British Property Federation

The British Property Federation (BPF) is the UK trade association representing commercial property owners and investors. In response to the March 2026 proposal to ban retention withholding, its chief executive Melanie Leech argued that retentions are ‘a vital tool to ensure that buildings are built to safety and quality standards’ and that an outright ban is ‘a sledgehammer to crack a nut’ that would undermine defect remediation. The BPF represents the client/employer side of the retention-reform debate.

Connections

• Construction Retention Payments — defends retentions as a quality tool, source: 2026
• UK Late Payment Reform 2026 — opposes the retention-ban element, source: 2026