Behind the Built Environment

Most construction problems are created before a project even reaches site.

In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Beth West, founder and director of Navigate Advisory and former Chief Executive of East West Railway Company, about why construction projects fail at the earliest stages.

Drawing on experience across HS2, Thames Tideway, Transport for London and East West Rail, Beth explains how poor client capability, weak project definition and misaligned incentives drive cost escalation and inefficiency across the UK built environment.

Rather than focusing on delivery alone, this episode examines the decisions that shape outcomes long before construction begins. It challenges the assumption that building is always the answer, explores the risks of uncontrolled design development, and highlights how procurement models, culture and lack of trust continue to limit performance across the industry.

This episode explores:

• Why construction projects fail due to poor early decision making
• The role of the client in defining scope, outcomes and value
• Why building is not always the right solution
• How procurement models limit innovation and productivity
• The impact of complexity and uncontrolled design development on cost
• How trust, culture and data transparency shape project outcomes

From housing policy and infrastructure delivery to procurement reform and the Building Safety Act, this is a practical discussion about how early decisions shape outcomes across the UK built environment. It also raises fundamental questions about capacity, skills and whether the industry is solving the right problems in the first place.

If you work in construction, infrastructure, building services engineering or public sector procurement, this episode is a direct and practical examination of why the industry keeps repeating the same mistakes and what it would take to stop.

Behind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA (Building Engineering Services Association). We dive into the regulations, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and HVAC.

https://www.thebesa.com/behind-the-built-environment

#UKConstruction #ConstructionIndustry #ProjectManagement #Procurement #BuildingSafetyAct

Competence under the Building Safety Act is often misunderstood, with serious consequences for mistakes. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment Extra, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Kizzy Augustin, Partner at Mishcon de Reya, about what genuine competence looks like under the Act and why the industry's current approach to evidencing it falls short.Kizzy outlines the four pillars of competence under the Act: skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours, and explains why behaviours are the hardest yet most essential to evidence. She also addresses the uncomfortable reality of gaslighting in the competence market, where some training providers claim only their course makes you compliant, and sets out how clients and contractors should respond.This episode covers:• What competence really means under the Building Safety Act• Why a certificate alone is never sufficient evidence• The difference between individual competence and organisational capability• How to use PAS 8671 and PAS 8672 correctly and avoid common misuses• Gaslighting in the competence market and how to challenge it• The risks posed by proposed changes to apprenticeship end-point assessments• Three questions every client or main contractor should ask before appointing a specialist contractor.If you are appointing contractors or being appointed, this episode sets out exactly what the Building Safety Act expects and how to evidence it. Download BESA's practical Client's Guide to the Building Safety Act and get clear on your legal duties: https://www.thebesa.com/clients-guide-building-safety-actBehind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA (Building Engineering Services Association). We dive into the regulations, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and HVAC.https://www.thebesa.com/behind-the-built-environment

The Building Safety Act has transformed client responsibilities across construction, but is the industry truly ready?

In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA ChiefExecutive David Frise speaks with Lilly Gallafent of CAST Consultancy about what the Building Safety Act means in practice for clients, contractors and consultants navigating Gateway 2 and Gateway 3.

They examine how the Building Safety Act is reshaping procurement, early contractor engagement and design development, and why client accountability can no longer be passed down the supply chain.

The discussion explores the role of the Building Safety Regulator, the risks emerging as Gateway 3 approvals approach, and whether the sector is confusing compliance paperwork with genuine quality.

This episode covers:

• Client responsibilities under the Building Safety Act
• The impact of Gateway 2 on procurement and design
• Gateway 3 risks and evidence requirements
• Competence and compliance across the supply chain
• Why culture change remains the biggest barrier to safer buildings

The Building Safety Act is the most significant change tobuilding regulations in a generation.

With Gateway 2 approvals increasing scrutiny and Gateway 3 set to test whether projects have truly been built as designed, this discussion highlights what client responsibility now looks like in practice and why culture change, not just compliance, will determine whether reform succeeds.

If you are a client commissioning building work, downloadBESA’s practical Client’s Guide to the Building Safety Act and understand exactly what your legal duties are: https://www.thebesa.com/clients-guide-building-safety-act

Behind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA(Building Engineering Services Association). We dive into the regulations, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and HVAC.

https://www.thebesa.com/behind-the-built-environment

#BuildingSafetyAct #Gateway2 #Gateway3 #BuildingRegulator #ConstructionIndustry#BuildingRegulations

In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Paul Ruddick, Chair of Reds10, about why industrialised construction must move from ambition to execution if the sector is to thrive.

