Opinion – Page 654
-
Comment
Back to the flawed
First person - Sir Neville Simms comes across pretty well in Back to the Floor, even if the whole idea of the programme is absurdly contrived.
-
Comment
Wonders & blunders
An ancient monument that would challenge today's builders, and a monstrous modern blob.
-
Comment
No contract? No problem
Whether or not a contract has been agreed may no longer be worth arguing about – the latest twist in Birse vs St David states that some terms in an unfinalised contract may still be binding on the parties.
-
Comment
To honour and obey
Contractors in a partnering relationship may be obliged to act strictly in the client's interest – with scrupulous honesty and openness – or face the penalties
-
Comment
Objection!
Why Building missed the point on the floods, pre-action protocols, legal leagues, proportional costs and adjudicator impartiality – and what was that one on the working time regulations all about?
-
Comment
Democratic housing
First person. What do councils do better than housing associations? Give political accountability to a vital public service, that's what.
-
Comment
Why big is bad
Second opinion. If the government wants good design, why doesn't it give more work to the firms best placed to deliver it?
-
Comment
Holiday dilemmas
A self-employed chippy put in a claim to a builder for £1430 holiday pay under the Working Time Regulations. He didn't win, but in not very different circumstances he might well have done.
-
Comment
Too much obliged
Design and build often forces contractors to rely more on their consultants than they would under a traditional contract. This means that if they take a hit, they're more likely to ask their consultants to share it.
-
Comment
Do you fancy a beer?
Got into a dispute? Here's a run down of the huge choice of resolution procedures on offer. However, you may find the fastest and cheapest is talking it over down the pub.
-
Comment
Evil – or misunderstood?
Debate on the net contribution clause has focused on its supposed immorality. But there are common misconceptions concerning the detail of the principle that should also be addressed.
-
Comment
Services economy
First person. Building services engineers may not be fashionable, but they're as vital to construction as architects.
-
Comment
The email of the species
Second opinion. Love it or loathe it, email is here to stay. But is it any more than a vehicle for trivia, bad jokes and laziness?
-
Comment
The email of the species
Second opinion. Love it or loathe it, email is here to stay. But is it any more than a vehicle for trivia, bad jokes and laziness?
-
Comment
Limited opposition
With so many chinks in the government's armour – everything from cows to petrol – why are the Tories failing to strike?
-
Comment
We deliver
After recent criticism in the pages of Building, English Partnerships defends its achievements in the urban renaissance.
-
Comment
Tony and Adolf on design
First person Compulsory regulation of public building, big contractors only for the NHS … control freak Blair has arrived at construction.
-
Comment
A shop window for article 6
The case of Vestry and its shopfitter will test whether the Human Rights Act requirement for a fair hearing can affect an adjudication. Construction's self-regulatory system seems to suggest not.
-
Comment
On dangerous ground
Local authorities face tough targets for reducing landfill. In looking for partners for integrated waste management schemes, a balance has to be reached on financing and allocating risk