Government

Lack of hydrogen infrastructure is stifling sector’s net-zero aims

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Peter Sayce is chief product officer at Bramble Energy Is the wider construction industry overlooking the potential of hydrogen to reduce the sector's contribution to climate change? Hydrogen technology offers high efficiency and versatility, as well as longer range and usage for equipment – key benefits for construction. And, unlike…

A look at the new building control regime for higher-risk buildings

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Brad Woodroffe (pictured above-left) is senior associate and David Parton is head of construction and engineering at CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP A recent consultation opened by the government (Consultation on implementing the new building control regime for higher-risk buildings and wider changes to the building regulations for all…

We’re doing our bit for net zero. Will the new PM?

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Graham Harle is chief executive of Gleeds Worldwide While everyone is struggling with how best to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, output from the construction sector has fallen for the first time in 18 months, according to the purchasing manager’s index. Gleeds’ own market survey found that eight in 10 contractors…

In the thick of it

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Mark Robinson is group chief executive of SCAPE  After a long hot summer of hustings and TV debates, the wait is finally over. Liz Truss has been elected leader of the Conservative Party and our new prime minister. The honeymoon period after taking office will undoubtedly be limited, with Truss’s…

Rishi must get radical to catch Victorian Liz

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Rob Burnell is regional director of Randstad UK There are two people who could become the next prime minister. The recent polling suggests Liz Truss has it in the bag. Rishi Sunak needs to be radical if he is going to move the needle and generate a last-minute surge of support for his…

Transforming the way we address building safety

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Alexander Edwards is a partner at Rosling King LLP We all saw the Grenfell Tower tragedy unfold before our eyes in June 2017. In the aftermath, its disastrous consequences, and cladding in high-rise buildings in particular, triggered fierce debate across the country. Almost five years later, the Building Safety Act…

What does construction need the next PM to do?

Retentions: PM to receive petition calling for reform

Continuing progress towards net-zero, and committing to long-term infrastructure spending and rail investment are among construction’s priorities for the incoming prime minister. With Conservative leadership candidates whittled down to just Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, Construction News has obtained comments from personalities from different parts of the sector on what…

From Brexit to Build Back Better: what is Johnson’s construction legacy?

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Boris Johnson’s time in office was a tumultuous and historic period unlike any other. Throughout much of it, the prime minister rarely missed an opportunity to don a hard hat and get out on a construction site, as the industry he declared would Build Back Better was rarely far from…

Navigating building liability orders

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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…

Partygate shows how out of touch politicians really are

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Chris Hallam is a partner at CMS Law Last month’s opening of the Elizabeth Line has reminded us – such that it was needed – that politicians don’t need to be asked twice to don a hard hat and hi-vis if there’s a photo opportunity in the offing. It’s play…