Author Archives: Contributor

Project starts and main contract awards both weakened against last year and the preceding three months. More positively, detailed planning approvals increased against the previous year. Yorkshire & the Humber overview Totalling £883m, work starting on-site in Yorkshire & the Humber during the three months to January slipped back 31…

Anthony Brown is sales and marketing director at BW: Workplace Experts Reverse mentoring is a learning and development concept aimed at connecting different levels of experience across a team. A twist on traditional mentoring, it places the junior team member as the mentor to a senior mentee, who is poised…

David Llewellyn is head of construction and infrastructure at Pagabo With a solution to the housing crisis looking as far away as ever, contractors, developers and local authorities are increasingly working in partnership to find ways to deliver the homes needed for a growing population. Brownfield sites are often cited…

Council-funded projects face an uncertain future as a once-steady source of work for contractors comes under financial strain. Keith Cooper reports Local authority-led projects to develop, remodel and maintain estates of town halls, leisure centres – and everything in between – feed a steady stream of work for contractors. Councils…

John Wallace is managing director of construction law firm Ridgemont In 2024, many – if not most – office workers expect their company to offer some form of hybrid working. The benefits of a flexible-working model have been widely discussed: improved productivity, a better work-life balance and reduced burnout, to…

By John Wilkinson, COO, BAM UK & Ireland In recent months, the UK has been confronted with an undeniable reminder of nature’s power – from the devastating floods to the unprecedented storms battering our coasts. With the construction industry responsible for roughly 40 per cent of global carbon emissions, it’s…

Suzanne Peters is a research associate at Alliance Manchester Business School Much ink has been spilled chronicling the UK’s shortage of suitable housing options, with even more spent considering the best ways in which it could be tackled. One option often in the spotlight is so-called modern methods of construction…

Mark Manning is a partner and Sian Barrett is a senior associate at law firm Ashfords Following the RAAC scandal last year, many expected a mass influx of claims to hit the industry, potentially causing huge headaches for contractors. To much surprise, this hasn’t been the case. Why? And are…

Zoe Cooper is of counsel and Gregor Woods is a partner at law firm CMS On 15 January, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched its ‘Asbestos – Your Duty’ campaign, with the aim of improving understanding of what the legal duty to manage asbestos involves. Even though its use…

Victoria Peckett is a partner at law firm Clyde & Co As we move ever closer to 2050’s net-zero target, the demand for renewable energy sources is growing. But as 2024 unfolds, it’s a difficult landscape for contractors tasked with bringing renewable projects to life. “In short, it’s going to…