Best of 2023: Columns and opinion pieces

Every day Building publishes columns written by some of the finest writers and biggest names in the UK construction industry. Here we have compiled a list of the most-read opinion pieces to appear on our website over the past year.  

1. Construction needs solutions – and it needs them now

Published in January

The Building the Future Commission was launched at the start of the year. The project is an overdue opportunity to effect real change, says James Wates  

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2. Gove’s retreat into nimbyism spells political trouble for the Tories

Published in January

Consultation on reforms to national planning policy will lead councils to plan for fewer homes - and contributes to the sense that the government has all but given up on helping those not yet on the housing ladder, writes Joey Gardiner 

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3. T&T’s takeover of Alinea has met with mixed emotions, why?

Published in February

There has been some sadness and disappointment at the deal, but also admiration for the flag-bearer for independent QS firms, writes Building editor Chloe McCulloch

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4. Starmer must make sure he is not embarking on a mission impossible

Published in March

Labour has set off on its pre-election marathon. What should we make of Keir Starmer’s plans and how is policy likely to evolve? Simon Rawlinson of Arcadis reviews his proposals for the economy

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5. This is our land: One year after invasion of Ukraine, Gleeds employee explains why she stayed

Published in March

Sustainability consultant Tetiana Kanashchuk still lives with her nine-year-old son in a town outside Kyiv. On International Women’s Day she shares her daily challenge for survival and her hopes for a better future 

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6. A renaissance king takes to the throne in a challenging age

Published in May

King Charles III is the new head of a diverse and divided state but he has significant strengths and his support for the built environment is welcome, writes Richard Steer of Gleeds

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7. Why are you still participating in the race to the bottom?

Published in June

Procurement reform and clients who are prepared to use alternative price evaluation models are surely the way to improve the whole process and get the right bidder at the right price for a project, argues Rebecca Rees

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8. Six years on from Grenfell and real change is finally happening

Published in July

The pace of reforms since Grenfell has been frustratingly slow, but real change is being delivered, writes Andrew Mellor

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9. Lord Kerslake: The sector has lost a supremely powerful voice

Published in July

The untimely death of former Homes and Communities Agency boss and Peabody chair Lord Kerslake has left the housing sector poorer, says Joey Gardiner

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10. Firms going bust, millions lost and all for a next-to-nothing margin. Who in their right mind would want to be a contractor?

Published in October

Doing the same things over and over isn’t working anymore. Surely it’s worth trying something different, writes Dave Rogers

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11. Why I have always admired contractors (by an architect)

Published in October

Lazy clichés about ‘cowboy’ builders are far removed from the reality I witness on modern sites. Construction is an increasingly well-run and impressive industry, writes Matthew Lloyd

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12. We were on the right track. Cancelling HS2 has taken us off it

Published in October

Some building projects are worth the money and worth the wait. HS2 was one of them and a once-in-a-generation opportunity has now been missed

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13. Industry should look in the mirror: Laing O’Rourke’s losses do no one any good 

Published in December

A personal disaster for the UK’s biggest private contractor is also a window into where contracting seems to be right now, writes Dave Rogers

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