More evidence of contractors giving complex jobs the cold shoulder emerged last month, as the Birmingham Development Company (BDC) was forced to create its own construction firm to build the second phase of the Mailbox.

Taylor Woodrow, appointed in July 2006, pulled out in November, reportedly because it couldn’t agree a price for cladding with BDC. Other bidders were put off by architect Make’s complicated design. BDC’s new subsidiary, Build Ability, will oversee the £75m project and future developments.

A report from cost consultant Davis Langdon confirms that the trend to avoid difficult jobs is countrywide. ‘In almost every region it is becoming common for contractors to decline complex work as there are plenty of straightforward, low-risk opportunities around,’ says the report.

Labour shortages are also impacting on contractors’ bidding decisions, with 16% of firms turning down work in the first quarter of this year, according to a joint Construction Confederation and Construction Products Association survey.

Source

Construction Manager