Opinion – Page 410
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Comment
Treasury faces £4.5 billion hole as house sales and stamp duty receipts slump
The steady decline in the UK housing market has been underlined by the latest numbers to come out of HM Revenue & Customs. They show sales of homes dropping to 72,000 in August, compared with 164,000 last August.The figures show a continuing slide that not only highlights the collapse in ...
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Comment
Why house prices indexes seem insane and short-term forecasts are futile
The Council of Mortgage Lenders is bang on when it says it is futile to try to update its house price forecast.Frankly it is probably sufficient to say that houses are worth less than they were a year ago and in a year's time they will probably be worth a ...
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CommentA question of charisma
Some regenerated areas become fizzing centres of creative energy whereas others are, well, a bit dull. But what is it that makes the difference? Amanda Levete has a theory …
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CommentStanding up to the mob
Discussion about the merits and demerits of immigration usually takes the form of endless tabloid flood warnings. Nick Raynsford urges us to put the other side of the argument
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Comment
Transparency in awarding contracts
The CaseOn 15 March 2007, the London Borough of Newham (“Newham”) advertised its intention to enter into framework contracts for the procurement, maintenance and management of private sector leased properties. The tender evaluation criteria stated that the contracts would be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender, ...
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CommentBuilding buys a pint … for Bompas & Parr
It’s a Thursday night, I’m in Dalston, and I’m scared. The “architectural food curators” Bompas & Parr have brought me to an Egyptian ballroom in the middle of east London, stuck a fez on my head and popped a miracle berry in my mouth.
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Comment
Claims for falling property values: A turn for the worse
If a housing scheme is delayed and the property market slumps, can developers recover damages for the decrease in value?
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CommentPI insurance rates: Talk is cheap
Rates for professional indemnity insurance are going sky high, but Lance Rigby says you can bring them down by explaining your business to your insurer
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Comment
Who’s suing whom — A round-up of the writs in the Technology and Construction Court
London Basement vs Thames Water Construction firm London Basement Company has launched a legal battle against Thames Water Utilities over a water leak that it says damaged one of its projects.
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Comment
No point arguing
Information on sustainable products is often confusing and contradictory, as illustrated by the greener-than-thou spat raging between the timber lobby and the PVCu industry (5 September, page 68).
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CommentPut out that fear
In response to your story, “Insurers warn of fire risk from green roofs” (5 August, page 12), there is little, if any, evidence to suggest that green roofs significantly increase the risk of fire.
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Comment
Show me the money
While an A-Z of Construction Law cannot expect to cover all angles, I would take issue with a point made by Michael Conroy Harris in his latest chapter – J for Jurisdiction (5 September page 63).
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Comment
A calculated gamble
I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but if the Homes and Communities Agency misses its 2016 target by say 500,000 homes, then we have got to build 375,000 homes a year from 2016, which would be an increase of 50% on 2007.
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CommentWebmaster review: Constructing Excellence website
The built environment lobby group has relaunched its website and even joined Building in the world of Twitter
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CommentMy digital life — Martin Clowes
The boss of Elementa Consulting climbs mountains, reads war tales, sails boats and owns old vinyl records, and likes any technology that fits in with these passions
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CommentEat, drink, fall overboard
It’s Cowes again, where gentleman are free to do what gentleman do best – sail close to the wind, sink pontoons, tumble arse-first down hatches and beer-first off the back of boats
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CommentIn for nasty weather
The financial storm that has been blowing through the banking world for the past year turned into a category-five tornado this week.
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Comment
Parallel universes
Is it me or are you living in a different world than that described by the national statisticians?Today we are asked to accept that retail sales increased in August led by a jump in sales of shoes and clothes.What have we got here? Do we have a consumer addiction problem? ...
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Comment
How crisis can liberate thinking
I was speaking earlier this morning to the head of a top 50 house builder, a man with years of experience and someone's who opinions are worthy of respect.He is as baffled as the next person about where things are going. Each week brings a whole new set of uncertainties ...