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Contractors Comment

Mark Robinson _Headshot_SCAPE

A year of change signalled national ambition, now we must think local to deliver success

2025-08-07T06:00:00+01:00By Mark Robinson

Devolving greater power, trust and transparency to local authorities is not just a matter of administrative convenience, it is vital for effective public good, says Mark Robinson

dave rogers 3

The industry needs Lendlease to stick around because Mace and Multiplex can’t build everything

2024-12-20T06:00:00+00:00By Dave Rogers

It is not good for anyone that some of the sector’s most high-profile projects are bid by just two firms, writes Dave Rogers

Chloe 2024 index pic

ISG’s collapse: a huge blow to construction that raises urgent and difficult questions

2024-09-20T11:28:00+01:00By Chloë McCulloch

This is the biggest collapse to hit the sector since Carillion – as we absorb the grim news, people will want some answers and fast

dave index

Uh-oh. Co-op Live’s woes leave industry with familiar sinking feeling

2024-05-09T06:00:00+01:00By Dave Rogers

When old men in their 90s have heard of the debacle, then things have gone really wrong. Problem is, people will think it’s the builders’ fault because that’s what people do, writes Dave Rogers

daveindex_251255-removebg-preview1

‘Get used to it.’ Can contractors’ hardening attitudes to risk be really much of a surprise?

2024-03-27T07:00:00+00:00By Dave Rogers

Last year’s business failures have hit a nerve. Firms finally seem fed up with construction’s rough and tumble, writes Dave Rogers

Rebecca Rees

Why are you still participating in the race to the bottom?

2023-06-12T05:00:00+01:00By Rebecca Rees3 comments

Procurement reform and clients who are prepared to use alternative price evaluation models are surely the way to improve the whole process and get the right bidder at the right price for a project, argues Rebecca Rees

Contractors and clients must work together to weather the inflationary storm

2022-09-05T06:00:00+01:00By Mark Robinson

With industry output slowing, contractors can help clients to mitigate the impact of rising prices, says Scape’s Mark Robinson

Benny_Kelly_

‘Benny’s enthusiasm for construction was completely infectious’

2022-07-27T10:57:00+01:00By Iain Withers

As a rookie reporter Iain Withers scooped an interview with the then-retired McAlpine director Benny Kelly - here he remembers “construction royalty”

Neil Mant Corporate Image low res

Bureaucratic procurement has been the norm, until now …

2022-07-13T06:00:00+01:00By Neil Mant

The Common Assessment Standard streamlines the construction pre-qualification process, Neil Mant suggests you give it a go

workers light

A contractor’s view on volatile prices

2022-01-21T07:00:00+00:00By Maurice Archer

Unpredictable labour and material costs are a huge risk to projects so you need effective mitigation plans

All Contractors Comment

 

 

 

Contractors News

Oxford North_photo_ Hufton+Crow_018

In pictures: Fletcher Priest-designed Oxford North innovation district officially opens

2025-11-03T13:33:00+00:00By Alex Funk

First phase of lab and office scheme has been built by Laing O’Rourke

stepnell

£800,000 cost of Stepnell demerger fails to blunt contractor’s profit

2025-11-03T11:18:00+00:00By Dave Rogers

Regional builder says bottom line stayed flat despite one-off hit for move

severfield

Severfield interim results pushed back a week

2025-11-03T10:54:00+00:00By Dave Rogers

New boss Paul McNerney starts at steelwork contractor today

8build fit out

8Build swings to £2.1m profit after moving away from PCSA contracts

2025-10-31T11:06:00+00:00By Carl Brown

Fit-out specialist 8Build has returned to profit with a £2.1m pre-tax result after switching away from PCSA contracts to fixed-price deals, helping boost turnover 34% to £157m.

