VE Day: Council duties under the Armed Forces Covenant
As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Geoff Wild, Legal & Governance Consultant, looks at the duties of councils under the Armed Forces Covenant.
Rural areas deprived of affordable homes, says Princess Anne
02/05/2025 HRH The Princess Royal has highlighted the urgency of the rural housing crisis, following statistics that reveal waiting lists for affordable rural housing increased by 20% between 2020-2023. |
Alliance Leisure Gets All ISG Affected Developments Back On Track
19/02/2025 In the wake of ISG Construction’s sudden collapse, Alliance Leisure has successfully brought all affected leisure development projects back on track. |
Councils work to manage impact from collapse of major contractor
23/09/2024 Councils across England and Wales are working to manage the impact to a string of major infrastructure projects following the collapse of building firm ISG. |
UltraCrete wins Employment and Skills Award at RSTA Annual Conference
18/04/2024 UltraCrete are delighted to announce that they have been presented with the coveted Employment and Skills Award at the 2024 RSTA Annual Conference. |
Social housing investment could boost economy by over £50bn
26/02/2024 Much more investment in the construction of social housing could boost the economy by a dramatic £51.2bn, according to a new analysis. |
Rowley rules out pre-election nutrient neutrality law change
21/12/2023 The Government has confirmed it will not be introducing primary legislation on nutrient neutrality in the current Parliament. |
Skills shortage ‘putting brakes’ on net zero
12/12/2023 The skills shortage is undermining efforts to reduce carbon emissions and effectively tackle the climate crisis, local authority leaders in London have warned. |
‘Stark inconsistency’ across London on Build to Rent
08/11/2023 Planning policy across London boroughs ‘could do far more’ to provide a comprehensive basis for the delivery of Built to Rent (BtR) schemes, a report has argued. |
‘Landmark’ green energy network gains pace in Bradford
18/09/2023 Plans have progressed for a district heat network in Bradford, which developers say will be the largest of its kind in the UK. |
Council orders removal of insulation made by Grenfell firm
14/07/2023 The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has ordered the removal of insulation made by a firm that was implicated in the Grenfell tragedy. |
More than 1,250 clean energy projects await construction
12/07/2023 There are 1,262 clean energy schemes that are awaiting construction despite having planning permission, the LGA has said. |
Council chiefs call for new housing deals
03/07/2023 New local housing deals should be given to every area in England by 2025 in order to spark a ‘generational step-change’ in council housebuilding, LGA says. |
Seven senior public sector figures given seats at framework provider’s top table
24/04/2023 The non-executive directors appointed to not-for-profit construction framework provider LHC Procurement Group hail from housing associations across Britain. |
Domus Ventilation’s Solis Air Brick wins London Construction Awards
05/12/2022 Domus Ventilation is thrilled to announce its Solis Air Brick™ has won the Product Innovation of the Year award at the London Construction Awards. |
Council sets up development company following collapse of contractor
07/11/2022 Bolsover District Council has agreed to set up a new development company after its preferred contractor, Woodhead Construction, went into administration. |
Calls for a national tall buildings policy
24/01/2022 A charity has called for a new tall buildings policy to stop high-rises undermining the form and character of cities. |
Developers given deadline to fix cladding crisis
10/01/2022 Developers have been warned they could face legal action or future restrictions on funding and procurement if they fail to remove unsafe cladding. |
Construction Playbook: A roadmap to a better way
19/07/2021 Mark Robinson reviews the impact of the government’s Construction Playbook, after its first six months since publication. |
Helping councils create greener construction sites
23/06/2021 Dave Luscombe explains how local authorities can help to deliver a cleaner construction environment, with ECV (Emissions Compliance Verification) for construction machinery. |
Supporting local authorities to level up economies
19/05/2021 How can the construction industry support the public sector to achieve the government’s ambition of levelling up? Paul Kelly reports. |
Pilot phase launched for government-backed 'value toolkit'
29/04/2021 The Construction Innovation Hub has launched the pilot phase for its 'Value Toolkit', designed to drive better social, environmental, and economic outcomes in the built environment. |
Social value: More than metrics
05/02/2021 With public sector construction projects forming the cornerstone of the UK’s economic recovery, Mark Robinson explains why a new approach to social value will be integral to building back better. |
Jenrick extends affordable homes scheme
06/07/2020 Councils will have a year longer to build affordable homes after construction stalled during the pandemic. |
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Construction spend must deliver social value, argues report
30/06/2020 Construction spend must deliver more ‘tangible social impact’ to support disadvantaged communities post-Covid, according to a new report. |
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Protecting local businesses and economies
12/05/2020 Steve Bratt is calling on local government to engage in collaborative discussions to help resolve contractual disputes arising from the pandemic. |
