Interviews

The new system for registering building-control inspectors comes into force in April. Earlier this month, CN revealed worries that there will not be enough qualified staff to deal with applications. Today, CN talks to two apprentices and an experienced inspector about how they’re preparing for the change.   Ezra McKenzie,…

Earlier this month, Construction News revealed emerging plans for a new initiative for contractors to collaborate on promoting the sector through schools outreach. Specialist firm the School Outreach Company is working with senior sector figures on plans to raise £100,000 with the aim of creating a network of five regional…

Homes England didn’t know what it was doing when it invested in collapsed housebuilders Ilke and House by Urban Splash, Conservative peer Lord Daniel Moylan has suggested in an interview with Construction News. Moylan was speaking after the House of Lords Built Environment Committee, which he chairs, concluded its inquiry…

Laing O’Rourke’s chief financial officer has denied there are any further skeletons in the company's closet after a legacy Australian job cost the contractor £193m last year. This week, the UK’s largest private contractor reported a £288m loss before tax, driven by provisions, legal costs and a write-off relating to…

Avoiding conflict with the supply chain over cladding remediation, decarbonisation and implementing lean management sit at the top of the priority list for Wates’ chief executive In 1994, Eoghan O’Lionaird was posted to work in the US by the firm he had joined four years earlier as a graduate trainee.…

Many contractors might cast a jealous glance at a pre-tax profit around the £10m mark. Since the end of July, John Sisk & Son, Morrisroe and Erith have all declared losses. Six other CN100 firms have reported falling margins: McAleer & Rushe, Winvic, RJ McLeod, TSL, O’Halloran & O’Brien, and…

The further education (FE) sector has a role to play in addressing the retrofit skills shortage. But as MidKent College curriculum director Jane Le Poidevin (pictured) says: “The retrofit landscape is so challenging. I think the sector’s a long way from meeting some of its targets, especially in terms of…

Mace chief executive Mark Reynolds has accused the government of being “more interested in small boats than homes for people”. Reynolds, who is co-chair of the government-sponsored Construction Leadership Council alongside business minister Nusrat Ghani, said “the government has lost its love for construction”. In an interview with Construction News…

Skanska’s new chief executive talks to CN about continuity, being a female chief executive and using AI to work smarter, not harder If you switch on the television in the middle of the night, flick to an obscure channel and find yourself watching a repeat of an old programme, you…

L&Q safety boss Pete Paton reflects on a gargantuan effort to make tower blocks safe amid the ‘known unknowns’ of secondary legislation arising from the Building Safety Act Six years after the Grenfell tragedy, the key priority for large housing associations such as London & Quadrant (L&Q) is to ensure…