BLOGS

How is it the end of quarter one already? January always seems to take its time, easing us gently into the year, and then suddenly February and March arrive and disappear in a blur. Before you know it, we’re closing out Q1 and wondering where the time has gone.

There is a noticeable shift happening across the built environment sector right now. Over the past quarter, we have seen a clear uptick in senior-level appointments across project management consultancies, cost consultancies, and multidisciplinary firms.

Over the past few weeks, we have been speaking with professionals across the built environment as part of our ongoing Benefits & Bonus Survey, alongside a LinkedIn poll asking a simple but revealing question:

Salaries will always matter — especially at senior level, where responsibility, risk and delivery pressure are non-negotiable. But across the built environment, we’re seeing something shift: benefits are increasingly the deciding factor. Not the generic stuff. The meaningful, life-improving benefits that change how people feel about a role — and whether they stay.

After years of volatility, many teams are hoping for a “normal” year. 2026 may be more stable — but it won’t be simpler. The most credible forecasts still point to continued upward pressure on costs and tender prices over the medium term, even if the pace varies by sector and region.

If you’ve felt planning moving from “critical path” to “programme risk”, you’re not imagining it. Government is consulting on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and related changes — with a closing date of 11:45pm on 10 March 2026.