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Homes for Heroes calls for 100,000 affordable key worker homes
12/05/2020 The UK’s 15 largest housing associations have joined forces to call for 100,000 affordable new homes for key workers over the next five years. |
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Construction contract clauses can prevent Covid-19 legal battles
05/05/2020 Adrian Hill explains what local authorities need to do to navigate the potential implications of Covid-19 to delays on project completions within NEC contracts agreements. |
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Lost in translation: sustainability down the construction supply chain
08/01/2020 Luke Deamer, Erica Russell and Jacquetta Lee explore sustainability down the construction supply chain. |
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Developers offered loans to build new schools
10/10/2019 Housing developers will be given loans from the Government to build new schools before new properties are finished. |
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Rise in digital construction
04/10/2019 Lee Ramsey explains how digital construction can help local authorities create better buildings and stronger communities. |
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MPs call for modern construction methods to solve housing crisis
03/07/2019 The Government must encourage the use of modern construction methods to solve the housing crisis, MPs have warned. |
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Building on 'brownfield' sites at five-year low
03/06/2019 Construction on derelict land has fallen to a five-year low while development in countryside areas has increased, according to the latest figures. |
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Councils fear Swansea construction giant could be 'Welsh Carillion'
15/03/2019 Swansea-based construction giant Dawnus was today on the brink of collapse and expected to call in administrators Grant Thornton. |
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Brokenshire announces ‘stronger’ regulatory framework to improve building safety
19/12/2018 Council leaders have welcomed moves to tighten up building safety standards – but say it should be backed by regulation rather than relying on good will. |
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Construction ‘booming’ in North West, figures reveal
11/10/2018 The construction industry is booming in the North West of England, according to the latest figures. |
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Liverpool hospital to be built despite Carillion collapse
27/09/2018 The building of the New Royal Liverpool Hospital, whose future was in question after the collapse of Carillion, is to restart, the Government has announced. |
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UK's infrastructure output increased by just £70 per person between 1997 and 2017
09/07/2018 Infrastructure output in the UK has only increased by £70 per person in the past two decades, new research has revealed. |
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Building control interventions worth nearly £2bn, academics find
19/06/2018 The net economic benefit of public service building control interventions in construction projects could be as high as £1.85bn, new research suggests. |
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Auditors tell councils to ‘learn lessons’ from school wall collapse
04/04/2018 Auditors have called on councils in Scotland to ‘learn lessons’ from the collapse of a school wall in Edinburgh. |
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Building a future: women in construction
26/03/2018 Women working in the construction industry are very much in the minority, but they could be a valuable source of much-needed skills. Mark Whitehead attended a round table discussion focusing on the issue and considering some solutions. |
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Construction professionals support ban on combustible materials on high-rise buildings
21/02/2018 Almost three-quarters (74%) of construction industry professionals believe that using combustible materials on mid-, high-rise and sensitive buildings should be banned, according to a new survey. |
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Think tank calls for ‘skills levy’ on construction industry
01/12/2017 A leading think tank has called on the Government to introduce a levy in the construction industry to boost skills training as part of a plan for Brexit. |
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Snap election blamed for delays in public sector building starts
11/08/2017 The number of new building projects in the public sector fell by 10% in part because of the snap general election in June, according to construction analysts. |
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Westminster consultation on tall buildings ‘not about skyscrapers’, council insists
28/03/2017 Westminster CC in London has launched a consultation on whether to consturct more tall buildings to cope with a growing need for housing and office space. |
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Regional cities enjoy ‘record levels’ of construction activity
01/02/2017 The UK’s regional cities are experiencing record levels of construction activity as real estate surveys reveal ‘buoyant’ developer sentiment. |
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Skills shortage in construction at ‘breaking point’, survey reveals
22/08/2016 The skills shortage in construction is at ‘breaking point’ and negatively affecting the quality of public sector projects being delivered, according to survey. |
