Planning reform should be a new Government priority

Not much remains of short lived Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini budget, and as we went to press it was unclear what exactly new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Cabinet will do with the little left, but the otherwise hapless Chancellor might have left behind what could be a useful legacy in the shape of a new approach to planning.

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Call to delay changes to European product regulations

Government has been urged by two leading construction groups to suspend the introduction of new product regulations until at least 2025. Hasty changes could lead to reduced materials choice and higher prices, one legal commentator suggests.

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Disputes prove costly for major projects

Conflicts over contract interpretation, design failings and changes in scope are plaguing major construction projects globally according to new analysis which found that, on average, costs claimed in disputes amount to more than a third of committed capital expenditure.

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Fraudulent construction firm Nobleread shut down

Building materials suppliers have been warned not to agree credit terms with new customers without first carrying out thorough background checks, after a fraudulent construction company was shut down.

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Plan to replace flagship retail building faces inquiry

Controversial plans to demolish and redevelop retailer Marks & Spencer’s Oxford Street store are being challenged by campaigners on environmental and heritage grounds in a Public Inquiry which got under way this week.

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Delay to rail infrastructure pipeline frustrates sector

Three years have passed since publication of the last and supposedly annual Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, leading one trade body to suggest that uncertainty with future schemes is holding back both the supply sector and the economy.

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Contractor and its director sentenced for fire risk failings

A building contractor has been fined £600,000 following ‘serious and repeated’ failures to manage the risk of fire during work at a site in Essex. Its director has also been ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and was fined £4200.

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Call for contracts to boost productivity on projects

Procurement has a critical role to play in tackling the causes of poor productivity on infrastructure projects according to an industry report which urges the use of contracts that encourage collaboration, promote continuous innovation and assign risk fairly.

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Alarm raised as sector distress continues to climb

Construction has the highest number of businesses described as being in ‘critical’ financial distress as a result of the uncertain economic outlook. Without imminent action, insolvencies are likely to rise further, warns one lawyer.

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