Tag: calls

Fenix, a Dutch Shepherd, at work detecting Japanese knotweed rhizomes on the M25 in SurreyFenix the Dutch Shepherd, springer spaniel Nica and cocker spaniel Nettle have helped out on Balfour Beatty’s £250m M25 junction 10 upgrade at Wisley. The dogs were brought in to detect...

A report from Mace today makes the case for the construction industry to adopt circular economy principles to save money and reduce carbon. The report, called Closing the circle, calls for London – and particularly the City of London – to take the lead by...

Lord BamfordIn a letter to The Daily Telegraph today he suggests that “there is a compelling logic to having a central spine to distribute the power up and down the country” and HS2, even if the Manchester line is cancelled, provides the perfect opportunity. He...

RAAC panels have been found in several Edinburgh schoolsEdinburgh Council has been carrying out surveys and remedial work since March this year with eight schools having RAAC identified. All the schools have remained open, with affected areas closed for access. The measures being put in...

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) – itself appointed by government and co-chaired by a revolving cast of government ministers – has submitted a paper to the government’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) calling for more overseas construction workers to be allowed into the UK. The CLC...

The latest shipment to Ukraine was loaded out this weekUkraine suffered another intense bombardment overnight on Wednesday 8th March, with more than 80 Russian missiles launched at towns and cities across the country, most targeting power stations and supply lines. With many Ukrainians struggling to...

The report, Delivering a decarbonised power system*, sets out what is needed in the energy sector to achieve the government’s net zero goals, with 25 new recommendations to improve the prospects of delivery. Recommendations include developing a long-term strategy to adapt and build infrastructure for...

Councils in Scotland are now mandated to produce energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation strategies through the local heat and energy efficiency strategies (LHEES) policy. Glasgow City Council is now consulting on its draft housing strategy for 2023 to 2028, which focuses on retrofit work to...

The 340-page document – Mission Zero: Independent Review of Net Zero – was commissioned in September by the then prime minister, Liz Truss. Chris Skidmore MP was tasked with leading “an independent review into how to deliver its net zero commitment while maximising economic growth...

While falling inflation is generally something to be welcomed, it will be driving by a decline in construction workloads. The UK’s construction market has reached a tipping point as the downturn arrives, according to analysis from Arcadis in its Winter 2022 Market View report. Arcadis...

The planned Lower Thames Crossing has gone up by £2.3bn and been delayed two years alreadyThe National Audit Office (NAO) concludes that the Department for Transport (DfT) and National Highways now have some “difficult decisions” to make in prioritising road enhancements projects. In other words,...

Cover of the reportThe IPPR, usually described as a left-leaning think-tank, has added its voice to calls for a nationwide retrofitting programme but also sets out how the required workforce can be formed to deliver it. The report, called Train local, Work local, Stay local:...

Robert Jenrick was sacked from cabinet in September 2021 and replaced as communities secretary by Michael GoveWriting in Saturday’s Daily Telegraph, Robert Jenrick claimed credit for the Project Speed initiative but said that since his sacking from cabinet in September 2021 it had been abandoned....

The CIOB wants an end to the anomaly that 20% value added tax (VAT) is applied to building improvement work but not to new build. This can mean that perfectly good buildings are being knocked down and rebuilt instead of being refurbished because the absence...

Housing, Construction & Infrastructure (HCI) Skills Gateway commissioned the Circular Edinburgh team from Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce to work with industry partners to discover what support would most benefit the sector as Scotland transitions to net zero. Launched in 2019, HCI Skills Gateway is a...