Opinion – Page 405
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CommentOut with the old
As the autumn trees are changing, we turn over a new leaf, with a different housing minister, some original vocabulary, a fresh-look logo and the option to go for tapas
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US are repossessing more homes per head than the UK is building
Now here is a thought. Over the past months, the rate of foreclosures (repossession) per head of population in the US has been running ahead of the rate of new homes built per head of population in the UK.I haven't got the precise figures on UK completions, because they haven't ...
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OFT must act to stop suicidal bidding in the face of recession
If Mervyn King says we are about to head into recession, frankly it's pretty much a done deal.No matter how much the Government says it wants to protect construction, in reality there is only so much it can do. The industry is heading for recession, if it is not already ...
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New depths reached in housing market sales
The latest statistics from HM Revenue & Customs show that new record lows have been plumbed by sales in the UK housing market.On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales in September dropped to just 38% of the peak level reached in December 2006.Taking a broad brush view, it would seem that ...
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Is this the worst time to be "more relaxed"?
I am sure I will not be the only one who draws this parallel. But I suspect it is a classic illustration of why credibility matters in both politics and economics.George Bush on the US economy, October 2008: "I have heard that people's attitudes are beginning to change from a ...
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Rightmove - wrong meaning
I'm not one for publicly criticising other journalists and their take on things. I feel vulnerable enough myself.But sometimes it is worth clearing up a bit of confusion.I read the Rightmove figures and thought no surprise there then, not worth a comment this time around.I then read various headlines and ...
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Tender price squeeze is likely to threaten construction firms
The latest projections from the cost service BCIS point to further reductions in tender price over the next two years despite expected rises in input prices.The latest figures show a fall of 1.2% in the first quarter of this year, followed by no growth in the second quarter, while costs ...
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Spend big, yes, but spend wisely on construction Mr Darling
Just over a week ago I had lunch with three economists, all with more than a passing interest in construction. Oddly, perhaps, for a group of economist there seemed to be a consensus, well at least on one topic.If construction is heading for recession then the Government is wise to ...
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Darling's bid might steer construction away from a nasty recession
Less than a fortnight ago I wondered whether we might see a return to Keynesian-style cash injections to buoy the real economy and more specifically construction. I recall other similar comments in the media.Now it seems from stories in the FT and the Telegraph that this thought may become reality. ...
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CommentLet’s work together
Sir Michael Latham The business and enterprise select committee’s proposal for a chief construction offer has been taken up. Now we need to push for integrated teams
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CommentThe state is back
It is three years since the National Federation of Builders began highlighting the woeful service its members receive from utilities companies.
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CommentJurisdiction of the court
The CaseThe defendant invited tenders for building works to convert a hotel back into the family house that it originally was. The claimant’s tender was successful. At the time the claimant commenced work, there was no contract in place. Thereafter, as the works progressed, there were negotiations between the parties ...
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Credit crunch advice: Shelter from the storm
In the first of a series on the legal implications of the economic downturn, we run through the options for limiting your exposure to risky projects
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CommentK is for key performance indicators
A-Z of construction law Our beginner’s guide to legal basics reaches K, and the increasingly important notion of the key performance indicator
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CommentMy digital life: Chris Bone
The Bone Steel boss likes the instant communication and access to news and sports the web offers, but prefers networking face to face
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CommentHow have the mighty fallen
The bold and the beautiful at Dubai’s latest luxury resort get a nasty shock, a celebrity gardener is rudely excluded and a mathematically minded company boss makes a third blunder
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CommentOur obscene failure
The response of the housebuilding industry to the downturn is to stop building and cast off the very people it will need to help it recover. We have to be far more imaginative, says David Lock
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Scheming spires
Could the Royal Town Planning Institute have contributed to the shortage of qualified planners?
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CommentBack to nature
Regeneration is always a positive move, however, we have to remember why some buildings built hundreds of years ago are still standing up and looking beautiful today, whereas most modern buildings turn ugly and dysfunctional after a few decades.