Retention tension

However, it would seem to me that unless retention clauses, or mention of, are altogether written out of the contract documents by those who wrote them – the JCT, PACE, the consultants to the Construction Federation, and the civil engineers – the clients will always take advantage of withholding monies where they can to better their own cash flow and interest charges.

So why not start at the source of the problem and ban it from all contract conditions. Good design, workmanship, quality control, trust and honest co-operation between all parties will combat penal and confrontational clauses.

Allan B Wells, Managing director, M D Guy & Son (Verwood)