Insight

Proposed new measures to tackle unsafe cladding in Scotland will have “significant consequences” for the country’s real estate industry when adopted, writes Graham Horsman. The Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill – expected to be passed by mid-2024 – is

Caitriona Jordan, head of retrofit at Built Environment Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), Sara Edmonds, head of citizen engagement at BE-ST, and co-director of the National Retrofit Hub (NRH), and Rachael Owens, co-director of NRH, share their insights from the International Retrofit Conference. As th

To mark the first day of the Learning Places Scotland conference, Michael Ross tells SCN how Scotland's hub partnership model is helping to address key issues in the sector. In an ever-changing world, one constant remains - the power of education. It is the foundation upon which the future of o

Mark O'Neill from Hardies Property & Construction Consultants tells SCN why the latest changes to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings are very significant for building owners and occupiers. Commercial buildings across the UK are more energy efficient. At least that is what the

There is little point in planting hundreds of thousands of trees on our roads network if we don’t look after them until they can serve their purpose, says Keith Gallacher. Everyone who drives a car or travels by bus will have seen the small forests of plastic tubes at the side of any new

You’d be hard-pressed to find a construction business in Scotland that isn’t harnessing technology in the modern age. From using trucks and tractors to transport materials to calling clients on smartphones, almost every aspect of modern construction incorporates some sort of tech. But,

As any business knows, customers are the key to success. But if you’ve set up your plumbing business and aren’t seeing the levels of sales you expected, what else can you do? Fortunately, you’re not at a dead end.

Former apprentice bricklayer Danny McKibbens charts his rise to operations director at Clark Contracts for the latest in SCN’s Construction Leader series and notes the company's strong focus on training and career development. Danny McKibbens knows the positive influence a supportive empl

Heating, Plumbing & Parts (HPP) has grown its status as one of Scotland’s principal distributors in the plumbing, heating, and bathroom sector, following support from Business Gateway. The company's trajectory has seen significant expansion since its establishment in 2018, with branches no

Affordable, scalable retrofit can be achieved in a way that gives financial power to communities and transforms them for the better according to Rufus Grantham, co-founder at not-for-profit community interest corporation Living Places. Writing ahead of BE-ST Fest, a two-day industry summit taking pl

Rearo MD Graham Mercer considers the skills gap in the construction and manufacturing industries and suggests what needs to be done to ensure those sectors are properly resourced to fulfil future, large-scale infrastructure projects. The UK construction industry has long been a crucial driver o

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has recently announced its appointment of 19 ‘client champions’ – an impressive line-up of experts from across the construction industry – to help deliver its client strategy. The appointed champions will work with Linda Stevens, CIO

Lesley Grant and Kimberley Tochel of BTO Solicitors LLP flag risks for employers following a recent ruling. An employee claiming disability discrimination has been awarded more than £134,000 in compensation. The recent Employment Tribunal judgment in Brosnan v Coalo Limited underscores the ass

John Forster, chair and founder of Forster Group, Scotland's largest integrated solar roofing business, discusses the affordability challenge of the emerging era of electrification. Eighty per cent of homes in 2045 will be the homes we live in today and therein lies a dilemma: How do we achieve net

Gregor Duthie analyses the burgeoning growth of the student accommodation industry in Scotland, highlighting the surge in demand, the transformation of traditional housing options, and the strategic considerations developers must address to meet evolving student preferences and requirements. Over th