Under the merger, BRE will maintain the CE brands, develop the network and deliver training and events. It will also enable CE to achieve its long-term ambition of establishing a Constructing Excellence Foundation under the BRE Trust which would see trading profit channelled into research and education for the benefit of members.

Constructing Excellence chief executive Don Ward, who will continue in his role at new offices within BRE’s headquarters in Watford, said the move is designed to strengthen and grow the CE membership and its positive impact on the industry at a time of significant global challenge.

He said: “Joining with BRE gives us access to new resources and markets that we require to develop our membership, benchmarking and training services for the UK and international networks. It means that we can plan for the future with a new level of vision and confidence, and devote our energies to member content, thought leadership and sector influence.”

BRE chief executive Peter Bonfield said: “Constructing Excellence has always represented a movement for positive change, harnessing the energy and commitment of many hundreds of organisations at a regional and national level. Both BRE and CE are trusted and independent brands who have worked very closely together for many years - the synergies are strong. But most importantly we share the core objective of creating a better built environment for all. We are very pleased about this.”

Constructing Excellence chairman Murray Rowden, who is head of infrastructure at Turner & Townsend, added: “CE has a strong vision for our industry and the merger with BRE provides us with the opportunity to strengthen our influence and realise our ambition of being the leading organisation driving improvement in construction and the build environment. It is a good move for our membership who gain additional benefits from BRE’s cutting edge research and global reach. We are all delighted by this development and look forward to sharing knowledge and best practice to benefit the industry.”