Opinion – Page 352
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Comment
Pundits on balance point to flat house prices in 2010
It's the time of the year for reflections, resolutions and prognostications. And what can be more fun than guessing the likely path of house prices?Well I can think of a few things. And I'm also left wondering why anyone would wish to state a house price forecast publicly and put ...
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Comment
Does the whole GDP debate really rest on dodgy construction output figures?
It has long been said that construction is an important bellwether in determining the shape of the nation’s economic progress.Today the performance of construction, or rather revisions to its measured performance, seemingly determined how close the UK is to recovery.The upwardly revised construction data put the nation yet closer to ...
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CommentWhere the wind blows
The recently published “Zero Carbon for New Non-domestic Buildings” by the communities department has much to commend it, but is flawed by one large blind spot, says the Davis Langdon senior consultant
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CommentWe’ve never had it so good
You can’t see much when you’re in a hole, but the truth is that the noughties were in many ways a wonderful decade
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Comment
Residential planning activity bounces back
The latest Government planning data on the face of it supports the view that there has been a bounce in activity within the house building sector.The topline data, released today, for residential planning decision show a fall in the September quarter compared with both the previous quarter and on the ...
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CommentHansom: I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true. But until then, you’ll have to make do with more stories about disgruntled surveyors, Olympic cash and out-of-work architects
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CommentThe decade from hell: Legal review
It ended badly and, to be honest, it didn’t start that auspiciously either, but at least it also contained some reforms that may well stand the test of time
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CommentRemember 1666?
Isn’t it about time that building control officers stood up against the green brigade and used some common sense?
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Comment
Low conduct
A major point overlooked by Richard Steer in his article Buyer Beware (13 November) is that all partners and directors in consultancies have a duty under their professional indemnity (PI) insurance policy to take all reasonable precautions to prevent losses or liabilities arising in connection with the insured risks
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Comment
Why the long bill?
The prices of labour and materials in the construction industry have fallen and tender prices have plummeted
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Comment
Are you ready to commit?
The Carbon Reduction Commitment energy trading scheme comes into force in April, but building owners should be preparing for it now if they want to avoid a hefty bill
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Comment
Grim outlook for jobs in UK construction
The official figures show construction lost 67,000 jobs in the third quarter of this year. This is more than 1,000 jobs each working day and half the jobs lost to the UK economy over that period.So while there may be suggestions of more stability in the wider economy, construction is ...
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Comment
Housing recovery is resting on happier family homes market
The latest swathe of housing data continues to suggest a pick up both in prices and activity and the RICS November house price survey, released today, adds further weight to the case for a housing recovery.Its measures for sales, expected sales, new inquiries, new instructions, prices and expected prices are ...
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CommentAfter copenhagen
We still have little idea of how low-energy designs perform, which means we’re like scientists conducting endless experiments without ever seeing how they come out
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CommentEnd this crisis by Christmas: Richard Steer on the RICS
The RICS has to sort out the mess it’s made, or rumours of a breakaway group are bound to resurface
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Comment
After Copenhagen
Whatever happens in Copenhagen this week, the UK has already committed itself to some of the most ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions in the world. It’s worth reminding ourselves of that. It’s also worth asking ourselves what this means and how on earth we might, well, get there.The average ...