Opinion – Page 425

  • Hansom
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    New adventures …

    2008-05-30T00:00:00Z

    ... of construction’s own Indiana Jones, the strange case of the incredibly hairy bedfellow, and two very good reasons to turn down a job on the Southbank …

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    Joint-names insurance: Capital punishment

    2008-05-30T00:00:00Z

    Stuart Pemble explains how capitalisation of a single letter caused two of the highest courts in the land to issue contradictory rulings

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    The lesser of two evils

    2008-05-30T00:00:00Z

    Thank goodness for the common sense shown by Tony Bingham in drawing a clear distinction between bid rigging and cover pricing (16 May, page 64).

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    What women want

    2008-05-30T00:00:00Z

    What does a woman look for in a career? Security, a good working environment, prospects for progression.

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    A load of hot air

    2008-05-30T00:00:00Z

    The argument that spare office cooling capacity could be the solution for overheating on the London Underground (23 May, page 11) is fatally flawed.

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    In the detail

    2008-05-30T00:00:00Z

    Can you identify this building to win a £25 drinks voucher?

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    My favourites … Blessing Gwena

    2008-05-30T00:00:00Z

    This week

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    Just no more U-turns, OK?

    2008-05-30T00:00:00Z

    Gordon Brown is probably regretting a number of things right now – the 10p tax debacle, Crewe and Nantwich by-election tactics, and the sly assault on gas-guzzling cars in the last Budget spring readily to mind.

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    Is the UK following the US into a housing market collapse?

    2008-05-29T17:47:00Z

    The release today by Nationwide of figures showing house prices dropped by 2.5% in May will come like a kick in the teeth to house builders and estate agents.It is the last thing they want to hear given the fragility of the market. A drop of two grand or so ...

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    Development slowdown hits small civils firms

    2008-05-28T16:34:00Z

    The latest survey from the civils trade body CECA into the performance and prospects of its members very much reflects the pressures on the building sector, where housing and commercial building work is being squeezed by the effects of the credit crunch.While the outlook for civils is broadly positive, there ...

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    US house price fall and fall

    2008-05-27T19:55:00Z

    The latest stats from the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices show that US house prices are continuing to fall apace - down a further 2% in March 2008 across the top 20 metropolitan areas.This makes a continuous line of house price falls from August 2006 producing a total fall in house ...

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    Just how exposed is the UK housing market

    2008-05-27T12:10:00Z

    For those who like to take comfort from seeing the UK market in a global context I commend to you the latest round-up of international house-price indicators by the Economist.What is clear is just how far the UK house prices have boomed compared with most other countries. That the UK's ...

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    Buyers "strike" continues as housing market suffers

    2008-05-27T11:43:00Z

    The latest data confirms that potential homebuyers are still treating the current housing market with extreme caution resulting in fewer mortgages, fewer sales and lower prices.Hometrack data for May shows prices down nationally by 0.5% on the month after a 0.6% fall in April. But the more worrying trend for ...

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    Contract payment mechanisms: Peter Mair vs Mohammed Arshad

    2008-05-23T00:00:00Z

    The pursuers were seeking the sum of £8,730 from the defender, together with interest and expenses. The parties agreed that there was a contract within the meaning of the Construction Act and that the first invoice for £1,000 had been paid. The pursuer argued that two further invoices had not ...

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    Web watch: Two peas in a pod

    2008-05-23T00:00:00Z

    Our learned friends Tony Bingham and Rudi Klein kick off our first ever podcast series this week with a debate on the future of the Construction Act.

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    A brave face

    2008-05-23T00:00:00Z

    We don’t have to pretend that things are better than they are, but if we want to boost people’s confidence in our industry, we should go easy on the handwringing

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    System? What system?

    2008-05-23T00:00:00Z

    Egan thought things went wrong in construction because we were all at each other’s throats. Actually, we get on fine – it’s the way we manage projects that floors us

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    Let’s be reasonable

    2008-05-23T00:00:00Z

    Insurance companies are notorious for finding ways not to pay out on their policies, but that may be about to change

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    Recession busting

    2008-05-23T00:00:00Z

    With the last recession a distant memory for many, perhaps it’s time to remind ourselves of the steps we should be taking in case things get a bit tougher in the coming months

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    BCIS predicts bright future for civil engineering

    2008-05-23T17:04:00Z

    After several years of decline in construction output in the civil engineering market the demand is set to grow in all infrastructure sectors over the coming years, according to the BCIS Civil Engineering Market Report.