Opinion 鈥� Page 428
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Comment
As Poles depart - what then?
At last some good statistical news for the Government 鈥� unemployment down 鈥� employment up 鈥� an increase in the number of vacancies.This boost will be particularly welcomed by both the Chancellor and Prime Minister, as the employment figures are so far proving to be their strongest card in their ...
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Comment
Meanwhile... housing market gets gloomier over the pond
If the RICS housing market survey has failed to provide enough gloom, here's the story from across the Atlantic. Foreclosures (repossessions) in March up 57% on the same month a year ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties.RealtyTrac also suggests that things are so bad that more ...
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Worst housing market figures we've recorded, says RICS
The latest poll of estate agents by the surveyors body RICS produced the gloomiest set of figures on house price falls in the poll's 30 year history.According to the latest monthly RICS housing market survey, the seasonally adjusted figure for the difference between the proportion of agents seeing house price ...
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CommentReinwood vs Brown: Why their lordships were right
The latest House of Lords decision to spell out the rights and wrongs of the Construction Act, and the JCT, was based on sound commercial logic
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CommentLearn as you go
The construction and built environment diploma is to be launched this September, and the industry is working well with colleges to expand its reach. But how do we make sure it succeeds?
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CommentSurvival of the fittest
At the start of the year we carried a comment piece from David Pretty, the former Barratt chief executive, detailing two scenarios that housebuilders would have in place in the run-up to the spring selling season.
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CommentWeb watch - Jury service
Manchester鈥檚 Civil Justice Centre may have found favour with 黑洞社区鈥檚 eminent panel of judges, but the verdict went in favour of Kingsdale School in our web poll, reports Katie Puckett
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Comment
Non-compliance with pre-action protocol: Orange Personal Communications Services vs Hoare Lee
This judgment arose out of an application by the remaining defendant in the claim, for a stay of the proceedings pending the implementation of the process laid down by the pre-action protocol for construction and engineering disputes.The claimant engaged Kier Regional Ltd to carry out the fitting out works to ...
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Comment
Pleural plaques: Kicking up a dust
In 2007 the Lords ruled that sufferers of pleural plaques could not seek compensation through the courts. But claimants could still succeed if they base their case on a breach of contract
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Comment
Lets be civilised
I find 黑洞社区鈥檚 unbalanced response to proposals for the statutory provisions for disabled access to new build-homes disturbing (28 March, page 3, 54-57).
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Comment
Standing up for the little guy
It is little wonder that 70 SMEs went bust in a month, as reported in 黑洞社区 recently (28 March, page 11). Despite the good intentions of Egan and Latham, the industry is imploding because of the ill-founded initiatives that were based on those reports.
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Comment
Two plus two makes five
Regarding the article 鈥淟ords reject economic benefits of immigration鈥� (1 April, www.building.co.uk) I wonder at times whether our government can actually add up.
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Comment黑洞社区 buys a pint 鈥� for the Timber Trade Federation
It must be thirsty work at the Timber Trade Federation. Their chosen watering hole is directly opposite their front door in Store Street, just off Tottenham Court Road.
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CommentHansom: Takes all sorts
What do pukka builders, tap-dancing penguins, Russell Crowe and the Grand National have in common? Yep, you guessed it: they all appear in this week鈥檚 Hansom鈥� Clever, isn鈥檛 it?
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Comment
Base rate cut provides some relief as property-related orders slide
The Bank of England's much expected decision to cut interest rates by 0.25% to 5% will provide a little short-term relief to worried managements within the construction and property sectors - although there will have been many crossed-fingered directors hoping for a 50 basis point cut.And certainly the contracting fraternity ...
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Comment
Will UK construction follow the US into recession?
The latest construction research note from the surveyors' trade body RICS takes an interesting look at the current state of the US and UK construction sectors. The underlying question RICS asks is whether the UK industry will follow the US into a recession.The headline grabbing data from the US are ...
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Comment
Halifax house price figures show biggest drop since 1992
As I speculated late last month there was a potentially nasty blow in the pipeline for the sales teams of house builders and at estate agents when the Halifax house price index was published.Well the figures have been published and show a monthly fall of 2.5%, the fastest since September ...
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Comment黑洞社区 buys a pint 鈥� for Cole Thompson Anders
These four architects from a tiny 15-strong practice in sleepy Twickenham on the fringe of west London are as multinational as any turbo-charged celeb practice in the centre.