Opinion

Gavin Thomson is a partner in the infrastructure team at law firm Morton Fraser McRoberts The UK’s infrastructure sector is facing ongoing and increasing challenges due to global supply chain disruptions. Post-Brexit import costs, along with the impact of US tariffs on pricing worldwide, have only amplified the vulnerability of…

Jonathan Carrington is a senior associate at law firm RPC The Supreme Court’s May judgment in URS Corporation Ltd vs BDW Trading Ltd marks a landmark moment for construction liability in the UK. It may increase the risk of future negligence, Defective Premises Act (DPA) and contribution claims – even…

The government’s Infrastructure Strategy, released in early June, attempts to ride two horses at once on public-private partnerships (PPPs). The first is fiscal: the need to fund new infrastructure while staying within tight public spending limits. “A well-designed PPP model can bring in private sector discipline to reduce deliverability risk,…

Jonathan Seddon is chief executive of contractor Seddon  The Spending Review’s £39bn investment in affordable and social housing is a welcome and overdue commitment – and the chancellor’s announcement has been met with optimism across the construction sector. It brings a sense of clarity to a market that is often…

Sarah Rock is a partner and head of construction at law firm Boodle Hatfield On 24 March 2025, the UK Government published a technical response to the consultation for the Building Safety Levy. The levy is, in essence, a tax on housing developers intended to fund the remediation of buildings…

Robert Lemming is managing director for public sector and life sciences at Mace Group Life sciences construction has emerged as one of the UK’s fastest-growing specialist sectors. Development is booming across the Golden Triangle of London, Oxford and Cambridge, as well as emerging clusters in Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh and Cardiff.…

Kelly Boorman is a partner and head of construction at RSM UK Announcements in the Spending Review demonstrated the government’s ongoing focus on housebuilding as a driver of economic growth, outlining investment of £39bn in affordable and social housing over the next 10 years. Further financial commitments included £10bn financial…

Brian McArdle is managing director of Gleeds UK After recently navigating the vibrant, often busy and compelling world of the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds, I’m left with sore feet, a worn-out lanyard, and a lot of ideas for the year ahead. “The real estate…

Paul Devlin is chief executive of Causeway Technologies You unwrap your Christmas present and – thanks to an exceedingly generous relative – find yourself the proud possessor of a Stradivarius violin. You admire the exquisite, polished maplewood body and draw your vintage bow across its strings… and what comes out…

Clara Gautrais is a senior associate and Sean Pearce is an immigration paralegal at Fragomen In May, the government outlined a series of proposals in a white paper aimed at reducing net migration and incentivising businesses to recruit domestic talent. The plans affect every major visa route, including work, study,…