Opinion – Page 350
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Comment
Tory planning policy: Merging on the ridiculous
The Tories say they’d integrate the new Infrastructure Planning Commission with the Planning Inspectorate. It’s a bold vision, but unfortunately it would make the situation worse
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CommentHansom: Sweet little mysteries
This week we’re trying to get to the bottom of the Laing O’Rourke leadership imbroglio, the ownership of the late Denys Lasdun’s papers and the meaning of Richard Rogers’ smile
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CommentA common disaster
The situation is serious for those affected, but it’s not a scandal. It’s not a tale of incompetence or deceit. It’s just the way things are now
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Comment
Why let planning just look like a lottery? Make it one
On the subject of Grant Shapps and John Healey, I attended the Housing Market Intelligence conference last week at which both spoke.I obviously recommend the conference because I have a vested interest in it and indeed the associated report, which I edit. But that is not the point.While the presentation ...
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Comment
Food for thought for would-be housing minister
The Building and Social Housing Foundation has emailed its latest report "The Future of Housing", which has just been published.It would be rather tricky to summarise the document other than to say it provides a critical look at the state of the post-credit-crunch housing market.The report is a synthesis of ...
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Comment
Laing O'Rourke and the awkward power games
The veil of secrecy surrounding the future of Tony Douglas, erstwhile heir to the throne at Laing O’Rourke, feels no closer to being lifted this week.Douglas is the inspirational and brash Lancastrian Ray O’Rourke drafted in as his replacement a couple of summers ago after a stint running Heathrow airport.When ...
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CommentRefurb is the key to greener homes
Keepmoat's director of sustainability explains the thinking behind the Great British Refurb campaign
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CommentYou've hardly changed at all
Constructing Excellence’s review of the progress we’ve made in the 11 years since Sir John Egan, who was chairman of BAA at the time, published his report should come with a health warning: reading this may cause severe depression
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Comment
Forecasts suggest some rays of hope, but huge uncertainty remains
For those with an optimistic nature there was some good news to be seen in the latest set of industry forecasts with both the Construction Products Association and Hewes trimming how much they feel output in the industry will fall.Indeed the three forecasts came closer together in this round of ...
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Comment
You've hardly changed at all
Constructing Excellence’s review of the progress we’ve made in the 11 years since Sir John Egan, who was chairman of BAA at the time, published his report should come with a health warning: reading this may cause severe depression.The review, Never Waste a Good Crisis, was put together by an ...
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Comment
Pessimism postponed
Bellway boss John Watson is naturally a glass half-empty kind of guy and was in “muted recovery” mode at the housebuilder’s full-year results this week.Yes reservations were down from 6,556 to 4,380 and the average selling price fell 9% to £154,005. And yes the company posted the first loss in ...
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CommentFee rates: What's a lawyer worth?
Lawyers are discounting fees and moving away from hourly rates, but limits on them taking a share of sums recovered in a dispute may disappear
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Comment
Appointing consultants: Bully-boy tactics
The suspicion is growing that public authorities are using their dominant position to impose onerous conditions on consultants’ appointments. It’s the last thing the industry needs
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CommentHey, big spender: getting cash from the European Investment Bank
When Crossrail landed a cool £1bn loan from the European Investment Bank last month, it provoked a surge of interest from other businesses. Joey Gardiner looks at what chance they have of getting eurofinance
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Comment
Move with the times
The appointment of a chief construction adviser is welcome, but in the 10 years since the Egan Report the game has moved on a long way
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CommentA word to the Wise
I followed Chris Wise’s logic in questioning, for environmental reasons, whether RIBA should have recognised the 100,000-tonne Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing (9 October, page 28), but I struggled to follow why he then used what was clearly a unique structure to criticise the efficiency of steel overall
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Comment
Expose the OFT
It is not surprising, what with the draconian powers of the Office of Fair Trading and the possibility of future appeals, that few bosses are prepared to put their heads above the parapet and comment on the spate of fines imposed upon our industry
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Comment
Jobs: Wanted
I can’t quite believe the lack of support that the unemployed graduates are receiving (11 September, page 34)
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CommentHansom: Lese majeste
Just as Hyde Park’s Rue du Roi was renamed Rotten Row, and Sir David Maxwell Fyfe became Dai Bananas, so the mocking laughter of the public continues to haunt the great and the good …
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CommentThe hard way: Gus Alexander on novating an architect
Transferring control of the architect from client to contractor can work fine. It can also make everyone’s life a lot more difficult – particularly the architect’s