Author Archives: Ben Vogel

The safety watchdog will urgently look at large panel system (LPS) buildings as part of its new inspection regime, Construction News has learned. A Building Safety Regulator (BSR) spokesperson said it would prioritise assessments of LPS buildings built between 1957 and 1973 “which cannot confirm remediation work has been carried…

Industry veteran Sir Martin Laing has died in hospital in Malta at the age of 81, following a short illness. Born on 18 January 1942, Laing joined the family firm John Laing plc in 1965 and succeeded his father Sir Kirby Laing as chairman in 1985, remaining in that post…

Construction administrations rose by 42 per cent last year despite a quiet December A grim year for construction business failures ended on a relatively serene note after Creditsafe data showed that 18 firms entered administration in December 2023 – five fewer than in December 2022. In all, though, the full-year…

The construction sector has begun the year with “very limited momentum” towards recovery after a difficult 2023, a senior industry analyst has said. Interest rates have plateaued since last August but remain high by historical levels at 5.25 per cent. This affects financing for construction projects by “making large upfront…

Bam Construct’s preconstruction services agreement (PCSA) for a new £50.4m ‘super school’ in Northumberland has been extended by the county council. The council cabinet agreed on Tuesday (12 December) to issue an early works instruction “as an extension of the current PCSA up to the value of £1.4m to prevent…

Next year will see a “slow recovery” in construction, as financial pressures are set to continue for months, a senior industry analyst has told Construction News. Speaking in the latest episode of the CN First Site podcast, Kelly Boorman, national head of construction at audit and tax consultancy RSM UK,…

IMAGE CRISIS Sixty-nine per cent of adults would not consider a career in construction, YouGov polling shows. Ryan Jones, founder of industry-image campaign group Deconstruction, which commissioned the poll of more than 2,000 people, said:“If we want to encourage new young people to enter the sector, we need to move…

More than one-third of the firms that went into administration in November employed two or fewer staff November saw a monthly total of 33 business failures – one fewer than November 2022. Despite this relative stability, however, the year-to-date total of 345 administrations marks a 49 per cent increase on…

Reforms are needed to boost the number of electricians, which is essential for the UK to deliver on its pledge to become net zero by 2050, a new report has warned. The Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) launched its Recharging Electrical Skills Charter at an event in the Houses of Parliament…

The problem of late payment is worsening but project bank accounts (PBAs) promise a sunnier future for subcontractors, industry insiders have told Construction News. Speaking in the latest edition of the CN First Site podcast, Roni Savage, managing director at geoengineering specialist Jomas Associates, warned: “Payments are later than ever.…