Opinion – Page 372
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Comment
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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Comment
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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Comment
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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Comment
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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Comment
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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Comment
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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Comment
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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Comment
Crossing a lien
I write regarding Rupert Choat’s article “Asking for the moon” (5 June, page 47)
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Comment
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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Comment
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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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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CommentWonders & blunders
Jonathan Goring finds Liverpool’s Academy of St Francis of Assisi inspiring, but reckons it was a dark day in Leeds when planning permission was given to Ian Simpson’s Lumiere
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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
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CommentPower without responsibility
“This meddling member of the royal family is a black stain on our democracy,” wrote one reader of Building’s website
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Comment
Why you should fear good news
What are journalists looking to provide when it comes to a news story.Well "TRUTH"The story should be Topical, Relevent, Unusual, with a bit of Tension or conflict and, very importantly, it should have Human interest.Now let's think about it......Unusual eh? ...mmm.So if the story you read is going to ...
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Comment
Why the "innovative" HCA Norwich City deal could prove very significant indeed
It is not just because I have family in Norwich and support Norwich City that I took a particular interest in the "innovative" deal recently struck between the city council and the Homes and Communities Agency.Nor was it because I have a great deal of respect for the knowledge and ...
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Comment
Duff jobs figures pose a threat to construction industry
The official employment figures released today show that the construction industry has lost just 40,000 jobs.That clearly is rubbish.Were the figures accurate and were the construction output figures accurate it would suggest that as the industry has plunged into recession overall labour productivity for the construction sector has fallen by ...