The chancellor’s £39bn boost buys time for social housing – now innovative private finance models must help deliver at scale
The Labour government is prioritising funding for grant-heavy, and much-needed, social rented homes while also promising to ramp up delivery to 1.5 million homes a year. Innovation to draw in private finance can help square the circle, says Carl Brown
A week in the world of main contracting
Sluggish output data masks signs of some real ambition among some top tier contractors
We need more than warm words if we want to save the high street
The demand is there for a broader range of uses but the government has a vital role to play in revitalising our town and village centres, writes Richard Steer
It’s time to rethink design and construction education
Our industry is full of specialists who tend to be siloed in their thinking. A new qualification at the University of Leeds aims to produce graduates with a broader range of skills across architecture, building services and structural engineering, writes course leader Justin Lunn
The genie is out of the bottle – what next for commercial property in the capital?
The City of London’s workspace market has weathered a turbulent few years, but shifting workplace strategies and sustainability-driven renovations are shaping a resilient, adaptable future for the capital’s offices, says Chris White of CPMG Architects
If I were the chancellor… (or how to finance infrastructure when there’s not enough money)
Bold action will be required if the government is to deliver on its eagerly anticipated infrastructure strategy. Some kind of public-private partnership could well be the best way forward, writes Beth West
Can the next London Plan deliver what the city’s residents really need?
Ben Derbyshire reflects on Sadiq Khan’s latest policies to boost housebuilding in the capital
Why puddles are the latest in a long list of obstacles to building the homes we need
The planning system no longer recognises the difference between rivers and puddles and this must be fixed, says Paul Smith
We need a new and fair infrastructure funding model now if we are to build for the future
Delivering critical infrastructure and public facilities is a complex process that carries huge risk for small rewards. That system has to change, says John Wilkinson, chief operating officer at BAM UK & Ireland
The government promises ambition – what’s the key to realising it?
Our industry must expand, upgrade, collaborate and increase productivity if it is to play its part in realising the UK’s infrastructure strategy, writes Ramboll’s Neil Sansbury
Construction industry gossip: The long and winding road
The latest chatter around the industry
How do you solve a problem like construction product regulation?
There is just one week left to respond to the green paper on construction products reform, and it seems the government could really do with some help from industry experts
Are Starmer and Reeves ready to gamble on PFI to fix our broken infrastructure?
If past mistakes can be avoided, some kind of private finance initiative may be the best way to build promised new public sector facilities and also solve the £49bn maintenance backlog, writes Denise Chevin.
This is how we soften the built environment’s heavy environmental footprint
As the debate about net zero becomes over-politicised, tackling embodied carbon should be the industry’s next priority. We need clear, enforceable legislation from the government to support this, says Lee Jones
Why it’s important to use everyday language in contract documents
Tony Bingham on DBS vs TCS and why standard form contract devisers need to get more everyday with their language
Barratt Supreme Court ruling highlights what the government should have done after Grenfell
The URS vs BDW (Barratt) decision highlights the government’s failure to formulate an effective response to Grenfell. Here’s what it should have done instead
How landmark Supreme Court ruling clarifies liability and limitation on building safety
Construction professionals must now operate with heightened awareness of their long-term liabilities, in the wake of the pivotal ruling in the Barratt Homes case
Legal abroad: Doing business in Indonesia's fast-growing construction industry
With a construction market set to reach US$300bn this year, the new BRICS nation has great potential for UK companies
Adjudication doesn’t need to be complicated
Tony Bingham on a failed attempt to overturn an adjudication on the ground that it covered multiple contracts with slightly differing terms
Why the Supreme Court ruling on women-only spaces and services matters for construction employers
Monica Kurnatowska and Rebecca Bull on the implications of For Women Scotland Ltd vs The Scottish Ministers
Construction claims over sinkholes and landslips are on the rise
As geological risks increase, driven by climate change, claims relating to geotechnical impacts on construction projects may become more common
The Procurement Act is here – what does it mean for the construction industry?
Colin Jones and Stewart Morrison explain what the new legislation means for the construction industry
Get your clause into it – contractual responsibility for specific risks
Tony Bingham on a case concerning contractual responsibility for specific risks, and the attempts to locate that amid amendments
