Opinion

Kirsten Belk, a practice development lawyer at Dentons, runs through the new Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill with an eye on its impact for real estate in Scotland. The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 26 June. Sustainable production and consumption are

Ailsa Ritchie, partner at law firm CMS, provides the following comment on the construction policy note which has introduced a Graduated Pricing Mechanism as an alternative method of determining price score in tender evaluation. Guidance setting out a new method of determining the price score in tend

With the average number of deaths in the building sector now significantly higher than in the pre-pandemic period, Kevin Bridges, partner and head of health and safety at Pinsent Masons, said the focus is now on construction's efforts to improve its safety practices. Construction companies have

To mark Net Zero Week, Procast Group's growth and development manager David Chapman reflects on the firm's work so far with key partners to achieve its net zero goals and what the future has in store. Procast Group is a strong advocate for sustainability, and we invest significantly both internally,

Neil Kelly, partner and head of construction at Morton Fraser MacRoberts, provides some analysis into a case where the Supreme Court ruled that a collateral warranty isn't considered a construction contract eligible for quick resolution under the Housing Grants (Construction & Regeneration)

Zander Muego discusses the complexities of decarbonising the UK's existing housing stock, particularly social housing, in the pursuit of net zero targets while addressing fuel poverty and ensuring wider community benefits. The importance of decarbonisation is becoming increasingly well understo

CEO of Scottish property portal ESPC, Paul Hilton, shares his thoughts on how the new UK government could help to bring about much-needed change in Scotland’s housing. While housing is a devolved matter, ESPC hopes that the promises made by Labour in the recent general election might help to b

Jane Wood, chief executive of Homes for Scotland, discusses the alarming decline of small and medium-sized home builders in Scotland and its impact on the housing crisis, emphasising the need for urgent policy reforms to support the sector. Last week, Homes for Scotland (HFS) published a report reve

Funders are out in force and looking for opportunities as the commercial property sector in Scotland once again demonstrates its resilience, writes Ian Woods as he analyses trends in various sectors and critiques government policies. This time last year, it would have taken a large amount of br

Thomas & Adamson partner Hamish Paterson provides his take on new legislation giving Scottish Ministers powers to assess and remediate buildings which have unsafe cladding. In mid-May, the Scottish Parliament voted unanimously to pass new legislation that will speed up the removal of potent

Fraser Lynes, managing director of Cruden Homes, discusses the Scottish housing crises and the limitations of the NPF4. Scotland’s housing system is at a critical juncture. The Scottish Government has acknowledged the nation’s housing emergency and announced its intention to recognise ho

Paul Coulter, managing director at Eden PAM, the local asset manager on behalf of VCM Global Asset Management, argues that properties on the fringe of city centres are proving more popular for businesses to locate their offices. In just half a decade, the workplace has undergone a dramatic transform

Federation of Master Builders Scotland director Gordon Nelson shares news of the organisation's Scotland board election results which were announced at a gathering of members in Glasgow.

Julie Moulsdale from Perceptive Communicators shares how the homebuilding industry can use proactive community engagement to unlock the planning system. We are in the grip of a nationwide housing crisis, yet recent figures reveal that the timescale for average planning application is four times long

The full impact of the Cladding Remediation Bill, which was recently passed in the Scottish Parliament, is still to be felt within the construction sector, write Shona Frame and Ryan McCuaig. The 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy, which claimed 72 lives, put a sharp focus on the safety of cladding systems