British scientists demand design rethink on skyscrapers

The Observer this week reports that scientists are demanding a design rethink for skyscrapers.

The paper features a report from British scientists on how to make skyscrapers safer and easier to evacuate. A team from the University of Greenwich studied the behaviour of the World Trade Centre evacuees and reported their findings back to the ODPM, the paper says. The conclusions included: developing lifts that operate during fires, constructing wide staircases out of concrete at widely dispersed points and building sky bridges linking the high rise buildings.

Housing is also high on the agenda this week in The Observer. The paper reports that the government’s plan to build thousands of new homes has been thrown into doubt by a report from the Countryside Agency and English Nature. It warns that building 500,000 houses in the East of England would cause “significant harm” because it would degrade the character of the landscape, fragment natural habitats and require unsustainable water supplies.

The paper also notes concerns from The Campaign for More and Better Homes (a coalition including Shelter and the CBI) that little progress has been made on the recommendations in Kate Barker’s housing review since it was published last year.

Also in the news this weekend:

The Financial Times followed up Property Week's story, which reported that Ballymore, the private Irish developer, was in exclusive talks to buy a £300m-£400m stake in Battersea Power Station from owner Parkview International.

The Sunday Telegraph said that French materials giant Saint-Gobain was set to be given the green light by the European Commission for its proposed £3.7bn hostile bid for its British rival, plasterboard specialist BPB. The Commission had been considering whether a takeover would be anti-competitive. The paper also reports that London Paddington Station is to trial airport-style security scanners to stop terrorist attacks on the rail network.

And finally, The Guardian reported on Saturday the fast cars and tropical beach lifestyle of DTI employees who enjoyed a culture of excess on the taxpayer’s money. A report by accountants Ernst & Young has revealed officials spending nights in expensive hotels, hiring BMW cars, having unrestricted use of government mobile phones and consuming large quantities of cocktails using the public’s money.