Paul reflects on Reds10’s journey from a bedroom start-up to a £200m, debt-free business and explains why many modular firms fail by scaling too fast without fixing process, design and culture. He shares his perspective on fragmentation in construction, the role of digital tools and AI, and why vertically integrated models are key to improving productivity and quality.

From government procurement and planning delays to standardisation, diversification and decarbonisation, this episode offers a candid, experience-led view on what it will take for offsite construction — and the wider industry — to deliver sustainable growth and real transformation.

In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise is joined by Jon Vanstone, Chair of the Industry Competence Committee, to unpack what competence really means in a post-Grenfell world. John explains why compliance alone is no longer enough, highlighting gaps in behaviour, culture and client understanding that continue to undermine safety. The discussion explores the evolving role of the Building Safety Regulator, lessons from Gateway 2, and why proof of competence matters more than experience or assumptions.

Listeners can also download BESA’s Building Safety Act Industry Report 2025, which reveals industry attitudes, competence gaps and practical insights to help businesses prepare for regulatory change.

In 2023, contractor Andrew Blunsdon was charged with two counts of bribery following Operation Truman, the investigation into how contracts were awarded on E On energy projects between 2011 and 2015. The case centred on favours to key E On figures: an air-conditioning unit for a flower shop run by Marc Baker, and payments routed through a subcontractor that ultimately benefited a consultancy linked to Matthew Hayward.

This episode looks beyond the charges to the impact of a justice process that spanned 15 years: interviews in 2016, charges in 2023, sentencing in 2025, and a Proceeds of Crime hearing still ahead in 2026. In that time, Andrew’s business collapsed, his pension disappeared, and the emotional cost fell heavily on his family.

This isn’t about re-running a trial. It’s about understanding how a contractor with no criminal intent can become entangled in a criminal case—and what every professional in the built environment needs to learn from it.

If you’ve ever thought, “Just help the client out; I’ll ask questions later,” this is the episode you cannot afford to miss.

In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Professor Noble Francis, Economics Director at the Construction Products Association, about the forces shaping the future of UK construction.

Noble shares insights from the CPA’s latest forecasts and explains why construction is facing a “capacity crisis” driven by skills shortages, market uncertainty, and fragmented business models. He discusses the growing influence of AI investment, the long-term outlook for infrastructure and retrofit, and the structural reforms needed to improve productivity across the sector.

From bond markets and government policy to the realities of net zero and ESG, this episode offers a clear-eyed economic perspective on where the industry is heading and what it will take to build resilience and sustainable growth.

In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Dan Williams, Managing Director of Skanska UK’s building services division, SRW, about the shifting dynamics of the construction and facilities management market.

Dan reflects on his journey from student engineer to MD and shares how agility, technical expertise, and long-term customer relationships are helping Skanska navigate uncertainty. He highlights the challenges of attracting new talent, the growing role of digital tools and modular construction, and why sustainability, delivery certainty, and whole-life value will define the industry’s next decade.

BESA Chief Executive David Frise sits down with Fiona Graham, Chief Operating Officer at Family Business UK, to unpack what recent inheritance tax reforms mean for family-owned firms. From her journey in public affairs to leading the national body championing these enterprises, Fiona shares candid insights on succession, governance, and giving family businesses a stronger voice in policy debates.

She explains why the government’s changes to business property relief could put long-standing firms at risk, why specialist advice is now essential, and how planning early can protect continuity. Despite her pessimism about policy shifts, Fiona remains optimistic about the resilience, creativity, and future growth of family businesses across the UK.

In this episode, host David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Ian McCall, Managing Director of Alba Facility Services, a Glasgow-based FM company pioneering a four-day working week with no loss of pay. The conversation explores how this bold shift has improved productivity, staff wellbeing, and retention, while also enhancing sustainability and client service.

Ian shares how Alba partnered with Strathclyde University to turn what began as a pilot into a model for modern workplace culture. He discusses the challenges of change management, the importance of communication, and the surprising benefits—such as childcare savings—that have emerged along the way.