Pressure on the TCC could be relieved if parties stayed out of town, Editor Nick Barrett finds a senior judge has advised.
Blog and Comment
Amicable dispute resolution clauses could be a holy grail
If the UK is to respond positively to what is widely agreed to be a pressing need for a new approach to infrastructure investment – i.e. building some rather than continuing along the downward spiral of austerity – a lot needs to happen.
Construction needs longer public sector spending plans time horizon
Much remains unknown about how exactly the new Labour government will respond to the challenges it faces, despite having declared in its general election manifesto what its main targets for improvement, or ‘missions’, are.
Supreme Court judgment likely to lead to more judicial reviews
Judicial reviews are seldom out of the news these days, with even failed applications for them capturing the eager attention of journalists hungry for ammunition to bring public authorities to task for any of a wide range of failings, imaginary or otherwise.
Biodiversity uncertainty highlighted in NAO report
Construction suppliers of all types, from manufacturers to designers and contractors, have for years complained about the problem of informing local authorities about the latest technological and cost saving developments.
Work will flow soon from giant water investment programme
Starting next year the water industry will start to make one of the largest UK infrastructure investments ever, a total of £96 billion in its AMP 8 investment period. That represents a near doubling from the £51 billion previous five year investment period of AMP 7.
HS2 cost control reform demanded – but will it be too late?
The smart money probably says that pre budget appeals from many quarters for the government to turn away from apparent plans for tax cuts and instead invest in some of the many areas of crumbling infrastructure and inadequate new infrastructure provision are likely to fall on deaf ears.
Whitehall governance problem at heart of procurement inadequacies?
Resilience has become a bit of a buzz word around infrastructure over the past few years. Climate change is placing new strains on infrastructure like drainage and sewerage systems as they struggle to cope with the heavier rainfalls that global warming seems to be bringing.
Evolution can disrupt more than revolution
The government’s bid to “transform public procurement” in the UK has now reached the statute books, with the Procurement Act 2023 receiving Royal Assent on 26 October.
Public procurement isn’t working
A report from think tank Reform says the public have a feeling that the State simply isn’t working. While that view might be overstating the case a bit, public procurement certainly isn’t working as it should, as Reform’s report An efficiency mindset: prioritising efficiency in Whitehall’s everyday work, convincingly argues.