All Comment articles – Page 516
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Comment
The copper rush
Metal thefts are once again hitting the national headlines, so much so that the UK authorities now position the problem as second only to terrorism.
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Green carrots
It is encouraging to see the industry raising its game in delivering more sustainable buildings. However, I believe there is confusion over how their green credentials are rated.
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Build-your-own
I’ve always tried to see the silver lining in every cloud, but am I the only one that sees the great potential of the current downturn?
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Wonders & blunders
Louis Kahn’s gallery in Yale works brilliantly with the art inside, whereas Lord Foster’s simply belittles it
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You thought things were bad
This week, we paint a vision of a dystopian future – a world in which journalists are politicians, the credit crunch ends in murderous pillage and the word ‘Olympics’ may not be spoken …
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Comment
Ðǿմ«Ã½ buys a pint … for Magyar Marsoni architects
Chosen watering hole: The Devonshire Arms, Kensington Ambience: Wealthy locals and stray American tourists Topics of conversation: Italian design, cycling, kidnapping, the London bombings Drinks drunk: 12.5 bottles of Birra Moretti, one bottle of Peroni
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Comment
The Apprentices
In the article on Ucatt’s call for an apprenticeship quota on public sector projects (9 July, www.building.co.uk), you offer a skewed view on the increasingly popular Programme-Led Apprenticeship scheme.
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Comment
Braes of Doune Wind Farm v Alfred McAlpine Business Services
The CaseThis case concerned two applications in relation to the First Award of an arbitrator, concerning an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract dated 4 November 2005 between Braes of Doune Wind Farm (Scotland) Ltd as Employer and Alfred McAlpine Business Services Ltd as Contractor, whereby McAlpine agreed to carry ...
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Comment
Party Wall Act: Good news for good neighbours
A recent decision on the Party Wall Act means that those who consent to a party wall notice are still protected by the act if a dispute arises
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Inflation tsunami flattens construction prospects
I recognise that I have said this time and again and probably will say it a few times more - but don't underplay the impact of rising inflation.I can already hear echoes of overexcited managment consultants suggesting to clients to take note of what is rising in the east and ...
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Keeping it real
I received an interesting email from Ray Crotty of C3 systems some days ago now. It was in essence a challenge to look at the industry over 20 or 30 years and see if "we're seeing anything now that we haven't seen before in terms of economic adjustment at work ...
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Comment
Fresh dip in mortgage lending spells deepening gloom for housing market
The latest figures from the British Bankers' Association make seriously grim reading. The seasonally adjusted value of loans approved in June for homes dropped to a third of what it was in the same month a year ago.The figures read: £3,297 million June 2008 against the already pitiful £4,243 million ...
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Plunging house sales create major tax headache for Darling
If I were the Chancellor looking at the latest property transaction figures I wouldn't be worried, I'd be very worried.At 270,000 transactions for residential property in the second quarter, we are looking at a housing market about 38% less active than a year ago, when 432,000 transactions were undertaken in ...
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Comment
RICS figures suggest commercial building market is heading for a beating
The release of some pretty nasty survey results on the commercial property market from the surveyors body RICS is far from the sort of fare one would have served up just before heading off on holiday, but there it is. Bleak, with spiky curves heading in just the directions you ...
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Comment
What makes the latest Rightmove figures significant
Let's face it predicting house price movements is like trying to forecast the British weather. You can have a vague clue from the available data, but you are likely to be onto a loser more often than not if you try to pin down how things will turn out in ...
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And now for the good news - Treasury set to widen the goalposts
I am not really sure why I was surprised to hear Nick Robinson on the BBC news last night confirming an FT story due to run today about the Treasury changing the borrowing rule set by Gordon Brown when he was Chancellor.It seemed clear that Government debt was set ...
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Olympic hopeful
Never trust an Olympic Delivery Authority until you can see the white of its balance sheet. On the strength of this, Tony Bingham is quite encouraged, actually
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Comment
The path to happiness
Happiness, there’s not too much of it around in construction at the moment.
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Comment
Webmaster review: Gleeds website
The website of QS Gleeds – www.gleeds.com – is under the microscope this week, as is its television channel, www.gleeds.tv