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Dr Bernard Rimmer, construction commentator The Grenfell Tower Inquiry uncovered dishonesty and misleading information in relation to the supply of the aluminium composite material (ACM) panels. The sort of information it uncovered would not normally be available in construction disputes (over the failure of facades) and will be useful to…

Tim Seal is head of construction at law firm Ridgemont July marked the 30th anniversary of Sir Michael Latham’s 1994 seminal report Constructing the Team. As such, now is a good time to reflect on how one of its recommendations – the introduction of statutory adjudication – is faring today.…

Sarah Bolton is chief executive of Lighthouse Charity As we mark World Suicide Prevention Day, I am conscious that there will be a huge focus on what could or should be done to support our industry’s workforce. Greater awareness of some of the issues can only be a positive thing.…

Georgina Jones is deputy chief executive of charity SOS Silence of Suicide The new Labour government’s target of building 1.5 million homes over five years has been welcomed in many quarters, but what does this really mean for the welfare of construction workers in an industry that is already encountering…

Liam Spencer is co-founder of Anomaly Architects Over the past few years, the retrofit movement has grown arms and legs. A term that was once reserved for a fairly niche group of design and project teams now spans wide across the industry and beyond to a public audience. We have…

Simon Shaw is a senior associate at Mayer Brown  On 17 May 2018, Dame Judith Hackitt declared that the Building Regulations regime in the UK was “not fit for purpose”. Following this, there have been a number of cases and legislative changes relating to fire-safety matters for the industry to…

Nicola Hodkinson is the owner and director of Seddon  The Bank of England’s recent base rate cut to 5 per cent is being hailed as positive for the industry, particularly for simulating the mortgage market and the construction of new housing. The move also has the potential to attract pension…

Pictured left to right: Alison Short, partner, Richard Black, partner, and Jennifer Fitzmaurice, principal associate PSL, Eversheds Sutherland Construction in the UK is heavily reliant on the importation of goods and materials. Unfortunately, the process of sourcing, acquiring and paying for goods has recently been beset by problems, such as…

Sam Stacey is the former director of the Transforming Construction Challenge For four years from 2018, I led the transforming construction challenge (TCC) – a UK Research & Innovation-backed initiative that was match funded by industry to encourage the shift towards manufacturing and digital processes. It set out to champion…

Clive Feeney is group managing director of LHC Procurement Group Labour’s determination to build 1.5 million homes over the lifetime of this parliament has created a national debate and one crucial question: how? There are several obstacles. First, there’s the construction skills shortage: the Home Builders Federation warns that for…