National Highways faces difficult decisions to prioritise projects

Reductions in funding for strategic road enhancements over a five year period failed to achieve any notable savings as the cost of delivering planned projects rose by a similar amount, new figures have revealed.

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Concerns raised by lawyer over proposed developer levy

Government has launched a 10 week consultation into the design and implementation of a Building Safety Levy, to be paid by developers and charged on new residential buildings in England requiring building control approval. But one legal professional warned that the new Levy would represent “a quick fix” to fund much needed remediation works on a wide range of buildings.

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Move to block slow developers likely to be ineffective

Plans to allow councils to block planning proposals from developers with a history of slow build-out in the area have been announced. One lawyer has described the policy as “surprising” and says it is unlikely to have the desired effect of speeding up house building.

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New guide published to aid project delivery

Britain’s public spending watchdog has published a good practice guide to help project managers better understand the challenges of delivering large schemes. The National Audit Office's new document called ‘Delivery Environment Complexity Analytic’ sets out 12 factors it says need to be understood and managed effectively to ensure successful delivery of a project, programme or policy.

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Improved carbon reporting urged to de-risk projects

Accurate emissions reporting must become integral in the design of major infrastructure to help entice greater private finance into green projects, the sector has been warned. Schemes may also risk litigation for failing to mitigate the release of carbon.

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Sector embraces pledge to maintain infrastructure spending

Construction lawyers and the industry have broadly welcomed Government’s plans for infrastructure spending – set out in last week’s Autumn Statement – which include a commitment not to cut from capital budgets.

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West Yorkshire company fined after fatal skylight fall

Davis Industrial Roofing of Wakefield has been fined £20,000 and its sole director given a suspended prison sentence after a subcontractor was killed when he fell 12 metres through a skylight.

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Contracts guidance marks step towards outlawing retentions

Construction lawyers have welcomed new guidance on the use of retention clauses under NEC forms of contract, which emphasises that a retention fund may not always be required on projects. However they question the value of proposed alternative protections for clients, particularly on smaller schemes.

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Adjudication enforced in £22.5m water treatment facility dispute

Tilbury Douglas Construction and Doosan Enpure have been ordered to pay a water company almost £22.5 million after failing in an attempt to challenge a prior adjudication in a dispute arising from problems on a water treatment facility project in Northumberland.

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Chipboard firm fined over £2m for ‘preventable’ worker death

A manufacturer of wooden chipboard used commonly in the construction industry has been fined over £2 million after safety failings led to the death of an employee in Scotland, which “could have been prevented” according to prosecutors.

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