Opinion 鈥� Page 352
-
Comment
A common disaster
The Construction Confederation has gone bust, leaving a 拢20m deficit in its pension fund and hundreds of people who stand to lose up to 70% of their retirement income. The situation is extremely depressing for those affected, but it鈥檚 not a scandal. It鈥檚 not a tale of incompetence or deceit. ...
-
-
CommentThe evil that men do
The government鈥檚 removal of empty property rate relief has been universally recognised as a wicked and ungodly act. Even Alistair Darling seems to have grasped this
-
Comment
The OFT vs Tony Bingham
Tony Bingham鈥檚 article, 鈥淭he cost of a phone call鈥� (9 October, page 30), is based on a misunderstanding of the Office of Fair Trading鈥檚 position. The OFT has never claimed that unilaterally submitting a high price is illegal. Rather, as Mr Bingham says, the illegality arises where the price is ...
-
Comment
Linnett vs the OFT
Tony Bingham was right 鈥渙n the money鈥�, so to speak, in his article exposing the obvious weakness of the OFT鈥檚 stance on cover pricing
-
CommentSport: The real enemy
Don鈥檛 get the idea that I鈥檓 speaking from any sort of moral high ground, or even from a moral hillock, but Chris Wise鈥檚 comments about steel were interesting and I thought perhaps ought to be brought to their logical conclusion (9 October, page 28)
-
Comment
Bad experience
New apprenticeships are very important to the future progress of the industry (鈥淕ove: Conservatives to triple apprenticeships鈥�, www.building.co.uk)
-
Comment
Learn through laughter
I was thoroughly enjoying your 9 October publication until I wandered across David Westwood鈥檚 email regarding your health and safety blunders (page 27), which sent me into fits of laughter and disbelief
-
Comment
When life gets complicated
Open mike: We sing the praises of whole-life costing but find it tricky to put into practice. The recently launched British Standard will do nothing to change this: we need a new approach
-
Comment
Tory planning policy: Merging on the ridiculous
The Tories say they鈥檇 integrate the new Infrastructure Planning Commission with the Planning Inspectorate. It鈥檚 a bold vision, but unfortunately it would make the situation worse
-
CommentHansom: Sweet little mysteries
This week we鈥檙e trying to get to the bottom of the Laing O鈥橰ourke leadership imbroglio, the ownership of the late Denys Lasdun鈥檚 papers and the meaning of Richard Rogers鈥� smile
-
CommentA common disaster
The situation is serious for those affected, but it鈥檚 not a scandal. It鈥檚 not a tale of incompetence or deceit. It鈥檚 just the way things are now
-
Comment
Why let planning just look like a lottery? Make it one
On the subject of Grant Shapps and John Healey, I attended the Housing Market Intelligence conference last week at which both spoke.I obviously recommend the conference because I have a vested interest in it and indeed the associated report, which I edit. But that is not the point.While the presentation ...
-
Comment
Food for thought for would-be housing minister
The 黑洞社区 and Social Housing Foundation has emailed its latest report "The Future of Housing", which has just been published.It would be rather tricky to summarise the document other than to say it provides a critical look at the state of the post-credit-crunch housing market.The report is a synthesis of ...
-
Comment
Laing O'Rourke and the awkward power games
The veil of secrecy surrounding the future of Tony Douglas, erstwhile heir to the throne at Laing O鈥橰ourke, feels no closer to being lifted this week.Douglas is the inspirational and brash Lancastrian Ray O鈥橰ourke drafted in as his replacement a couple of summers ago after a stint running Heathrow airport.When ...
-
CommentRefurb is the key to greener homes
Keepmoat's director of sustainability explains the thinking behind the Great British Refurb campaign
-
CommentYou've hardly changed at all
Constructing Excellence鈥檚 review of the progress we鈥檝e made in the 11 years since Sir John Egan, who was chairman of BAA at the time, published his report should come with a health warning: reading this may cause severe depression
-
Comment
Forecasts suggest some rays of hope, but huge uncertainty remains
For those with an optimistic nature there was some good news to be seen in the latest set of industry forecasts with both the Construction Products Association and Hewes trimming how much they feel output in the industry will fall.Indeed the three forecasts came closer together in this round of ...
-
Comment
You've hardly changed at all
Constructing Excellence鈥檚 review of the progress we鈥檝e made in the 11 years since Sir John Egan, who was chairman of BAA at the time, published his report should come with a health warning: reading this may cause severe depression.The review, Never Waste a Good Crisis, was put together by an ...
-
Comment
Pessimism postponed
Bellway boss John Watson is naturally a glass half-empty kind of guy and was in 鈥渕uted recovery鈥� mode at the housebuilder鈥檚 full-year results this week.Yes reservations were down from 6,556 to 4,380 and the average selling price fell 9% to 拢154,005. And yes the company posted the first loss in ...