through Q&A and panel discussions.
- Networking opportunities: Connect with peers and explore virtual exhibitions.
To learn more or book your virtual seat, click here.
Source: CPA/BSI
Unpacking the impact of the government’s response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase 2 report
The CPA’s Technical Manager Mark Wilkinson was a speaker on a webinar on the 1st of April as he and the other panelists unpacked the key recommendations from the Inquiry, the government’s planned actions, and their potential impact on housing providers, councils, developers, and tenants. The webinar was hosted by building.co.uk and you can watch a recording here.
Key discussion points include:
- A breakdown of the government’s response and its alignment with the inquiry’s findings.
- The evolving regulatory landscape for fire safety, cladding remediation, and building accountability.
- Implications for registered providers, councils, and construction professionals.
- The role of tenant engagement and advocacy in driving cultural change.
- Long-term challenges and opportunities for delivering safer homes.
Source:CPA/Building.co.uk