CLC backs coalition to cut construction disputes

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has thrown its support behind the Conflict Avoidance Coalition (CAC), calling on clients and contractors across the UK construction sector to help reduce costly disputes through early intervention and collaboration.

Disputes in construction remain widespread and expensive. HKA’s 2024 CRUX Report analysed over 2,000 major projects globally, with a combined value of $2.25 trillion (approx. £1.78 trillion), and found that $84.44 billion (approx. £66.6 billion) was in dispute. Across these projects, delays totalled an estimated 1,000 years.

The CAC aims to change this culture of conflict by encouraging proactive risk management and early-stage resolution. Its members include leading clients, supply chain partners and professional bodies such as the Institution of Civil Engineers, RICS, CIArb, ICES and RIBA. Major public bodies and contractors, including Network Rail, Skanska, and Balfour Beatty, also support the initiative.

One of the Coalition’s key efforts is the Conflict Avoidance Pledge, a voluntary commitment to resolve disagreements before they escalate. Over 600 businesses and organisations have signed the pledge, which is endorsed by the Cabinet Office and featured in the Construction Playbook as best practice for public sector clients.

To support adoption, the CAC has also published a Conflict Avoidance Toolkit, designed to help contracting parties manage risk and avoid legal disputes. The guidance includes advice on early-stage issue identification, cost-effective resolution methods, and creating a collaborative project culture.

The CLC now recommends wider industry adoption of these measures to support the sector’s wider goals of delivering new infrastructure, increasing productivity, and improving sustainability.

“Reducing disputes is essential to achieving a more collaborative construction industry,” said a CLC spokesperson. “By promoting conflict avoidance, the Coalition is helping protect relationships, reputations and resources across the built environment.”