“Architects are like insecure male lovers - desperate to prove something. Engineers are the providers of Viagra”

Peter Rees, former city of London chief planner on what he learnt in 30 years of city planning
March 2014

“They have ignored SMEs, accepted a pricing strategy that no one can afford to work within, and therefore the framework rates will not be used. Amusingly they have not selected a single independent architectural practice on the architect framework. It was a complete shambles”

Lance Taylor, former chief executive of RLB, on the UK SBS consultants’ framework.
July 2014

“Dumb, dumb, dumb”

Analyst Tony Williams on Miller Group’s decision to shelve plans to float a week after announcing them
October 2014

“Some of my peers in the industry have been dreadful. There’s two or three major builders in the industry who pay scant regard for training. They know who they are”

Steve Morgan, chairman, Redrow on the challenge of filling the skills gap.
October 2014

Oh no they didn’t! Things they wish they hadn’t said…

“We’re righted and are on a good path”

Nick Pollard, Balfour Beatty, March 2014
Balfour Beatty’s construction services boss speaking six weeks before a £30m profit warning, the first of three this year. In May he admitted it would actually take 18 months to fix the business

“We are preparing to engage with suppliers on the award”

UK SBS spokesperson, Oct 2014
This was a statement of intent on the £750m government consultants framework… which was scrapped the following month.

“We are very excited about being the driving force behind creating one of the best new urban places in the world, and making this our new home”

Tony Fernandes, Sept 2014
The QPR chairman on the football club’s plans to regenerate Old Oak Common… only for one of the site’s main landowners, Cargiant, to publish its own rival plans for the area at the end of the year.