Opinion

Studio LBA managing director Lynsay Bell Manson shares her views on the trends for wellbeing-inspired sustainable-led designs. With an ongoing commitment to protect people and the planet, Scotland has set a target of net zero emissions by 2045. As such, it should be no surprise that several of our c

Lindsays partner Louise Norris shares her belief that the success of Scotland's property sector would be accelerated by an increase in female participation. The opportunities for women in Scotland’s property industry have never been greater - whether they be in construction, engineering or pro

William Rankine discusses the impacts of recent events on the leisure sector and analyses trends and opportunities within specific sub-sectors. The leisure sector has been through huge amounts of change since the turn of the decade. It was not so long ago that hotels, leisure parks and resorts, and

Aberdeen-based Dr Ollie Folayan MBE, co-chair of AFBE-UK Scotland, announces the nationwide rollout of the Engineering Ethnicity Index (EEI) in 2025, a groundbreaking framework to improve diversity in the UK engineering sector where ethnic minorities remain underrepresented despite strong participat

Cruden Group MD Steven Simpson discusses the outlook for house building in the year ahead and reveals why 2025 is a time of opportunity and optimism. As 2025 dawns, the housebuilding industry finds itself at a crossroads, still facing economic and political challenges, yet buoyed by increased opport

CMS partner Shona Frame outlines key legal and legislative issues that are likely to impact the construction sector over 2025.  In the year ahead, significant legal and legislative measures covering a range of areas including environmental sustainability, health and safety, financing and employ

Brodies' legal director Jamie Dunne and solicitor Emma Hill highlight a CMA probe into possible bid-rigging in relation to a school improvement fund and discuss what it could mean for construction businesses.

Organisations that can deliver green construction stand to benefit from increasing consumer demand, argues Julia Maguire​, partner and head of energy at Pinsent Masons. The UK construction industry is navigating its way through the energy transition as it shifts towards a more sustainable, lower c

Steven Tolson FRICS, chair of the Housing and Place Delivery Forum (HPDF), reflects on the work of the Forum and the challenges that remain for planners and developers in Scotland. The HPDF came to an end in December 2024, but the evidence it has generated will continue to inform housing and plannin

The Edinburgh housing market remains a law unto itself and demand for good family homes keeps prices bubbling, writes Kirsten Nicolson, who discusses recent residential property trends in the capital. As the old year slips away, home buyers and sellers – as well as property professionals &ndas

Land expert Martin Andrews outlines the role that Wemyss and March Estates' expansion of Longniddry can play in tackling Scotland's housing emergency. Whether tens, hundreds, or even thousands of years ago, every parcel of our built environment was once green and fertile land. As a land manager, in

Following on from the recent Scottish Budget, Jim Baxter, who has been financial director at Allanwater Homes for the past 27 years, outlines what he believes can be done to help address Scotland’s housing shortage, alongside his thoughts on improving the country’s planning system. The c

CMS partner Caroline Maciver highlights what the Scottish Government has in store for 2025 in terms of cladding remediation. As this year comes to a close, Scotland’s housing minister Paul McLennan has given some indications of what to expect next year in respect of cladding remediation.

It’s the time of year to reflect on what the Institute and the wider construction community learned in 2024 and what we should take forward into 2025, writes Caroline Gumble, CEO at the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). CIOB members and our partners in the wider construction community wi

Thomas & Adamson director Zander Muego highlights five opportunities or challenges that he believes are likely to shape construction in 2025. After the challenges of the pandemic and its immediate aftermath, many people would have hoped that 2024 would prove more predictable. But, between stubbo