Opinion

The line “All this must change” in American writer Henry Longfellow’s poem Kéramos is certainly apt for the future of regulation and oversight in construction. This year is a time of transition for the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). By the end of January 2027, it will have emerged from under…

Tom Harrison is group strategic accounts director at ports operator Peel Ports Group  The construction sector faces a pivotal time. The latest Environmental Audit Committee report challenges the long-held assumption that environmental protections slow housing delivery, and warns of a widening skills gap that could derail both housing and environmental…

Max Meadows is managing director of construction safety consultancy Project Four Six months ago, many in the industry would have described their experience of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) as challenging at best. Today, the picture feels more balanced. “The challenge for the next phase is turning it into a…

Lawrence Pearce is a partner at law firm Holmes & Hills The Supreme Court has brought clarity to a JCT termination issue that has been unsettling the construction industry since the Court of Appeal’s decision in Providence Building Services Ltd v Hexagon Housing Association Ltd last summer. At stake was…

Charlie Morgan (pictured left) is a partner; Georgia Di Salle is an associate; and James Doe is head of construction and infrastructure disputes at law firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer  News that the American Arbitration Association and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution have launched an ‘AI arbitrator’ has put…

Michael Murphy is head of information management and data analytics at Bam Imagine if your local hospital or school could sense when it’s too hot, adjust the temperature and even schedule its own maintenance. That future isn’t decades away. It’s already here. “This isn’t just about cutting costs or going…

David Crosthwaite is the chief economist at the Building Cost Information Service Construction has shown remarkable resilience this year despite numerous headwinds. For now, the outlook for 2026 appears slightly more stable, although meeting current growth predictions won’t be easy. According to the latest BCIS forecast data, total new work…

Alex Reid is legal director and Ed Lamport is a senior associate at Winckworth Sherwood After many years of discussion over construction payment practices, it now looks likely that the government will overhaul the industry’s use of retentions. The implications of the proposals could be far-reaching, disrupting the financial norms…

Allan Wilen is economics director at Glenigan After a challenging 2025, the outlook for the UK construction industry is set to brighten over the next two years. While geopolitical uncertainty remains a risk, we expect a strengthening in domestic demand and investment to underpin construction growth.  “Online retail continues to…

Charlotte Dowson is an associate at law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp The latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) should alarm every UK contractor: 50,000 non-fatal injuries in construction in the three years to March 2025, roughly one in 40 workers. Construction also remained the deadliest industry in…