Opinion
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CommentBurnham’s pivot to council housebuilding risks an immediate drop in delivery
As concerns emerge about potential development delays due to the prime minister’s policy shift, Richard Cherry argues housing needs a long-term approach, not political wins
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CommentWhy construction must open its doors to people leaving prison
Public projects and release on temporary licence can create real pathways from custody into construction careers, here’s how
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CommentCapture carbon before it caps construction
The construction industry should get behind carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) as pressure mounts to reindustrialise and ramp up delivery while cutting emissions at the same time, says the Mineral Products Association’s Martin Casey
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CommentThis month’s construction industry gossip: Charge of the light brigade
The latest chatter around the industry
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CommentThe evolving role of cost management in the age of AI
As projects become more complex, cost managers must be given the tools and skills to deliver strategic value, not just to control price, writes Stephanie Marshall
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CommentAI is already paying off for consultants, but human oversight is becoming the differentiator
Construction consultants are reporting tangible returns from AI investment. The firms that pull ahead will be those that can show not just efficiency gains, but better services, stronger oversight and clearer value for clients
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CommentHow Open Doors is rewriting construction’s careers story
With construction needing to recruit more than 41,000 workers a year, Build UK’s Open Doors programme is expanding its format for 2027 to connect even more young people with careers in the built environment
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CommentThose who accuse housebuilders of landbanking misunderstand how development works
The idea that developers routinely profit from withholding consented land is wrong and diverts political energy from the structural reforms needed to boost delivery, writes Huseyin Huseyin
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CommentAndy Burnham’s triple helix growth model risks being undermined by fuel, food and finance headwinds
The UK economy has been remarkably resilient this year, but the barriers to growth are getting bigger. That is bad news for investment, says Simon Rawlinson of Arcadis
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CommentThe planning system needs to take viability more seriously
Residential development is unviable in nearly half of England. Government must either reduce build costs by removing regulation or subsidise development from the public purse, argues Paul Smith
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CommentAmbitious new housing developments are nothing without the infrastructure to support them
Infrastructure must stop being viewed as a secondary consideration, argues Tom O’Brien
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CommentHow a government-backed remediation loan facility could break building safety deadlock
The Building Safety Act identifies who should pay for historic defects but not what happens when culpable parties simply don’t have the money. Construction lawyer Francis Ho proposes a radical solution
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CommentCan UK data centres meet AI demand without increasing water stress?
Water consumption in AI data centres is frequently misunderstood, say Nick Remington of PolarDC and Simon Wyatt of Cundall. With the right cooling strategies, site selection and energy sourcing, the UK can expand its digital infrastructure without a corresponding rise in water use
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CommentThe Nature Restoration Fund - a viable way to meet environmental obligations?
The government’s plan is intended to allow developers to pay into a fund instead of directly delivering mitigation works. Sophie Henwood looks at its chances of success and finds it is anything but straightforward
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CommentBurnham-inspired regional leadership must keep net zero moving
Louis Saunderson argues that regional leaders must continue advancing sustainability regardless of political turbulence
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CommentHow do firms manage risk in a riskier world?
It is entirely possible that the first name on the team sheet in the future will be the risk manager, writes Iain Parker
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CommentKeeping up the momentum on gender diversity in construction
Momentum must translate into visible change on site, argues Desiree Blamey
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CommentHow Hospital 2.0 can change the way we build healthcare in the UK
Willmott Dixon chief executive Graham Dundas explains how the Hospital 2.0 Alliance is changing the way major NHS schemes are procured, delivered and learned from - starting with a new hospital in Truro.
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CommentDoes the Commercial Payments Bill address construction’s greatest payment challenges?
Removing retentions, introducing tighter payment deadlines and strengthening enforcement should improve payment practices across the industry. The question is whether the changes are enough to address the problems which the industry says matter most, David Crosthwaite writes
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CommentWhy built environment employers need psychological and psychosocial safety
Stress, anxiety and silence are not just wellbeing concerns in construction - they are safety risks. Sue Elabor at Blueprint for All Consulting explains why employers must address both psychological safety and the structural conditions that shape it