黑洞社区

Contractors laid bare

There have been many expos茅s in the pages of this magazine but I believe this could be a first 鈥� Meet 鈥淢r January鈥�, the brave (some may say, foolhardly) Bruce Benson, operations director of Essex-based contractor Mulalley. He and eleven of his staff have ditched their high-vis gear and steel toe-capped boots to pose for a 鈥淐alendar Boys鈥� style calendar, to raise money for Children in Need. The calendars are on sale for 拢10 and you can order yours from amy.baines@mulalley.co.uk.

Planning to lie low

Last week鈥檚 Home Builders鈥� Federation-run market intelligence conference was, for the first time in years, not addressed by a senior government minister. I understand housing minister Grant Shapps had been due to attend but pulled out. While Shapps was attending a laudable anti-homelessness initiative at the time, some suspect that his failure to show was more to do with the presence of the Campaign to Protect Rural England and a big debate on planning at the conference. It hasn鈥檛 gone unnoticed by the industry that the minister has been all but invisible during the planning rumpus. Surely his absence is not down to an unwillingness to be associated with the National Planning Policy Framework controversy?

Union solidarity

As it comes to light this week that an investigation is under way into alleged abuse of expenses at union Ucatt, it seems a good time to lift the lid on other intriguing uses of union funds. 黑洞社区 has seen a document detailing some of the political donations made by Ucatt in 2009. Among these are donations to left-wing causes such as the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign - which were each given 拢200. We鈥檙e at a loss as to where Cuba and Venezuela fit into construction workers鈥� concerns - but it appears the union is still waving the red flag.

Meeting the briefs

What has UK architect John Pawson got in common with fashion label Calvin Klein? Quite a lot it seems if an exclusive dinner held last week at the former Commonwealth Institute building in Kensington is anything to go on. Pawson is converting the building into a home for the Design Museum and designed the brand鈥檚 flagship store in New York. Malcolm Carfrae, Calvin Klein鈥檚 executive vice president of global communications, gushed that Pawson鈥檚 鈥渙verall aesthetic epitomizes the Calvin Klein design ethos.鈥� I鈥檒l be sure to dig out my CK Y-fronts for my first visit.

High stakes

Bah humbug of the week goes to steel specialist Severfield-Rowen, which is rumoured to have slapped the wrists of workers who shuffled across a beam high above the City of London during the construction of the Heron Tower, in an attempt to recreate the famous 鈥淟unch Atop a Skyscraper鈥� photo taken in New York in 1932. Steel worker Mike Crompton has claimed none of the workers were in danger, being clipped in and in reality only 12ft above the floor below. Severfield-Rowen chief executive Tom Haughey gave a stern 鈥渘o comment鈥�. Draw your own conclusions.

Musical chairs

To lose one chairman might be considered unfortunate, but to lose two in the space of a week - well that鈥檚 just carelessness, isn鈥檛 it? Alas this is the situation troubled consultant Mouchel finds itself in, after David Sugden resigned on Monday, after just three days in the post of interim chairman. Sugden only took on the role after former chairman Bo Lerenius was forced to move sideways to cover the responsibilities of chief executive Richard Cuthbert, who resigned last Friday. Is this the shortest tenure of chairman ever seen in construction, Hansom would like to know? Answers on an email please 鈥