All articles by Brian Green – Page 19
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NewsDarling's dilemma
The City wants action to deal with the deficit, construction wants a commitment to spending - how will the chancellor strike a balance in his Budget?
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Comment
Tax, tax, tax and more tax – a rallying cry for construction
This is a rant.Why? Because I can't help myself. I tried to hold back.I read the first three chapters of the Low Carbon Construction Innovation & Growth Team emerging findings and I am now deeply saddened.I didn’t bother with the remaining chapters, but did eyeball the recommendations.I was not saddened ...
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NewsHalf a million jobs to go - it looks like a dead cert
Our Brickonomics blogger takes a punt that job losses are going to come thick and fast
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Comment
Half a million construction jobs to go – it looks like a dead cert
Construction has now lost 213,000 jobs since the recession started to kick in the autumn of 2008, according to the latest figures. That is about 10% of the workforce.That sounds like a lot and it is. But given the severity of the fall in construction workload to date it is ...
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NewsBrickonomics: A housing market in flux
Analysis of the most recent surveys from Rightmove on asking prices and from the RICS on lettings
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Comment
More home sellers, fewer home letters - a housing market in flux
How should we read yesterday’s Rightmove figures showing the slowest ever March pick up in asking prices?They appear to be consistent with much of what else we are seeing in the market – a growing body of evidence that the recent bounce back in the housing market is faltering (see ...
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NewsIs the housing market on the turn?
The latest housing market survey from the RICS is out, so what does it tell us about the direction of the housing market?
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Comment
Is the housing market on the turn again?
Today’s release by the surveyors’ body RICS of its latest housing market survey provides a little bit of support to both sides of the will-they-won’t-they debate on house price rises.Looked at nationally, the broad measures of estate agents experiences and expectations of house prices remain positive.A majority of 17% saw ...
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Comment
Housing shortage, what housing shortage?
Few people disagree with the notion that there is a housing shortage in England. It is trotted out both as an argument for more social homes and as an underlying case for ever increasing house prices.I too subscribe to the view that we need to increase and enhance the English, ...
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NewsAnother slump
Official figures show construction output falling again, but devils lurk in the detail
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Comment
Official figures show construction output falling again, but devils lurk in the detail
Construction output slumped back into decline in the final quarter of 2009, after a supposed rise out of recession in summer.That is the headline story from today’s release of the construction output figures.But dig a bit deeper and we see some unsettling implications in the numbers.Firstly the statisticians now believe ...
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NewsBrickonomics: Growth still eludes construction
Latest figures from CIPS paint a gloomy picture – but the outlook isn't all bad
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Comment
Growth eludes construction as economy grows –that’s how CIPS sees it
The latest set of figures from the buyers’ body CIPS shows that construction remains mired in recession and the general pattern painted by the numbers provides little scope for optimism.The level of incoming orders fell for the third month in a row, says the report. And this will be from ...
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Comment
Prepare for a double dip in construction growth – the implication of today’s GDP figures
The UK is coming out faster from recession than we thought. But the hole was deeper.That seems to be the message from the statisticians’ latest stab at the nation’s output.The increase in fourth quarter GPD was revised upward from 0.1% to 0.3%, which will cheer many not least the Chancellor.But ...
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Comment
We are on a perilous road to the new normal – but at least it’s exciting
Yesterday I went to an excellent conference organised by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. I know it was good because I came away with a headache and a slightly befuddled mind, but invigorated nevertheless.What made it more interesting was that on the train into London I read Martin Wolf’s column ...
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NewsOpen source planning: naive, stupid or cynical?
The Tories revealed their planning policy this week, and the phrase 'barking' comes to mind
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Comment
Open Source Planning: naive, stupid or cynical?
If you think that the economy is posing a problem for house builders, you might want to consider the planning proposals put forward by the Conservatives.“Jaw dropping” was one phrase that an expert on planning matters put to me. “Concerning” was the more sedate and political word chosen by the ...
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NewsHousing completions are way off target
From 2016 we are supposed to be building 240,000 homes a year, last year we managed a measly 118,000
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Comment
118 000 a number to remember – 240 000 a number best forgotten
118,000: The number of new homes that were completed in England in 2009, according to the latest official data.240,000: The number of new homes to be created annually in England from 2016, according to the targets set when Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing and Planning at the time, announced the ...
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NewsA bleak future for construction jobs
The latest figures may show a fall in redundancies, but don't start cheering just yet