Opinion – Page 383
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Comment
Annual construction output forecast to fall £23.5 billion over next two years
The first of the spring forecasts for construction has winged its way into my inbox. It is the Hewes and Associates' forecast.Hewes expects on the basis of current data that levels of construction output will fall back to those last seen in 1996 before we see a recovery.This may seem ...
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Comment
Annual construction output forecast to fall
The first of the spring forecasts for construction has winged its way into my inbox. It is the Hewes & Associates' forecast.Hewes expects on the basis of current data that levels of construction output will fall back to those last seen in 1996 before we see a recovery.This may seem ...
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Comment
Halifax figures dampen hopes of spring bounce in house prices
The Nationwide figures published yesterday provided some cheer for those selling homes with the announcement of a 0.9% rise in its house price index for March.That hope has been rather squashed with the Halifax today releasing figures suggesting the price of an average home fell in the month by 1.9%.What ...
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Comment
Five reasons why the G20 summit is great news for UK construction
I meant to get in an early night, but George Soros was billed to appear on Newsnight and while I know it's shallow I am a sucker for celebrity.I legitimised my decision on the grounds that I wanted to see how broad the consensus was over the success of the ...
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CommentReady money
There are still chances out there to make big bucks, it seems, from trillion-dollar salaries to a sure thing on the racetrack. But if nothing works out, you can always drown your sorrows in a roomful of gin
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CommentWonders & blunders
Prue Leith’s spirit is uplifted by the billowing roof and sense of fun in Richard Rogers’ airport terminal in Madrid. But Oxford’s John Radcliffe hospital makes her sick
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CommentYour solution is the problem
A good way to enrage someone who’s in trouble is to offer to help, then stamp on their foot … which is what the government has done to those working on education schemes
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CommentRefuting all charges
Caroline Buckingham (13 March, page 36) accuses Cabe’s schools design panel of not giving fair assessments to designs for Building Schools for the Future (BSF)
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Comment
What troubled waters?
Your report “RIBA in turmoil as faction presses for ‘radical change’” (27 March, page 13) is a surprising appearance of fantasy journalism in an otherwise excellent magazine
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Comment
All change
Let’s not be naive. Consulting on ways to improve the energy performance of existing buildings is essential in identifying practical solutions in the fight against climate change (“Energy junkies”, 20 March, page 35)
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Comment
Can you help?
In December 2003, my son Sebastian launched a campaign to fundraise for a purpose-built facility that would provide much-needed respite for families with seriously ill children
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CommentA horror story
But what really infuriated the colleges and their teams is that the organisation continued to push them to spend their own money on projects that were effectively doomed
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CommentBusiness doctor: advice on staying afloat
So Building got a panel of experts together to tell them how to make it through the recession. You might want to get yourself a drink and listen in
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Comment
Another month another set of "worst ever" new orders figures
The February figures for new orders were worse than the January figures which were the worst monthly figures ever recorded.There is perhaps little to add to the comments made last month other than to say if you are looking for optimism, perhaps the social housing sector may offer a few ...
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Comment
Contractors optimistic despite being trapped in mire of recession - says CIPS
The buyers' body CIPS remained muted about the prospects for construction despite a slight lift in the construction industry.The main construction index published by CIPS rose to 30.9 for March up from a series low of 27.8 in February. That means that things were not getting as worse as quickly ...
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Comment
Nationwide springs pleasant surprise for house sellers and builders
The latest analysis by the Nationwide of house prices suggests that this spring has brought with it an unexpected 0.9% bounce in the price of houses. This will add some more cheer to those currently enjoying the blue skies, sunshine and abundant blossom.With so much to feel good about in ...
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Comment
Homeowners turn their backs on using their homes as a bank
I was intrigued by the response from the surveyors' body RICS to the latest Bank of England figures for Housing Equity Withdrawal.The figures show a continuation in the rapid repayment of housing debt, as the graph below shows, and this will have had a major impact on the recent decline ...