Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent pledge of a ‘roads revolution’ was a welcome sign that the government has woken up to the need to replace and improve much of the UK’s infrastructure.
Blog and Comment
Contract suspension passes the test
Infrastructure investment may be about to take off to levels not seen in the UK for many years, but the construction industry can vouch for the fact that the much trumpeted increased workloads are nowhere to be seen yet.
Tidal wave of work might overturn the boat
Contractor insolvency is a perennial problem in the construction industry and the topic generates a regular flow of articles for CL, such as one by Ebony Alleyne on p 17 of this issue. Many contractors may still be tendering at negative margins and could possibly be just one major dispute away from the brink, she warns.
GoCo promises end to stop-go on roads
Legislation to transform the Highways Agency from April next year into a government owned company – a GoCo – was set out in the Infrastructure Bill in April, creating a legal framework for the new entity to oversee England’s strategic roads network.
Hold onto your Panama hats
The Arcadis survey of construction disputes has been running for four years, and the latest survey shows no sign that the global market for construction lawyers is slowing down.
Clients get new safety focus
Health and safety is a perennial problem in the construction industry, but one that the industry’s leading players have been giving serious attention to.
Late payers may be in last chance saloon
Pressure is mounting on the construction industry’s late payers to get their houses in order and find ways to stop log jamming the industry’s cash flow.
Intelligent client needed
Our news pages are full these days with stories about public sector procurement. The public sector has always been crucial as a client for construction, but changes in procurement have made it increasingly so.
Plea bargaining to combat corruption
Corruption in business is endemic across the European Community, costing the EU economy almost £100 billion a year in lost tax revenues and foreign investment; and the problem is getting worse.
‘Day of shame’ for Whitehall contract managers
The UK government is pushing ahead with plans to outsource more government services despite the growing evidence that the UK public sector is nowhere near capable of managing the large contracts involved.