Martyn Peter DCD Wates Fit Out

Wates Fit Out hires ex-ISG and Morgan Sindall director to bolster leadership team

2025-10-30T13:20:00+00:00By Daniel Gayne

Martyn Peters joins as divisional commercial director next week

dunard

Balfour Beatty to build £160m Edinburgh concert hall first earmarked for McAlpine

2025-10-24T10:17:00+01:00By Dave Rogers

Scheme first given planning in 2019 expected to finish in 2029

bovis cropped

Bovis to move into new Euston office next month

2025-10-24T06:00:00+01:00By Dave Rogers

Firm swapping Stratford for space at 1 Eversholt Street

SCS is upskilling local people to join its tunnelling team  (1)

Work restarts after ‘near-miss’ incident pauses work on HS2’s London tunnels sites

2025-10-23T11:10:00+01:00By Daniel Gayne

Contractor SCS JV has begun phased restart

New City Court Oct 6

Three in race for GPE’s £150m London Bridge office approved this month after years-long planning battle

2025-10-23T11:00:00+01:00By Dave Rogers

Winner on St Thomas Yard scheme due by early next year

parliament

Bovis and Wates among 10 firms to land places on £1.5bn Parliament maintenance deal

2025-10-23T10:22:00+01:00By Tom Lowe

Others on framework include Kier, Walter Lilly and Thomas Sinden

All Contractors News

Contractors Focus

Andrew Davies - October 2025

‘I’ll miss it but it’s time for someone else to have a go.’ Andrew Davies gets ready to leave Kier

2025-10-21T06:00:00+01:00By Dave Rogers

The FTSE 250 contractor’s chief executive on fixing the firm, stepping down and why everyone, even bosses, appreciate a thank you. He talks to Dave Rogers

shutterstock_1866246880

Is the construction industry’s growing reliance on agency labour becoming a problem?

2025-10-09T06:00:00+01:00By Daniel Gayne

Recent controversies have highlighted concerns about construction’s increasing dependence on agency workers, raising questions about skills development, compliance and the sector’s fragmented labour model

grenfell 2

Could the shadow of Grenfell trigger more Ardmore-style collapses?

2025-09-25T06:00:00+01:00By Joey Gardiner

The 50-year-old contractor’s legacy housing business went into administration last month due to the weight of building safety issues on its books. Joey Gardiner asks whether we are likely to see other companies suffer the same fate

rob 6

‘You still sparking? Aye…’ SES’s Rob Clifford on his journey from apprentice electrician to running a £550m business

2025-09-23T06:00:00+01:00By Dave Rogers

The M&E contractor’s boss tells Dave Rogers about rewiring a house, moving into new sectors and the wonder of Jimmy Glass

andrew_3997_397579

‘A man you can have a bit of faith in.’ How Andrew Davies turned around Kier

2025-07-22T11:33:00+01:00By Dave Rogers

The firm’s chief executive has today announced his retirement. He leaves the business in a vastly different shape to the one he joined, writes Dave Rogers

luton 2

The $4bn-turnover Turkish contractor building a new stadium for Luton Town

2025-07-21T06:00:00+01:00By Dave Rogers

Limak’s debut job in the UK won’t be its last, the firm tells Dave Rogers

Rachel Reeves Flickr Treasury April 25

PFI: Do the numbers add up?

2025-05-07T06:00:00+01:00By Joey Gardiner

With the government understood to be considering reinstating a form of private financing to pay for public infrastructure ahead of the launch of its 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy next month, Joey Gardiner weighs up whether reigniting PFI would be a good idea

Katy Dowding hi res 1

‘You’re operating in the grey space, making decisions with a lot of unknowns’: Katy Dowding on two years at the top of Skanska UK

2025-04-28T06:00:00+01:00By Chloë McCulloch

The firm’s president and CEO took the helm at a turbulent time for the country and for contractors. She tells Chloe McCulloch about her leadership style, her rejigged executive team and how industry and government can deliver more with less if they work together.

RISE

Is a Swiss lift shaft-building robot the future of construction?

2025-04-04T06:00:00+01:00By Tom Lowe

In central London, a robot called Emma is being used to make the gruelling job of building lift shafts faster, safer and more precise. Tom Lowe visits the site of Skanska’s 105 Victoria Street to see if the device is all it’s cracked up to be

pete duff pic

‘We tried and we tried and we very nearly got there’: Osborne’s finance chief on the company’s collapse – and lessons the industry can learn

2025-03-31T06:10:00+01:00By Dave Rogers

A year ago, the contractor went into administration after nearly 60 years in business. Pete Duff tells Dave Rogers what happened and what needs to change

All Contractors Focus

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