Interviews

Read interviews with leading figures from the UK construction industry.

Lendlease sale a sprint, not a marathon

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The head of Lendlease Europe’s construction operations says he wants to find a buyer for the business “at pace” Simon Gorski is a man in a hurry. As the boss of Lendlease Europe’s construction operations, he is looking to line up a buyer for the UK business by the end…

Making the conflict avoidance process work

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Construction News talks to a client and a contractor who have used the Conflict Avoidance Process (CAP) to resolve issues which have cropped up on contracts. The CAP was established six years ago to help parties avoid expensive legal proceedings to resolve disputes. Read CN's full article about how the…

Election 24: ‘Make construction important’ pleads outgoing Wates boss

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Construction deserves a bigger focus in government and is too often viewed as an “afterthought”, the outgoing boss of Wates Construction Group has said. “For too long, for an industry that employs so many people and that adds so much to the economy, construction is seen as an afterthought by…

United Living diversifies after funding boost

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Contractor United Living is expanding further into the infrastructure market As construction firms face significant financial pressure, diversification is an attractive option to spread business risk. This is easier said than done, of course, and is arguably more achievable by large firms with a strong capital base. A case in…

Galliford Try announces return to affordable resi

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Contractor Galliford Try is returning to the affordable housing market as a key part of its new sustainable growth strategy to 2030. Following a market announcement to investors and shareholders today (23 May), chief executive Bill Hocking told Construction News that the new 2030 plan involved re-entering the affordable homes…

Bam primed for energy opportunities

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Bam COO John Wilkinson talks to CN about how the firm is set to capitalise on the government’s recently announced £775bn infrastructure pipeline The government’s long-awaited February publication of a pipeline of UK infrastructure projects included £775bn of planned investment up to 2032/33, with the energy sector expected to receive…

New building safety regime: ‘Some people get it, some don’t’

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As the latest phase of the post-Grenfell building safety regime kicks in, CN talks to two of its designers about how the new regulator is taking to its role In April, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), which sits under the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), took over full responsibility for…

‘That’s our job’: Homes England chief on MMC investment risks

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Homes England chief executive Peter Denton has defended a doomed £60m investment into failed modular builder Ilke Homes, saying it is his agency’s job to take financial risks. Speaking to Construction News after a government-commissioned review encouraged Homes England to act more ambitiously, Denton said he thought his organisation’s risk…

‘If I had one wish’: Costain CEO calls for infrastructure minister

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Costain’s chief executive has called for the next UK government to appoint a cabinet-level minister to get a grip of infrastructure delivery. In an interview with Construction News, Costain chief executive Alex Vaughan outlined a set of priorities for the upcoming general election, aimed at delivering improved performance in the…

Utility player: the five-year reign of Clancy’s CEO

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Former rugby union professional Matt Cannon is celebrating five years in charge of engineering contractor Clancy, a period marked by continuous growth Pulling off a quiet country lane and through the entrance gates of Clancy’s Middlesex headquarters feels a little like entering the grounds of a grand country estate. The…