Supply Chain

The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) has called for a two-year extension to the cut in fuel duty and a relaunched rebate for hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) ahead of the Spring Budget on Wednesday (6 March). The trade body said the government should introduce the measures to “maintain and grow” the…

The High Court has refused an application by a director to remain in post after admitting his role in an illegal demolition cartel. Nicholas Brown, former managing director of Brown and Mason Group, agreed an undertaking in May last year with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to not serve…

Sam Barnes is a partner and national head of cost management at consultancy RLB UK Last year wasn’t the best of years to be a contractor. The last seven months of 2023 saw major contractors such as Henry Construction, Buckingham and Michael J Lonsdale go into administration, and in November,…

Emma Mottram is director of operations for social housing procurement consortium EN:Procure Procurement is an expensive game. Going by the latest government figures, one pound of public money in every three is spent on public procurement – totalling some £300bn per year. The Procurement Act 2023 comes into force later…

Gerry Brannigan is a partner and forensic technical services growth development lead at consultancy HKA High capital costs and inflation are squeezing construction. Given the gloomy economic outlook for 2024 and beyond, the industry is braced for recession. “Learning lessons from distressed projects should be a starting point for all…

The firm that produced the combustible cladding panels which helped spread the Grenfell Tower fire will not attend an event for survivors and bereaved, according to a report. Later this month, Grenfell Testimony Week is set to feature speakers testifying about their experiences of the tragedy and is part of…

Diarmaid Connolly is project director at construction consultancy Linesight The rise in AI technology and applications like ChatGPT is creating a boom in the digital infrastructure market, but the growing demand for data centres brings with it a heightened strain on supply chains.  Recent volatility in energy and material prices…

The chief executive of the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) has resigned after less than half a year in post. The appointment of Stu McInroy, former head of the Road Safety Markings Association and National Pawnbrokers Association, was announced last January and he started the job in June 2023. However, this…

Peers have accused the government of acting too slowly on cash retentions, as a minister shut down suggestions that there should be a statutory ban on the practice. Export minister Lord Offord of Garvel argued against suggestions from peers to increase government intervention in eliminating cash retentions. Retention payments – typically…

A plant-hire company has successfully challenged HM Revenue and Customs over value-added tax on red diesel, a decision its trade association has said could have far-reaching consequences for the industry. Glasgow-based GAP Group appealed HMRC’s decision to tax the red diesel in its plant machinery from March 2017 to March…