Poor showing for construction in New Year Honours List

Only two people from the construction industry have been recognised in 2024’s New Year Honours List.

Graham Paterson, the former chief executive of City Building, one of Scotland’s largest construction companies, received an OBE for services to equality and inclusion in construction.

Ruth Devine, managing director of contractor SJD Associates, received an MBE for services to further education and apprenticeships for her work with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).

Last year, five construction-industry leaders received honours, including Robertson Group founder Bill Robertson and Hill Group founder Andy Hill.

City Building was established as an arm’s-length company by Glasgow City Council in 2006. The company is split into two divisions, one of which is a 50/50 joint venture with developer Wheatley Homes.

The company has around 2,000 staff and, along with building work, operates Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries (RSBI), which manufactures products for buildings. More than 50 per cent of RSBI’s 250 employees have disabilities.

Paterson was an executive director at City Building for nine years, retiring in March 2021. He received a remuneration package of £612,000 upon his retirement, making him one of the highest-paid council employees of that year, according to campaign group TaxPayers’ Alliance.

Devine was instrumental in developing the Installation and Maintenance Electrician apprenticeship, which launched in 2015. Through her work with IfATE, she has contributed to updating 90 apprenticeships, three T Levels and 20 Higher Technical Qualifications.

She also chairs the Electrotechnical Skills Partnership and the Electrical Contractors’ Association’s Skills Committee, and is part of the Building Safety Regulator’s Industry Competence Committee, the Construction Leadership Council’s people and skills network, and the government’s Construction Skills Delivery Group.

She said: “It’s an incredible privilege to have been awarded an MBE and I am so pleased to have been able to support the reform and improvement of apprenticeships, T Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications.

“It’s thanks to thousands of large and small businesses, like SJD, that standards have risen and skills training now better matches employers’ needs.”

Construction Industry Council chief executive Graham Watts commented on LinkedIn that the “disappointing” New Year Honours List contained fewer builders than in past years.

“Well, I can honestly say that in 40 years of monitoring two Honours Lists a year I have NEVER seen such a poor list for construction,” he said.

“I’m sure some will say that it is deserved due to the industry’s rock-bottom, post-Grenfell reputation on building safety and other issues but there are a lot of outstanding people in our design and construction sectors and for the whole of a major UK industry to be so comprehensively ignored is disappointing. Must do better!”

Elsewhere in the built environment sector, architect Patty Hopkins received an OBE for services to architecture and Audley English, co-founder of the Society of Black Architects, received an MBE for services to architecture and sustainability.

Neil O’Connor, director of the Building Safety Programme at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, who had already been awarded a CBE, was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath – a special honour for military and civil servant personnel – for services to Building Safety.

Engineering was well-represented on the list. Royal Academy of Engineering president James McDonald received a knighthood for services to engineering, education and energy.

Catriona Schmolke, former global vice president of Jacobs, was awarded a CBE for services to engineering, and Lindhurst Engineering’s former chief executive Martin Rigley received an OBE for services to the East Midlands Covid response and to the community in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Nicholas Boys Smith, founder of Create Streets and chair of the government’s recently-founded Office for Place, was also awarded an OBE for services to planning and design.

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