To govern is to choose - and the right choice must be to build
The government might have limited fiscal firepower to deal with the Gulf crisis, but it can still execute existing plans. UK construction could increasingly rely on the administration’s ability to make up its mind, says Simon Rawlinson of Arcadis
Now Reform UK are serious contenders, should the built environment despair or rejoice?
A government led by Nigel Farage would probably move faster on planning than its predecessors, but he may well find reality is harder to control than rhetoric, writes Richard Steer
Regulate what architects do, not what we’re called
Fire safety, design coordination and specification decisions are being made across complex teams. A function-led approach to regulation would focus scrutiny where risk sits, regardless of a person’s professional title, writes Satish Jassal
Levelling the playing field: How sport can be a catalyst for urban regeneration
Sporting venues are not just for hosting major events but must also become a springboard for wider investment and a driver of economic, social and physical value, Steve Gillingham says
MMC is not broken. It’s late-stage MMC that is
Modern methods of construction continue to attract scrutiny across the industry, with debate often centred on whether the model has been over-promised or inconsistently delivered. Angela Mansell argues that MMC does not fail because it is ‘modern’. It fails when manufacturing is forced to operate within procurement models and behaviours ...
Planning commttee decisions are increasingly becoming politicised – the new national scheme of delegation should help combat this
The planning process should be quasi-judicial and about professional judgement rathter than political choices, writes Paul Smith
New AI guidance: Five things every QS needs to do now
The RICS global professional standard on the responsible use of AI came into force last month. It provides welcome guidance on an area where many still feel at sea, as well as new obligations that both individual RICS members and regulated firms are now required to comply with. Warwick Stockdale, ...
What Wren’s exit tells us about the professional indemnity insurance market
The mutual insurer’s decision to wind down reflects a system stretched by cladding claims, extended liabilities and shifting regulation. Denise Chevin argues we need to find a way to share risk more fairly
Conflict, costs and a changing world order place construction at a crossroads
Construction must find a way to drive digital transformation, while navigating the short-term yet seismic impacts of conflict, writes Patricia Moore, at Turner & Townsend
Lessons from Greenland: What three weeks in this remote country taught me about getting projects right
Even in one of the world’s most remote places, the fundamentals of delivering major projects hold true. From understanding cost and risk drivers to building the right team, Greenland has reminded Beth West how often we overlook the basics
This month’s construction industry gossip: Planers, trains and… E-bikes
The latest chatter around the industry
A crucial role for building safety – if the government gets it right
Applications have closed for the government’s first chief construction and scientific adviser, but can anyone realistically fulfil what the job spec asks?
The diversification myth: Why following the money may be your biggest risk
For some construction firms, the current crisis in the Middle East is exposing the dangers of chasing growth without a clearly defined strategy, Victoria Firth writes
Views on the chief construction and scientific adviser role – and why it might be too much for one person
Ahead of Monday’s deadline for applications, three experts - Paul Morrell, Simon Tolson and Andrew Mellor - consider who could fit the job’s criteria
Building hospitals differently: why the New Hospital Programme could reshape how we deliver major infrastructure
A new alliance of contractors, clinicians and digital partners is driving faster, smarter and more consistent hospital delivery, writes Anastasia Chrysafi at Willmott Dixon
Payment reform proposals: government must try harder
Rudi Klein awards the government an average mark of just 4/10 on its recently published proposals for legislation on payment reform
On overnice distinctions in expert witness qualifications
Tony Bingham unpicks the lessons of a recent ruling on the niceties around the qualifications required of specific expert witnesses
Strategic land controls go public
Carolyn Milligan and Gabrielle Coppack explain the new registration regime for contractual land rights
AI-assisted adjudication nears
UK construction disputes may be particularly well suited to AI facilitation
Why adjudicators need freedom from disciplinary threat
Tony Bingham explains how fear of institutional sanctions can lead to justice being compromised, and tells a cautionary tale
The contract administration skills gap
Peter Hibberd on why action is needed to address the skills gap in construction contract administration among industry professionals
When can a contractor terminate for repeated late payments?
Steven Carey on a Supreme Court ruling clarifying contractors’ termination rights for late payment in JCT contracts
PFI: the perils of project expiry
Lack of contractual clarity on PFI performance obligations can prompt excessive retrospective scrutiny at the point of handover
Retentions: how will a ban work at the coalface?
We finally have a decision on the fate of retentions – they are going to be banned
Construction amid war and hostilities
Nicholas Gould examines the contractual implications of the conflict in Iran for construction projects in the Gulf region
