More Comment – Page 482
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CommentIs partnering dead?
“It took 12 years to put together and 12 weeks to dismantle.” That was one of the more wry comments on BAA’s decision to turn its back on framework agreements for a good chunk of its work
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A welcome downturn in construction deaths
In Building's health and safety channel this week we have the latest from the Health and Safety Executive, as they release statistics on the number of construction fatalities in the sector for 2008/09.As predicted by Building just weeks ago, the number of fatalities has hit a record low, but everything ...
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Telford buys contractor... and breathing space
When AIM-listed housebuilder Telford announced yesterday it had paid £6.3m for fit-out contractor Clifford Contracting, the news must have caused a few people to do a double-take at their computer screens.In a City statement, the east London developer talked a lot about loan notes, call option agreements and aggregate considerations.Behind ...
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Average weekly earnings go up in construction
I took a quick glimpse at the Average Weekly Earnings figures out today to see if there was an obvious sign of downward pressure on those employed in construction.Well comparing the average weekly earnings over the three months to this April with the same period a year ago we get ...
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Housing market medicine working, says CML
The latest forecast from the Council of Mortgage Lenders paints a more positive outlook for the housing market than it did when it last forecast in December.It now thinks repossessions this year will hit 65,000, 10,000 fewer than previously thought, with fewer mortgages falling into arrears and net lending shrinking ...
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Rightmove figures provide food for thought on house prices
The latest figures divined from the property website Rightmove show that asking prices fell 0.4% in the month. And at first sight this seem a little at odds with most of the data coming from the housing market of late.There is data to suggest that there are growing expectations of ...
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Power without responsibility
"This meddling member of the royal family is a black stain on our democracy," wrote one reader of Building's website.Others described Lord Rogers' scheme as "a herringbone pattern of repetitive blocks with no sense of place" and his defence of it as "tantamount to treason".Never has the death of a ...
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Recovery a long way off as industry awaits housing recovery
April's improved new orders figures from the Office of National Statistics - up 17% on March - brought some cheer, with encouraging signs of activity from housebuilding and other sectors. However, given that the first quarter numbers were the worst since records began in 1983, recovery is a way off ...
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CommentHansom: Unmasked
Paranoia grips the industry this week as all kinds of things turn out to be all kinds of other things: alien invaders, human statues, sons and, er, someone’s pet doggie
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Regeneration renewed
The Regeneration Manifesto of the British Property Federation (BPF) gives welcome recognition to some ideas that practitioners in the public sector have been applying for many years
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CommentThe more, the merrier
I note the health and safety photo on 9 May. I saw an exact repeat performance on a house in Yateley, North Hampshire two weeks ago.
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Crossing a lien
I write regarding Rupert Choat’s article “Asking for the moon” (5 June, page 47)
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Back on the training ground
Nick Raynsford’s comment that “there are enlightened employers who are doing their utmost to maintain skills development” (5 June, page 28) will no doubt provoke the cry, “That’s easy for him to say!”
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Shurely shome mishtake
I just wanted to let you know your latest edition received a particularly enthusiastic reception from the female staff in our office as you have finally printed an issue just for us
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Can we fix it?: Repair and maintenance
Repair and maintenance contracts are starting to look rather tempting, now money’s thinner on the ground. But there are some particular challenges involved...
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CommentDevil take the hindmost: A six party case
Here’s a story about a flood in an office that caused millions of pounds of damage and gave rise to a six-party legal case. The question, of course, was who was going to pay
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Buyer beware: Distressed sellers
You can take some of the worry out of buying property from a distressed seller by knowing how to manage risk. But first you need to know what those risks are
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CommentBoyle's law
A certain Scottish singer is not the only thing that has captivated the Americans in recent times – mid-sized UK quantity surveying firms are also finding favour
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CommentSomething better change
As it is now, Part L misses obvious tricks, has loopholes that make it ineffective in important areas and does nothing to prevent super-insulated homes from turning into ovens