Author Archives: Mark Smulian

The Work at Height Regulations save lives and are hugely popular in the construction sector. But will moves to ‘sunset’ all EU laws dilute – or even destroy – them? Behind the innocuous-sounding ‘Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill’, lies the prospect of an assault by the government on…

Builders merchants saw the value of their sales increase by 8.2 per cent in 2022, according to the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF). The trade body said prices grew 16.2 per cent across the sector last year, compared with 2021, despite an 8 per cent fall in sales volumes. The publication…

Value-engineering in the finishes, fitout and interiors sector is an “especially insidious” approach by tier one contractors to preserve their profit margins at the specialist’s expense, a report has found. In Procurement in the Finishes, Fit-Out and Interiors Sector, Stuart Green, professor at the University of Reading, said the £10bn…

Laing O’Rourke has been awarded an A$82.5m (£46.2m) contract to build a footbridge at St Marys Station on the Sydney Metro. Work on the footbridge is expected to start in April 2023 and complete by the end of 2025. It will enable passengers to transfer between new metro platforms and…

Hochtief UK’s profit fell by 85 per cent in 2021 due to problems with an unnamed job. The infrastructure specialist made a profit of £681,000 in 2021, down from £4.6m the previous year, according to accounts filed at Companies House. The decrease was despite the group’s turnover jumping from £82.3m…

Newcastle United Football Club has bought back a site adjacent to its St James’ Park ground that had been set to become a mixed-use development, it has been reported. The Daily Mail reported that the Strawberry Place site was purchased as a step towards expanding stadium capacity, although it will…

Construction output increased by 5.6 per cent in 2022 but was flat by December, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data has revealed. In Construction Output in Great Britain: December 2022, the ONS said total new orders decreased by 1.8 per cent – equivalent to £242m – in the final quarter…

The sector is in a downturn and building will be hit harder than infrastructure, a consultancy has predicted. Arcadis’ Winter 2022 Market View says inflation in construction tender prices for 2022 will prove to be 10 per cent for buildings and 12 per cent for infrastructure. Its forecast for 2023…

The Unite trade union has passed a dossier to police about construction costs for its Birmingham conference centre and hotel, which rocketed by £41m more than expected. It said its own investigations had raised “very serious concerns about potential criminality”. In April, police raided the union’s headquarters (pictured) as part…

Clarison Group has appointed Aidan Williamson as its new chief executive. Williamson, who was promoted from his post as group financial officer, succeeds Mark Oliver, who is stepping down after two years in the role. The Anglo-Irish firm, which specialises in building envelopes and architectural glazing, was launched in February…