Opinion

The construction sector should not use the Scottish Government’s abandonment of its interim climate change target to slow its commitment to achieving net zero, writes Graham Mercer, managing director of Rearo Laminates. Sustainability has been a central theme in the construction industry

Pete Bell, chairman and co-founder of Campion Homes, marks the housebuilder's 35th year in business with a look back at its inception and evolution. This year sees Campion Homes celebrate 35 years of building not just homes, but communities. Back in 1989, we started, rather modestly, as a team of th

Anthony Marley, director at Northern Ireland-based remediation specialist Anamore, comments on the changes to the cladding remediation programme in Scotland. Building safety and fire compliance involving cladding on high-rise buildings has become a prominent topic across the UK, with local gove

Ravenscraig Ltd director Russell Wilkie outlines his vision for the former steelworks in North Lanarkshire and the need to develop industrial communities. All across the UK, there are monuments to our industrial heritage. They remind us of the heavy industries that once helped power our country. Imp

Rob Bewick, senior construction safety consultant at Thomas & Adamson, highlights why mental health needs to be treated with the same degree of importance as physical health on construction sites. In the construction industry, health and safety is most often thought about in terms of physical we

Head of housing at Hardies Property & Construction Consultants, Michael Creech, has warned that Scotland’s affordable housing sector is facing its most challenging period in 40 years. The affordable housing sector has always had challenges to overcome, but this is the most difficult p

Holmes Mille architect Peter Edwards provides some jargon-busting advice to help people choose the right retrofit options for them. Do you know your EnerPHit from your CarbonLite Retrofit? And if someone mentioned PHPP, would you know what they meant? If not, I don’t blame you – the lang

In the wake of the Scottish Government admitting it is significantly off-track from meeting its 2030 net zero targets, Forster Group chairman and founder John Forster discusses the challenges and opportunities of achieving such goals. The journey towards net zero is fraught with complexities an

After such a busy weekend, which saw 6,600 visitors to ScotPlant, the team from the Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA) reflect on the event and share some highlights on what remains the most significant event for the plant industry in Scotland.

Robert Bennet, head of sales and marketing at Rearo, highlights the changing role of the bathroom over the years, and how that has impacted developers and suppliers in the construction industry. The only time most of us give any deep or meaningful thought to our bathrooms is when we are refitting th

BTO solicitor Kieran Thrall and trainee solicitor Kate Ross explain a determination by the Outer House that notification of loss and expense claims is a condition precedent to entitlement and highlight its implications for the construction industry.

With changes upcoming to the time limit for enforcement action in England for breaches of planning control, Brodies partner Neil Collar and associate George Sismey-Durrant highlight other differences in planning law between England and Scotland. From 25 April, the time limit for enforcement action i

Janey Milligan, managing director of Construction Dispute Resolution, discusses the rise in construction adjudication cases being witnessed at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb). Since statutory adjudication was introduced in 1998, construction adjudication has steadily become the a

Chris McGinn, commercial manager at PfH Scotland, believes Scottish social landlords need to get back to basics when it comes to reducing the carbon footprint of their homes. More than ever, improving the thermal performance of social homes in Scotland feels like an uphill battle.

Jenny Davies, associate director at Scottish Futures Trust, details the issues faced by key workers struggling to find affordable places to live and highlights some example solutions from around the country. Key workers are an integral part of our communities – from caring for our grandparents