Agricultural protection measures and early stakeholder engagement prove critical for Scotland's renewable energy future, writes David Ure, Thistle Wind Partners’ onshore civil engineer. Successful offshore wind development hinges on far more than turbine technology and marine engineering. Scot
Insight
Last week, Sheelagh Cooley, real estate partner and head of the Edinburgh office at Shoosmiths, delivered the keynote speech at the Scotland Investor and Developer Breakfast as part of the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF, Leeds, 20-22 May). She shared her market insights
May's instalment of the CIOB Column sees Jocelyne Fleming call for construction to take inspiration from offshore wind and establish a Skills Action Plan. In the 2025–26 Programme for Government (PfG), the Scottish Government has committed to working with partners across the public and private
Outlining frustrations with the planning system in Scotland, Liz Hamilton from AS Homes and Briar Homes calls for an ambitious national housing target that filters down into local delivery frameworks and for the next local development plans to allocate enough deliverable land. One year ago, Scotland
Laura Sefton, an energy specialist lawyer from CMS, highlights the challenges facing the housing sector over the decarbonisation of heat from buildings, explains why we’re seeing an evolving regulatory environment and examines the legal and regulatory implications of these changes. Scotland&rs
Moxon Architects and IB Miebach have completed an innovative, sustainable timber and concrete composite bridge for the town of Baiersbronn in southern Germany. Baiersbronn Bridge strengthens connections within the town’s central area, while enhancing the landscape along the scenic Murg River.
From rising construction costs to global geopolitical risks, Scotland’s real estate market faces no shortage of challenges. But for Chris Dougray, head of development at CBRE Scotland, adversity also brings opportunity. Chris Dougray is both generous with his time and eclectic in his interests
The growing popularity of self-builds and owner-managed conversions and renovations, perhaps fuelled by the popularity of Grand Designs and other such programmes, puts an additional potential responsibility on conveyancers when acting for purchasers of such properties and this is becoming a growing
After a decade of challenging misperceptions around the quality, safety, and potential of Scottish timber, BE-ST has launched the Mass Timber Centre of Excellence - a milestone in the journey to making UK-grown mass timber a mainstream, high-value construction solution. Sam Hart, associate dire
Greig Fenton, regional director at Thomas & Adamson, part of Egis Group, explores how early planning and a collaborative, impartial approach are essential to ensuring a smooth and cost-effective transition as billions in PFI assets return to public ownership. The great Private Finance Initiative
After Orsted announced its decision to cancel plans for the Hornsea 4 offshore windfarm, sparking debate on the viability of renewable energy projects due to financial challenges such as supply chain costs, higher interest rates and rising construction costs, Grant Morrison, partner in Aberdeen and
A 96-year-old builder has been revealed as Britain’s oldest construction worker.
Thomas & Adamson's regional director Grace Mair explores the often-overlooked carbon cost of sustainability measures in the built environment, urging a more holistic approach to achieving net zero. Huge amounts of resource are being invested in improving the sustainability of buildings. During 2
With one year to go until the Scottish elections, this period provides challenges for businesses trying to achieve planning permission and funding. But, as public affairs consultant Jack Hope argues, it also provides some unique opportunities, like influencing politicians to prioritise the unblockin
Stephen Lewis discusses the challenges impacting Scotland's commercial property development, its economic consequences, and advocates for a collaborative public-private sector approach to stimulate growth. Scotland’s commercial property sector has undergone some significant changes in the last