Opinion

Connor Mitchell, director at fire-safety consultancy Harmony Fire With questions about industry competence emerging as a central criticism in post-Grenfell Tower inquiries and reports on building safety, a newly published document is a crucial first step in setting out the direction of travel to put things right. “A key omission…

Richard Whitehead is chief executive for Europe and India at consultancy Aecom June 2025 could arguably be one of the most significant months for our sector in over half a decade, and it has the potential to shape its long-term success.   “A new ‘pipeline fund’ could deploy experienced planners to…

The UK infrastructure pipeline had become something of a joke. Cynics characterised it as an ever-growing list of schemes, many of which were unlikely to materialise. Just days before the Labour government’s July reboot of the list, the Public Accounts Committee delivered a damning assessment, stating the pipeline had been…

Peter Stockill is a partner and head of construction advisory and dispute resolution at law firm Penningtons Manches Cooper  Those involved in administering payments under construction contracts know all too well that, in the absence of a payment or pay-less notice, an application for payment may give rise to a…

David Crosthwaite is chief economist at the Building Cost Information Service Ghosts of industrial strategies past do not bode well for the government’s latest growth blueprint. In this iteration, at least, the biggest culprits undermining business investment appear to have been acknowledged. Yet the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025 is…

Huw Jones is executive director, infrastructure, at Bam UK & Ireland A couple of weeks ago, the government unveiled its 10-year Infrastructure Strategy setting out its ambitions to spend £725bn over the next decade. The strategy, announced by chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones, sets out a long-term plan…

Tony Mitchell is a director at O’Brien Contractors The construction industry is facing mounting pressures – nothing new there. But between ambitious building targets in the UK and tension overseas causing uncertainty for investors, the heat is on for contractors. “Fresh minds can help teach your more experienced players a…

Clive Docwra is managing director of consultancy McBains The private housing and construction sectors are under pressure to create healthier buildings, but this need cannot be divorced from environmental and economic factors. And there is a need for greater guidance and clarity in the form of policy. “Social housing providers…

Why the government ever pledged to deliver an unrealistic target of 1.5 million homes during this parliament remains a mystery. For contractors, though, it’s largely irrelevant. Missing the target is largely a problem for Labour spin doctors. What matters to the industry is that public funding is returning at levels…

Stephen Tracey is chair of the National Home Decarbonisation Group’s Green Skills Working Group and divisional manager for net zero carbon retrofit at Wates Group The government recently announced an £8m investment in retrofit skills with the Warm Homes Skills Programme (WHSP), an open grant competition for training providers and…