Insight

Head of housing at Hardies Property & Construction Consultants, Michael Creech, has warned that Scotland’s affordable housing sector is facing its most challenging period in 40 years. The affordable housing sector has always had challenges to overcome, but this is the most difficult p

Holmes Mille architect Peter Edwards provides some jargon-busting advice to help people choose the right retrofit options for them. Do you know your EnerPHit from your CarbonLite Retrofit? And if someone mentioned PHPP, would you know what they meant? If not, I don’t blame you – the lang

In the wake of the Scottish Government admitting it is significantly off-track from meeting its 2030 net zero targets, Forster Group chairman and founder John Forster discusses the challenges and opportunities of achieving such goals. The journey towards net zero is fraught with complexities an

As the Scottish Futures Trust publishes its Business Plan for 2024/25, the SCN Construction Leader for May, Peter Reekie, tells Colin Cardwell that net zero remains firmly on the agenda at the organisation. Peter Reekie laughs when he recalls his first work experience. It was certainly a s

After such a busy weekend, which saw 6,600 visitors to ScotPlant, the team from the Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA) reflect on the event and share some highlights on what remains the most significant event for the plant industry in Scotland.

Robert Bennet, head of sales and marketing at Rearo, highlights the changing role of the bathroom over the years, and how that has impacted developers and suppliers in the construction industry. The only time most of us give any deep or meaningful thought to our bathrooms is when we are refitting th

Lynne Peacock is part of the Chartered Institute of Building’s Member Services team based in Scotland and is urging nominations for this year’s coveted CIOB Scotland Awards. The time has come for us to discover and reward the most talented built environment professionals across Scotland.

BTO solicitor Kieran Thrall and trainee solicitor Kate Ross explain a determination by the Outer House that notification of loss and expense claims is a condition precedent to entitlement and highlight its implications for the construction industry.

With changes upcoming to the time limit for enforcement action in England for breaches of planning control, Brodies partner Neil Collar and associate George Sismey-Durrant highlight other differences in planning law between England and Scotland. From 25 April, the time limit for enforcement action i

Janey Milligan, managing director of Construction Dispute Resolution, discusses the rise in construction adjudication cases being witnessed at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb). Since statutory adjudication was introduced in 1998, construction adjudication has steadily become the a

For April's SCN Construction Leaders feature, Colin Cardwell caught up with Sidey managing director Steve Hardy to hear about the company's award-winning 2023 and its double-digit turnover growth. Steve Hardy is a refreshingly ebullient person. The native of Newcastle upon Tyne who made Perth his ad

Chris McGinn, commercial manager at PfH Scotland, believes Scottish social landlords need to get back to basics when it comes to reducing the carbon footprint of their homes. More than ever, improving the thermal performance of social homes in Scotland feels like an uphill battle.

Jenny Davies, associate director at Scottish Futures Trust, details the issues faced by key workers struggling to find affordable places to live and highlights some example solutions from around the country. Key workers are an integral part of our communities – from caring for our grandparents

Moira Gordon discusses how the Aberdeen City Council's decision to scrap Empty Rates Relief (ERR) to address budget shortfalls may have unintended consequences for businesses across Scotland, as it could negatively impact investor appetite for the city and widen the gap with England's favourable bus

Clyde Gateway's approach to fostering an innovation economy can be replicated to encourage growth across Scotland, says executive director of regeneration Martin Joyce. The economic outlook for Scotland and the wider UK appears to be improving, if only incrementally. There is an opportunit