CJ Construction Blog

Major project concerns

2009-11-04T11:56:55Z

There is a dangerous argument doing the rounds that our cash-strapped Government would be better off channelling whatever cash it has left into refurbishing our existing housing stock rather than pursuing grand projects. The view carries merit because Read More......(read more)

Don't axe construction spending

2009-10-28T10:14:54Z

The time has come for the industry to stand up and challenge the growing consensus about the need for slashing public spending. While we can all agree on the need for cuts to sort out the public finances, we must make sure they are the right kind. Cuts Read More......(read more)

Contractors told: Change or fail

2009-10-14T09:35:36Z

Sir John Egan once gave construction 4 marks out of 10 for its faltering attempt to implement his Rethinking Construction plan. That was a few years ago and if asked today he would probably be a little less generous and score construction a paltry two Read More......(read more)

Knuckle down for long haul back

2009-10-06T15:19:28Z

We are in for more than a decade of sluggish growth before the workload slump is restored to 2007 levels. That is the sobering prediction from forecasters sitting on the industry's most influential economic panel . Contractors already struggling with Read More......(read more)

A fine mess

2009-09-30T09:27:53Z

It is hardly surprising that up to a third of the firms fined for bid-rigging are said to be considering appeals. The woolly explanations behind such wildly varied fines naturally leaves contractors feeling unfairly treated. What is very worrying from Read More......(read more)

Plan tax law to push workers onto PAYE will cause havoc

2009-09-18T16:46:53Z

HM Revenue & Customs' attempt to raise £350m by pushing what it sees as falsely self employed workers into employee status raises several important questions. It will undoubtedly drive up costs by the 12.8% NIC contribution contractors make for Read More......(read more)

Major contractors to vet all supervisors on their sites

2009-09-08T16:20:50Z

For some time there has been a nagging fear that the big advances in attitudes to construction health and safety will fall victim to the downturn. The evidence that good practice is being eroded by suicidal bidding is at best anecdotal, but several contractors Read More......(read more)

Progress on Crossrail gathers pace as tunnel bids invited

2009-09-02T17:11:47Z

At last the waiting is over and contractors are being invited to bid for the main tunnel drives on the £16bn Crossrail project. The excitement and optimism about Crossrail is palpable even among hard-bitten civil engineering contractors. This is an important Read More......(read more)

House building looks like the place for steady growth

2009-08-25T12:25:05Z

There's an air of optimism about at the moment and it isn't entirely down to England triumphantly winning the Ashes. A near two-thirds jump in housing starts in the second quarter compared to the preceding period offered a welcome surprise start Read More......(read more)

UK Low-carbon industrial strategy for buildings...in a few words

2009-07-15T13:37:55Z

For all those attempting to wade through the 90-page UK low-carbon industrial strategy launched by the Government today, this is the word cloud summary of the section on the built environment. There is much sentiment about construction's central role Read More......(read more)

One Death is Too Many report needs one big idea

2009-07-13T16:49:43Z

Rita Donaghy's 96-page report setting out a raft of ideas for Government to improve health and safety in Construction manages to deliver a long list of both contentious and well-intentioned recommendations. In one sense it formally airs familiar ideas Read More......(read more)

Private clients start to stir into action

2009-07-09T16:37:41Z

The latest construction workload forecast makes truly grim reading, with a peak to trough output fall of 23%. This is depressingly deep and if past recessions are anything to go by could see as many as 800,000 jobs haemorrhaged from construction. The Read More......(read more)

All contractors deserve payment guarantees - not just the majors

2009-06-24T17:16:31Z

Contract Journal reports this week about the strains felt by subcontractors in the wake of the collapse of a main contractor. In this case, subcontractors working for failed Pierse Contracting and Pierse Contracting Southern are reeling because they were Read More......(read more)

Labour's lost construction

2009-06-16T16:32:33Z

The Government used to talk confidently about building a better Britain. It was even fond of highlighting the pivotal role construction played delivering better health services, schools and transport infrastructure. Just nine months ago construction was Read More......(read more)

Contractors must pray for a late election

2009-06-10T13:43:09Z

The current political turmoil presents contractors with Hobson's choice about who to back in the battle to run the country. Should contractors support a floundering government as it lurches from crisis to crisis, or call for an early general election Read More......(read more)