CJ Construction Blog

Handle new construction organisations with some scepticism

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:48:53 +0000

The construction sector is often accused of being too fragmented, with numerous organisations shouting over each other in their efforts to lobby government. So the creation of another initiative with the familiar remit of facilitating a single unified voice should be treated with some scepticism.

How much has CIS cost the construction industry?

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:59:06 +0000

Have you calculated just how much complying with new CIS has cost your company? Even if you have been lucky enough not to be in receipt of one of the 806,000 penalties issued by HMRC, chances are it has cost you time and investment in new software to cope with the scheme.

Building Schools for the Future ups its game with 8 new schemes

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:26:58 +0000

So at last, Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is to up the ante. The announcement this week that eight schemes are to be fast-tracked is welcome news for the £45bn initiative that has been lagging behind in delivering what it initially promised.

Extreme penalty for late returns

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:53:09 +0000

As if the construction industry didn't already have enough to cope with, now firms face the loss of their gross payment status as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) clamps down.

Lessons to be learnt from NY crane collapse

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:46:49 +0000

Another crane collapse, another set of grim headlines. Two people have been confirmed dead after the crane crash in New York, a tragedy that has striking similarities with the Battersea collapse in September 2006.

Sir John Egan's assessment of construction: right or wrong?

Thu, 29 May 2008 11:04:51 +0000

So, how would you rate the construction industry? It might be pushing it to get 10 out of 10, but I am not sure many people would score it at a shockingly low four out of 10.

Construction: lacking the X-Factor?

Wed, 21 May 2008 16:45:21 +0000

What did you want to do when you were 14 years old? Did you know that you definitely wanted a career in the construction industry? Or were you too busy wishing you could become a professional footballer, a popstar or a top designer?

One building firm folding every four hours....

Wed, 07 May 2008 11:47:59 +0000

Twenty four hours after you have read this, a further six construction firms will have entered insolvency. And by the time the next issue of Contract Journal hits your desk, a total of 42 companies will have become insolvent.

It's not all doom and gloom for the construction industry

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:11:52 +0000

There will have been plenty of people in the construction industry who will have felt a chilly shiver run down their spines last week as Persimmon announced that it is halting work on new sites.

The fall-out from Black Thursday

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:24:46 +0000

It wasn’t pretty, was it. Shortly after the Office of Fair Trading published its Statement of Objections last Thursday morning, accusing 112 construction companies of bid-rigging activities, the consumer media tore into the industry.

Site Waste Management Plans are here

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:22:18 +0000

This week, the Site Waste Management Plan has arrived. It's the latest in a long line of acronyms to hit the construction industry, but ignore this one and you could be fined up to £5,000 or even end up in prison, as well as being seriously out of line with industry targets. Site Waste Management Plans came into force last Sunday (6 April) and now every site above £300,000 in value must have one.

OFT investigation: getting our message straight

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:52:07 +0000

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is not an organisation you'd want to tangle with. Much like its sister body, HM Revenue and Customs, its approach to things is pretty much "we say, you do".

The death of sustainability?

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:20:43 +0000

The credit crunch affecting the housebuilding sector appears to have struck an unlikely victim - the government's zero-carbon homes initiative. It was dealt a body blow when a further two bidders walked away from English Partnership's flagship carbon challenge project in Peterborough. Now the initial shortlist of six has fallen to three.

Congratulations in order for Heathrow's new Terminal 5

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:48:50 +0000

It's not often that we have some really good news to celebrate, but Heathrow's new Terminal 5 is a triumph all round for the construction industry. After so many things have gone so horribly wrong with recent high-profile projects, it was fantastic that the construction industry received such great praise at last Friday's official opening. It was made clear to all the invited guests and media covering the event that the construction industry was responsible for the delivery, not - as is often the case - just the architect.

Laing O'Rourke, Honda, and The Queen

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:47:44 +0000

So what do adventures, Laing O'Rourke, Honda car adverts and the Queen have in common?