Chief Construction Adviser to UK Government

The role of Chief Construction Adviser is a British civil service appointment. It was created by United Kingdom ministers in 2009 to provide cross-departmental coordination and leadership on UK construction industry policy, and discontinued in 2015. In 2024, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommended resurrecting the role.

The "creation of a post of Chief Construction Officer" was recommended by the House of Commons Business and Enterprise Select Committee in July 2008.^[1] The UK government directly or indirectly provides around 40% of the construction industry's workload so its influence as a client is significant.

Paul Morrell was the first person appointed to this pan-departmental role, with a slightly revised title of 'chief construction adviser', in November 2009; the role was initially for two years, and Morrell was re-appointed for a further one-year term in October 2011.^[2]

In July 2012, Morrell's successor, Peter Hansford, was announced.^[3] Hansford took up the role on 1 December 2012. On 2 July 2014, construction minister Michael Fallon announced that Hansford's term of office would be extended to November 2015.^[4][5]

To the dismay of many in the industry,^[6] in July 2015, the Conservative Government announced that "the role of the Chief Construction Adviser will not be continued after the incumbent Peter Hansford’s tenure ends in November 2015."^[7]

In September 2024, the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommended bringing back the role of chief construction adviser to provide advice "on all matters affecting the construction industry", including monitoring government work relating to building regulations and statutory guidance. The adviser would also alert the secretary of state to construction issues about which the government should be aware.^[8] Former advisor Paul Morrell ruled himself out, and said there was a "very limited" pool of candidates fit for the role, largely because their commercial interests might exclude them.^[9]