Opinion – Page 409
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Missing our chance
The response on all sides of the housing industry was the same: it’s the mortgage market, stupid!
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Hansom Dancing away the storm
There may be trouble ahead, but while there’s music and moonlight and love and romance, let’s face the music and dance. Alternatively, we could just change our names
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Fortune cookies
As the Olympics move on from China, Richard Steer looks to the future and asks what legacy the Games will leave the People’s Republic – and what they will mean for London
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ڶ buys a pint for … Parsons Brinckerhoff
Forget hard drinking, this group’s main concern is how to outdo last week’s ڶ Buys a Pint lot in the glamour stakes. Given that they were on a yacht and we are on a London street on a greyish evening, this seems a tricky task.
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Halifax house price time machine takes us back to the Spring of 2006
More gloom (or joy if you are a potential buyer) from the statisticians at HBOS as the Halifax house price index (not seasonally adjusted) shows a 12.7% annual fall from last August to now.That is getting pretty close to the full 14.7% peak to trough fall measured by Halifax in ...
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Phew - Thank you Evan Davis for restoring some sanity
I freely admit this is an indulgent blog and rather outside what I see as my scope, but I felt an obligation to make some points on the subject of the attacks on Alistair Darling and to record a thank you to Evan Davis of the BBC for saving me ...
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In five years' time we will wish we did more to save the industry
I am currently imagining the collective groans from those in the housing and house building industry as the details of the latest high publicity housing rescue plan were revealed today.Housing rescue plan III was much more widely trumpeted than the first two (see comments on Part I, Part II). This ...
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Industry retains optimism despite the gloomy forecasts
In the face of growing concern and gloom surrounding the construction industry, in particular the house building bit, construction folk in general seem to be keeping their spirits and appear on balance to be optimistic about future prospects.That, as I read it, is the key message from the latest survey ...
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Phew - thank you Mr Darling. Now we can get on and fix the problems
For me tracking the Government's handling of the economic crisis over the past few months has been a bit like watching a sick gag in a sketch show where a child hops into the kitchen with one bloodied leg severed off to be told by his mother: "It'll be alright ...
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The mandarin and the tsar
Once upon a time, says Chris Addison, there was a simple man who was given a simple job to do. Little did he know what lay in store for him …
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Appointing an adjudicator
The CaseCamden engaged Makers UK Limited ("Makers") under a 1998 JCT Intermediate Form of ڶ Contract to carry out refurbishment works at Wittington Estate in Highgate, London. Issues arose between the parties over variations and delays. Camden issued at “Default Notice” alleging that Makers was in default of their contractual ...
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Blood out of every stone
There are grim times ahead for specialist contractors and savings will have to made. Greg Verhoef explains why value engineering alone will not be enough
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Wonders & blunders
Brian Berry compares a Georgian version of the ideal terrace with an advanced modern slum
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Britons £500 billion poorer as house prices fall
I thought it might be interesting to put the latest Nationwide house price data and the recent land write downs made by Taylor Wimpey into a different context. I'd say for fun, but the real consequences are far from funny to a lot of people.So here is a thought to ...
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Hansom — summer lovin’
It’s hugs and smiles all around this week (unless you’re a housebuilder, of course), with bosses getting plenty of TLC, fathers learning from daughters, and Boris feeling the wind through his hair
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ڶ buys a pint … for Cornhill construction
It’s still summer in London, just about, but it goes without saying that it’s raining. As the team from Cornhill trudge into All Bar One on New Oxford Street sporting skin tones ranging from subtly bronzed to lobster chic, it’s clear they’ve not spent all of the past three months ...
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The cost of being green
We read with interest the article “Plundered with impunity” (8 August, page 20).
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It’s an ill wind
I am afraid that your article on the gathering momentum of the wind farm gravy train (8 August, page 36) fails adequately to emphasize the most basic fallacies and errors in the government’s blind pursuit of wind power in its quest to comply with its EU renewables obligation.
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An incy-wincy complaint
I am writing to complain about the advert that you placed on a recent online edition of ڶ magazine.
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A new architectural tradition
Robert Adam makes a good point (1 August, page 26) in saying that the public prefers traditional styles.