Ensuring we still focus on doing things right
In particular, the imperative to support disadvantaged communities and younger people could not be clearer. Both groups have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic.
COVID-19 has had a disproportionately severe effect on young people at the earliest stages of their career and those working in roles which cannot be carried out from home.
A balanced recovery will require the public sector development pound to result in more than just bricks and mortar; it must provide the stimulus for rewarding, future-proof local jobs and training opportunities.
A Central Government update to the Social Value Act of 2012 which has just come into force mandates all major procurements must explicitly evaluate social value, rather than simply consider it.
The focus is clearly to reduce inequality and address the climate emergency.
Southampton City Council is ahead of the curve. It already appraises social value across all spend over £5,000.
Its Southampton Pound initiative, which aimed to ensure money spent within the city region boosted local businesses, and its Green City Charter, which sets out a vision to be carbon neutral by the end of the decade, were both recognised as progressive and ambitious pre-pandemic.
This roundtable gathered senior council officials and industry leaders from within the built environment to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted the approach to social value and sustainability, and what opportunity the chance to reset and rebalance provides.
Christopher Hammond | Leader of Southampton City Council, Cliff Kinch | Morgan Sindall Construction, Kate Martin | Southampton City Council, Louise Townsend | Morgan Sindall Construction, Paul Paskins | Southampton City Council, Tony Boyle | Boyle and Summers Architects, Tom Balme | Faithful + Gould, Marie Donnarumma | Morgan Sindall Construction, Cllr Steve Leggett | Southampton City Council, Paul Barton | Southampton City Council, David Perkins | AKS Ward, Dave Ramsey | Vail Williams
