Insight

Fraser Mitchell, planning partner at law firm Shoosmiths in Edinburgh, warns that the Scottish Government must act on new legislation or an opportunity might disappear into the sunset. The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 has arrived following the most recent review of the Scottish planning system. In a

Dave Forrester of SELECT discusses recent thunder and lightning storms that have been affecting Edinburgh and the Lothians and gives tips on how to protect your gadgets at home and at work that could be affected by surges. Lightning is frightening. The crashing firestorm in the skies used to be

Halliday Fraser Munro’s Stephen Barker argues the role of masterplanning is as relevant and important today than ever before.

BDP principal Christoph Ackermann discusses the architectural process for designing buildings for knowledge exchange, or 'knowledge cauldrons'. Designing a building that will inspire the most ambitious, forward-thinking people who will tackle societal and global issues, is challenging. Yet the archi

The Scottish Government’s head of building standards Stephen Garvin shares the latest work of the Building Standards Division.  Everyone benefits from well-designed, safe and sustainable buildings, spaces and places. Our built environment contributes a great deal to our quality of life an

Accountant Alex Nicholson warns Scottish construction firms to act now in preparation for the VAT domestic reverse charge. From 1 October 2019, there will be a significant change to how suppliers in the construction industry supply chain account for VAT. The changes will apply to businesses making o

Brodies partner Neil Collar outlines how retirement living is addressed in the Planning (Scotland) Bill, which received Royal Assent last month. Retirement living – meeting the housing needs for older people – is addressed in the plan-making provisions in the Planning (Scotland) Bill.

Construction finance specialist Euan Bell offers his insight into how the upcoming VAT changes within the construction industry translate into, quite potentially, a huge impact on construction SMEs. As the political climate continues to cause uncertainty in the construction sector, imminent changes

After a century of flight to the suburbs, urban living has come into vogue for a variety of reasons. Queensberry Properties’ sales and marketing director, Hazel Davies, explores further. For much of the 20th century, living in the heart of a city was unfashionable and even somewhat undesirable

Rodney Whyte, partner and specialist in residential land development at Pinsent Masons, looks at how Scots law is holding back "later living" developments. There are almost 12 million people aged 65 and above in the UK, and that demographic is forecast to grow by an additional 8.6 million people ove

Mabey Hire projects director Peter Aramayo on the importance of temporary bridging in rural areas.

With the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 receiving Royal Assent last week, chief planner John McNairney has written an open letter to provide an update on current workstreams being taken forward by the Scottish Government’s Planning and Architecture Division. Dear stakeholders,

Lawyers Sarah Wales, Fiona Graham and Curtis Fox explore how the construction sector can promote inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community. It is 50 years since the riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York sparked the international Pride movement, 50 years since people stood up and said enough is enough to

Assistant business development manager Laura Brown explains why she chose to leave a career in fashion to pursue a career in construction. I was very artistic and creative at school and always had a keen interest in fashion, so studying a degree in International Fashion Branding at university seemed

Halliday Fraser Munro design associate Isla Jappy discusses the future challenges for affordable housing in Scotland.