Insight

Painter and decorator apprentice Lisa Gordon shares her career experience for International Women's Day. From a very young age I wanted to be a painter and decorator. Granted, it’s not the typical career aspirations of a young girl, but I was inspired by my uncle - a painter and decorator who

Barton Willmore planning associate Andrew Woodrow argues that residential accommodation and flexible office space can help make Scotland's town centres flourish again. I have fond memories of shopping the 80s and early 90s. Visiting the Wimpy restaurant on Paisley High Street for a burger after an e

Morgan Sindall Construction’s managing director in Scotland, Stuart Parker, looks ahead to the united Scottish delegation heading to MIPIM 2019. Now in its 30th year, MIPIM, the world’s largest international property festival held annually in Cannes, is perhaps more relevant than ev

New MD of housebuilder Mactaggart & Mickel's English division, Joanne Casey, discusses her route to success within the property and construction industry and how we need to inspire more young people and women into this thriving and diverse industry. My son used to boast to his friends that I had

After figures from the Electrical Industries Charity (EIC) revealed that more than 400 people in the electrical sector attempted to commit suicide in 2018 alone, Martin Robertson discusses how firms in the construction sector can combat the tragic effects of mental health problems in

Spending on underground systems will boost productivity and deliver local economic growth, writes Scape Group chief executive, Mark Robinson. For decades infrastructure investment has focused on providing improved connectivity to and from London. Projects like Crossrail, Crossrail 2 and HS2, all sti

Alyson Cameron discusses her route into construction and dispels the misconception that a career in the sector is for those struggling academically or that it isn't for women. From a very young age, building was a keen interest of mine. My dad was a joiner and I always enjoyed helping him, showing a

In the recent J&B Hopkins (“J&BH”) Upper Tier Tax Tribunal VAT case, the court agreed with HMRC’s view that the business should be assessed for underpaid VAT, even though the business felt that HMRC would unfairly benefit from such an assessment. The business has been left

A model agreement between the Scottish Government, West Lothian Council and a newly-created joint venture could help tackle Scotland’s housing crisis if replicated in other regions, writes Russell Munro. Mary Queen of Scots is said to have stopped off at Niddry Castle near the village of Winch

To mark the opening of The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA) in the summer, Nigel Munro, the regional project manager for Henry Boot, describes his work on the project. At over £300 million in value, 418 metres long, 30 metres high and using 8,300 tonnes of steel, TECA is the single biggest develo

Planning consultant Colin Lavety makes the case for housing land allocation decisions to be made at a national level which he argues would standardise the process and increase the number of homes being delivered. Encouraging local authorities to empower communities across Scotland is a man

Sarah Pengelly discusses the pros and cons of “living wills” for construction suppliers. Back in November 2018 the Cabinet Office set out a plan which it hoped would allow public bodies to be better prepared in the event of supplier failure. This came on the back of Carillion’s col

Brodies partner Charles Livingstone considers more competition law breaches by construction companies and the results of a survey by the CMA.

Debbie MacKenzie, general manager at Proactis based in Aberdeen, provides some top tips for construction businesses looking to successfully bid for and win work. Businesses in the construction sector can find it a daunting prospect to build a fresh new pipeline of work for the New Year.

Gary Danson, operations director at specialist repair firm Plastic Surgeon, discusses what he thinks 2019 has in store for the construction industry. With Britain set to make big political decisions in 2019, the construction industry should be ready to adapt to the changing landscape. So, what can w