Author Archives: Contributor

Article by Kerry Lorimer   Prater chief executive Richard Unwin is stepping down from his role. Unwin, who joined the facade and cladding specialist company almost 40 years ago, is making way as part of a wider shake-up to the firm, which is owned by the German firm Lindner Group.…

Article by Kerry Lorimer   Hampshire-based investor Portchester Equity has acquired Brymor Group, rescuing it from administration. Brymor, one of the largest independent construction companies in the UK, last month filed notice of its intention to appoint administrators, blaming cashflow problems during the COVID-19 pandemic for its difficulties. Portchester Equity…

Stuart McLaren is decarbonomics director at Atkins The decarbonisation of our built environment is a key pillar in the strategy to reach global net-zero targets, and it is entirely possible to design new buildings that deliver this. The issue is to scale it so that this is the achievable standard…

Aaron Baker is an investor at investment firm BGF There is little doubt that the last two years have thrown significant challenges at the construction industry. But, unlike many sectors, it has demonstrated real strength and depth by rebounding quickly from the impact of the pandemic, with most subsectors now…

Mike de Silva is head of sustainability at Clancy Group Taken together, the production of steel and concrete contribute as much as 16 per cent of global annual carbon emissions. This puts the construction industry in an optimal position to help drive the decarbonisation of both industries. Addressing the embodied…

Catherine Welch (left) is a partner in the construction and engineering team, and Tom Llewellyn a partner in the dispute resolution team, at law firm RWK Goodman With the government’s COVID-19 furlough scheme and other forms of support now long gone, contractors near the edge of a financial precipice are…

Graham Harle is chief executive of Gleeds The construction sector is in the midst of a perfect storm, with uncertainty in the wake of the pandemic compounded by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. As inflation heads towards 11 per cent and the value of sterling takes a nosedive against other…

Sarah Peterson is director of energy and sustainability at Harley Haddow Homebuilders in the UK are set to face significant changes with a major step in the government’s drive to become carbon neutral. With the rise of net zero and a nationwide commitment to create a cleaner and greener built…

Jane Atkinson is executive director of engineering, automation and projects at Bilfinger UK Many of us have campaigned for years to bring more women into the sector. But, sadly, the improvement has been marginal at best. The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data tells us that just 13 per…

Tim Claremont (left) is a partner and Gavin Hoccom is a senior associate at law firm Browne Jacobson The Building Safety Act 2022 received Royal Assent at the end of April. The government has described its contents as “the biggest changes to building safety regulation in a generation”. For once…