Insight

Spring 2023 will be a significant time for developers as the UK and Scottish governments progress their separate cladding remediation programmes. Each government’s programme is at a different stage. Caroline Maciver (partner) and Lynda Ross (director) from the construction team at law firm Bu

The architects behind Bearsden’s new Allander Leisure Centre, which opened its doors this week, are hailing the facility as a potential future flagship for community-led, combined leisure and adult day care projects.

Redpath Construction founder Jim Pritchard tells Margaret Taylor for SCN's Construction Leaders feature that good timing and the ability to adapt have paid off for the company. It was fortuitous for Jim Pritchard that, when as an employee he had become frustrated with under-performance in the indust

Mhairi Donaghy, associate director at Scottish Futures Trust, highlights a new report out today that looks at why town centre living (TCL) is important and the reasons investment has been limited.  Scottish society was built around towns and villages. From the traditional clan system to to

The monthly Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) column continues with Jocelyne Fleming reflecting on her visit to Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Construction. Ensuring the Scottish construction industry has a steady supply of labour with the necessary skills continues

With Scot­land and the rest of the UK con­tin­u­ally miss­ing house­build­ing tar­gets, Fraser Mitchell, part­ner in Shep­herd and Wed­der­burn's Prop­erty and In­fra­struc­ture team, asks: what are the road­blocks to build­ing?

A pause for reflection may be no bad thing if we are to see a return to a more normal residential property market in Scotland, argues DM Hall's John McHugh. While reports about a slump in house sales and dropping prices quite naturally attract the attention of a headline-hungry press, the reali

Brewster Brothers managing director Scott Brewster calls for help from the finance sector to make construction's sustainability aspirations a reality. Over the past few years, the construction industry has taken great strides to embrace sustainable practices. But faced with rising fuel costs, inflat

Edison Group CEO Calum Melville is the next participant in SCN's Just a Minute feature. How did you get started in the industry? I believe there is room in the market to roll up SMEs in the construction and property sector into a £100 million plus revenue construction and property group.

Callum Chomczuk, national director, CIH Scotland, illustrates the challenges that may make meeting the ambitious target of 110,000 affordable homes over 10 years unattainable, as set out in Scotland's National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). That sound you didn’t hear was Parliament agreeing on t

Smith Scott Mullan Associates has shared images of its recently completed Whitburn Partnership Centre, a £4 million community project in the heart of Whitburn on behalf of West Lothian Council.

The case of Muir Construction Limited v Kapital Residential Limited [2017] CSOH 132 served as a timely reminder of the importance for parties to a construction contract to understand the role of pay less notices. As economic uncertainty continues, maintaining cashflows and ensuring the correct amoun

Housebuilding veteran John Muir shares his focus on the sector’s long-term resilience. This year is the 50th anniversary of Muir Homes building quality homes across Scotland. This landmark comes amidst rising energy prices and an industry bouncing back from the covid pandemic.

Policy and practice lead David Stewart looks at the Scottish Land Commission's work on land and housing, and land reuse proposals, that could support the necessary shift from greenfield to brownfield development.  NPF4 is highly significant. It sets a framework for land use and development in S

Alastair McCoan, building consultancy partner at Knight Frank Scotland, on the pitfalls that can come with moving offices from dilapidations.  After nearly three years interrupted by Covid-19 and macro-economic disruption, 2023 could be the year many businesses start making big decisions.