More Comment – Page 575
-
-
CommentFools rush in
Open mike Graham Watts is furious that the industry is wasting an opportunity to reform the Construction Act, but Rudi Klein says we may lose the chance forever if we jump in without thinking
-
CommentOpening Pandora’s box
The proposal to drop the ‘contracts in writing’ rule has won praise on these pages. But what this does is let the adjudicator decide what’s in the contract – with untold consequences for dispute resolution
-
CommentHappy ever after
Main contractors and subcontractors make all kinds of rash promises during the courting stage. Then they quarrel. A new toolkit from the National Specialist Contractors Council aims to keep things sweet to the end
-
Comment
Early warning
The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act comes into force on 6 April next year. Take a tip from us: make sure you’re ready for it
-
-
CommentHansom Morons and swine
No, not the curses heard from Jack Pringle’s yacht as it sailed into trouble in the Fastnet race, but what one engineer has dubbed all architects and what the Finns inexplicably call the good people at the CICA
-
CommentBuilding buys a pint … for Sturgis
Forget the Heathrow hippies; I seem to have infiltrated a table full of hardcore revolutionaries. Well, kind of.
-
CommentIts 60%, but not that 60%
Further to Bill Watts’ Open mike column on schools (24 August, page 32), it must be made clear that the government’s plan for schools is not to “generate 60% of their energy from on-site renewables”, but to reduce carbon emissions by 60% from 2002 levels.
-
Comment
Renewables on the curriculum
Bill Watts’ comments focus too much on the building and its cost, rather than its purpose.
-
Comment
SAP method works the best
It was a delight to read Jeff Howell’s article (31 August, Page 30) on the dreaded Home information packs (Hips).
-
Comment
In defence of PVC
Douglas Kent’s comments in the online article “BAA forced to remove plastic windows from listed building” (23 August) are just the type of misinformed remarks we’ve come to expect from the anti-PVC brigade.
-
-
-
-
CommentFrankly, it was all a waste of energy
After watching two assessors make a right dog’s dinner of measuring the energy performance of his house, Jeff Howell suspects a little extra training may be in order
-
CommentA step too far
Extending the Construction Act to embrace oral as well as written agreements is to be applauded. Expanding the definition of ‘agreement’, on the other hand, is definitely not
-
CommentDo you have breakdown cover?
Rolls-Royce didn’t take out joint-names insurance to cover construction of its new plant. When a leaking pipe caused £400,000 of damage, it insisted the policy wouldn’t have covered negligence. Not everyone agreed
-
Comment
The lesser-spotted contract
Last month, Tony Bingham said construction lawyers would agree with the Court of Appeal’s ruling in SWI vs P&I. Well, Stuart Pemble doesn’t, and that is because he doesn’t really believe in fixed-price deals