News in Brief: January/February 2021

Firms bidding for government contracts worth over £10M must now demonstrate how they plan to deliver wider social value benefits under new procurement rules which came into force on 1 January.

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Covid procurement highlights need for reform

Much, if not all, of 2021 will be spent dealing with the fall out of the Covid-19 pandemic, and hopefully learning from the way the UK mobilised its central government procurement systems to combat it. There is much to learn.

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Government unable to deliver major projects on time, say MPs

Central government project management abilities have been slammed in a report from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee that accuses government of a ‘perennial inability to manage and deliver projects on time and budget’.

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Infrastructure corruption hits big sport events

Corruption is a common issue in the delivery of infrastructure for major sporting events, leading in many cases to significant cost overruns and poor build quality, according to new research from Engineers Against Poverty.

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New code for construction product marketing unveiled

Proposals for a new ‘Code for Construction Product Information’ designed to stamp out “disingenuous” marketing practices among product manufacturers and help rebuild trust in the sector post-Grenfell have been released for consultation.

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Hinkley Point C blames pandemic for construction delays

Delays of at least six months are expected to the construction of the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C due to Covid-19, which is estimated to increase the costs of completing the project by £500M.

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Fatal crush incident results in fine for steel firm

A steel specialist has been fined after a worker was fatally injured by a prefabricated metal balcony which fell from a telehandler forklift truck during an unplanned lifting operation.

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Market data shows strong outlook for sector

Total number of construction contract awards fell by almost 16% across the sector during 2020 but output has now grown for seven consecutive months following a record drop in April, with further rises anticipated through 2021.

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Lords raise concern over planning legislation changes

Two statutory instruments which make temporary changes to publication and publicity requirements for certain planning matters permanent have been criticised by a House of Lords committee over a lack of public consultation and concerns around accessibility.

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