Opinion

With the Scottish Government and the Construction Industry Coronavirus Forum advising that all non-essential building sites in Scotland should close in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Harper Macleod partner Michael Conroy outlines what this means for building projects that are governed by the

Construction sector specialist lawyer Shona Frame discusses some of the pressures the industry has come under since the COVID-19 outbreak, the potential contractual issues arising from this and provides some advice on how companies can take practical steps to protect their position. Last month the c

Fraser Mitchell, planning partner at Shoosmiths in Scotland, considers the impact of COVID-19 on Scotland’s planning system and notes that significant challenges remain to maintain an effective planning system during the lockdown and beyond.   The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to presen

HFD Construction managing director David Shearer shares his thoughts on COVID-19 and what it means for an eventual return to work. Over the past weeks, construction has, like many other sectors, come under the spotlight as the world comes to terms with our new ‘normal’ amid the COVID-19

Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity CEO Bill Hill speaks about the current pandemic and how the government should be doing much more to support our construction workforce. In an industry where two construction workers take their own life every single working day and where 20% of all work absenc

Thorntons commercial property partners Janet McIntyre and Gary Thomas summarise emergency legislation introduced in Scotland to prevent the eviction of commercial tenants who are unable to pay their rent because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Irritancy is a remedy for landlords to terminate a lease early

Ailsa Thomson breaks down the Scottish Government's policy to empower communities and ensure people benefit more fairly from Scotland's land. As part of the Scottish Government's policy to empower communities and ensure people benefit more fairly from Scotland's land, on 26 April 2020 the right to b

Association for Project Safety CEO Lesley McLeod focuses on coronavirus and what it means for the construction industry. What’s happening in construction during COVID-19? Currently, as long as good hygiene arrangements are in place, and people scrupulously maintain their social distance, peopl

Looking to a post-pandemic work environment, Bruce Kennedy talks about designing workplaces that inspire creativity, celebrate our collective humanity and allow us to thrive. As a designer of workplaces, I’m fascinated by the adaptability of millions of people around the world as they embrace

Construction law specialist Ross Taylor sets out a series of guidelines for those working in the construction sector to improve their current position, and use the inevitable upcoming period of down time to review contracts for future use.  COVID-19 has put us all in completely unchartered terr

Jane McMonagle and Juliet Haldane discuss whether the latest COVID-19 guidance should mean a closure of construction sites and outline six key factors to consider when implementing a temporary shutdown. Following the Prime Minister's address to the nation on the evening of March 23 and the unprecede

SELECT director of employment and skills Fiona Harper on the ongoing uncertainty around construction working practices. Members will be aware of the announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday 23 March regarding the now enforceable requirement to ‘stay at home’ during the coro

Meeting the current and future skills needs of employers was the focus of the first Skills Investment Plan for Scotland’s Construction Sector, published four years ago. In the latest in a series of articles highlighting work resulting from the Skills Investment Plan, Ian Hughes, director of CI

CITB CEO Sarah Beale has written the following message outlining the training body’s coronavirus response plan. Dear colleague,

The Scottish Government’s Planning and Architecture Division explains its decision to extend the National Planning Framework 4 Call for Ideas deadline until 30 April.