Opinion 鈥� Page 340
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CommentSir Michael Latham: The triumph of ConstructionSkills鈥� diploma
ConstructionSkills鈥� diploma is already proving a success with pupils. If employers continue to back it, it will make a huge difference to our training effort, says Sir Michael Latham
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Wonders & blunders
Esther Rantzen heaps praise on the improvised brilliance of Salisbury cathedral, and pours vitriol on the badly built eyesore that is Luton鈥檚 Library Road car park
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CommentIn your own time
While Tory campaign managers, a finance director and a London mayor show up long past the hour appointed, a certain Nick Raynsford will just be glad to be invited back
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Annual orders figures reveal extent of construction freefall 鈥� a 拢17 billion drop in two years
The recession has ripped away from construction roughly 拢17 billion in annual new orders, despite 拢 billions more public sector sponsored work.That鈥檚 the clear message to me from the annual tot up of the new orders won by contractors released today.Forget the niceties of which sector is doing how well ...
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Was it just the cold or is it a relapse?
There are plenty of people, 鈥渆xperts鈥� indeed, who fully expect a double-dip recession for both the economy and, for that matter, house prices.For them the data emerging for January鈥檚 performance appears to be, albeit gently, vindicating their position. They will no doubt seize with alacrity the retail figures from the ...
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How quickly can the Government cut back on construction spending?
It was put to me recently that, despite all talk of cuts to capital spending, many contractors held the view that UK governments have never managed to make cuts of more than 10% year on year.I wasn鈥檛 quite sure what to make of this, but three things struck me.Firstly: I ...
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Government burglars
As Brian Green points out in his column on drumming up work, the government has pretty much kept the industry in business during the recession. About 40% of construction work undertaken in Britain is bought by the taxpayer, compared with 31% in the days when Northern Rock was just a ...
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Bulls in the housing futures market turn sheepish
There has been a sharp change of mood among the traders of housing futures who punt large sums on the level of house prices at given years ahead.Traders had turned bullish last autumn and even at the end of the year the Tradition Future HPI was showing a projected ...
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CommentThe little Ceausescus
When it comes to making changes to listed buildings, planners and conservation authorities are often unhelpful, ill-informed, and obstructive to the point of malice
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CommentA cock and ball story
Tony Bingham聽If your little mistake turns out to be a massive mistake because of my little mistake, can you be made to pay the whole of the bill? Over to the Court of Appeal 鈥�
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The job鈥檚 in the blag
Guy Guinan聽As competition for jobs gets tougher, more candidates are embellishing their CVs. But it鈥檚 the employer who鈥檒l be for the high jump if one of them subsequently messes up
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The road to recovery
Jeff Brown聽Here鈥檚 some good news for firms that are pursuing claims against insolvent defendants: a new bill should make it easier for you to get your money 鈥�
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What problems with housing?
It was good to see some reflection in last week鈥檚 issue on the state of housing quality (22 January, page 20)
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These problems with housing
The recent problems with the Homes and Communities Agency鈥檚 Kickstart programme highlight an uncomfortable truth: many of the new homes being built in the UK aren鈥檛 good enough
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These problems with Kickstart
Homebuyers quite rightly are the best judges of private housing quality
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Return to sender
Last week鈥檚 story on Concentra said incorrectly that Durkan Holdings sold its 51% stake in Durkan Pudelek to Gombe Holdings
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Ditch the old buildings 鈥�
In response to 鈥淢orrell: Older buildings must be torn down鈥� (building.co.uk, 25 January): not only were many sixties and seventies public buildings constructed with minimal resources, they were often planned to government handbooks that specified the maximum internal area that could not under any circumstances be exceeded
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鈥� and new ones, too
Regarding Morrell鈥檚 views on older buildings: Immediate postwar construction can be equally shoddy
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Dear Amanda 鈥�
Amanda Levete鈥檚 22 January column suggesting a committee of architects be put in charge of planning was discussed by the online community 鈥