Opinion – Page 418
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CommentThe path to happiness
Happiness, there’s not too much of it around in construction at the moment.
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CommentWhen will they ever learn?
Despite the abundance of evidence that good clients get cheaper projects, many still insist on lowest price and highest cost. Councils, for example. Sir Michael Latham asks, why?
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CommentWebmaster review: Gleeds website
The website of QS Gleeds – www.gleeds.com – is under the microscope this week, as is its television channel, www.gleeds.tv
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CommentDispute escalation clauses: Ardentia Ltd vs British Telecommunications Plc
The CaseArdentia and BT entered into a project agreement on 18 February 2004. It related to the provision of information technology to the NHS. A dispute arose between Ardentia and BT in respect of licence fees. Ardentia also believed that BT was intending to engage third parties to develop new ...
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Government needs to lay firm foundations for its housing policy
I admit it, my response to Caroline Flint's housing rescue plan Part II, "Facing the housing challenge - Action today, innovation tomorrow", was borne out of frustration.I admit that lapsing into frustration is a huge fault in my character, one that frankly frustrates me.I admit that there are some elements ...
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Nero comes to mind
On a day that Wolseley has announced 6,000 job cuts and when the employment figures are looking decidedly shaky, even without the effects of the recent cull by house builders, the latest efforts by Caroline Flint to ease pain in the market seem rather puny.I could go into a detailed ...
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Housing market worsens, but not as quickly - RICS
It is an odd thing that things can still be getting worse, but that sentiment can be regarded as improving. So it is with estate agents, according to the latest housing market survey produced by the surveyors body RICS.The story of the June survey is that while things are still ...
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Expert determination: Owen Pell v Bindi (London)
Owen Pell Limited (“Owen Pell”) entered into a contract with Bindi (London) Limited (“Bindi”) for Owen Pell to build an extension and undertake M&E work at Bindi’s property at Holme Lacy. Owen Pell left site before work was complete. The parties later agreed to have their dispute determined ...
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CommentThe uses of adversity
The Great Depression brought destitution to millions. It also transformed politics and society and produced great architecture. Amanda Levete asks: could the present downturn do the same?
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CommentLegal panels: The best panel game in town
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Obtaining better value for money from your law firm by setting up a panel is one way to ease the effects of the downturn
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CommentDivided we fell
Open mike - Never agree to a bad plan in the hope that things will turn out for the best. Martin Bishop did, and now the RICS is more fragmented than it’s ever been
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Project bank accounts: Up close and personal
Ignore the critics: project bank accounts foster trust and collaboration and, in doing so, save everybody a great deal of hassle
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Futures market puts house prices in cash terms down by a third by 2011
Punters in the residential derivatives game are putting a very bleak gloss on the direction of house prices.The Tradition Future HPI, which measures future prices against the Halifax (HBOS) non-seasonally adjusted average, puts a value of £137,233 on an average house in June 2011. Given that prices peaked at £201,081 ...
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Three years of construction recession forecast - is that possible?
My good friend Martin Hewes provided me with a sneak preview of his latest three-year forecast for construction output. It's not a bedtime read for the faint hearted, that's for sure.The Hewes & Associates numbers show a recession in construction stretching out for the three years of the forecast period, ...
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A warm industry welcome
Reading your article on apprenticeships (20 June, page 20) brought back memories of my introduction to the industry as a would-be apprentice carpenter in 1972.
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CommentBorder skirmishes
In reply to Derek Emslie in Scotland (27 June, page 35) who took issue with Caroline Flint referring to “England” as a world leader in sustainable building...
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The mystified mediator
I feel very sorry for disputants like Alan Danieli (27 June, page 39) caught up in the expensive, acrimonious and drawn out process of construction dispute resolution, especially at the smaller end of the market where legal costs can be so high in relation to the sums at issue.
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Call on me
I’m pleased to report that that the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has brokered a deal with the RICS to settle complaints against FMB members.
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It doesn’t add up
A lot has been said and written recently about the OFT investigation into price fixing. I am amazed that despite the amount of press coverage on this I can find no comment on the profit margins of the contractors involved.
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Working 25/7
So … Mouzhan Majidi at Fosters brags (4 July, page 64) that their team worked 24 hours a day..