Politically and economically, 2022 was a tumultuous year. Despite an encouraging start, by the third quarter it was clear that Scotland’s property sector was being impacted by spiralling inflation, soaring energy costs and increasing interest rates, writes Barry McKeown. Yet, let me recall som
Law
City Property (Glasgow) LLP has been fined for health and safety failings which left a man with severe injuries and permanent impairment. The firm, which manages and disposes of Glasgow City Council’s surplus properties, pled guilty to health and safety breaches at Glasgow Sheriff Court o
Employment lawyer Pauline Hughes outlines the implications of changes to flexible working laws. The Scottish Government has recently announced that they will soon be passing new legislation around flexible working, updating the current rules to, ironically, make the scheme more flexible for emp
Anderson Strathern’s employment law specialist Musab Hemsi has long argued that engaging someone through the Construction Industry Scheme doesn’t necessarily always mean they will be defined as self-employed – and this recent ruling (Richards v Waterfield Homes Limited) confirms hi
Law firm Burges Salmon has launched data-led research report exploring ways to support the consenting and permitting process for the anticipated growth in the number of low-carbon hydrogen infrastructure projects in the UK over the coming few years. With the potential to overcome some of the trickie
A chipboard manufacturer has been fined £2,150,000 for health and safety failings which led to the tragic death of an employee. Norbord Europe Limited was found guilty of two charges under health and safety legislation on 1 November at Perth Sheriff Court.
A construction firm has been fined £10,000 after an employee was crushed to death by an industrial drill in Glasgow. Core Cut Limited employee Derek McLean, 43, was crushed after attempting to manoeuvre a 3.5-tonne BROKK machine up a set of stairs in Glasgow's St Enoch shopping
Stephen Dick has joined Gilson Gray as a partner. Mr Dick has more than two decades of experience in the property sector and joins Gilson Gray from DLA Piper, where his client base included a range of high-profile investors, developers, landlords, and occupiers. He also previously spent six years wo
Lindsays has appointed a new director to its commercial property team. Bringing more than 20 years’ experience and a special interest in advising firms operating in the tourism, hospitality and retail sectors, Martin Bennett's arrival comes as demand for advice in the sector grows and as part
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned that companies are leaving themselves open to cyber attack by ignoring crucial measures like updating software and training staff. The warning comes as ICO issued a fine of £4,400,000 to Interserve Group Ltd, a Berkshire-based constr
In an exclusive piece for Scottish Construction Now, construction lawyer Jonathan Seddon explains how the way in which we use commercial real estate has changed and why the sector needs to think outside the box to take full advantage of the opportunities available. The way we use commercial real est
Construction lawyer Andrew Boccoli believes that a question mark hangs over the continuation of fixed-price arrangements. For the past 20 years, convention in the construction trade has been that contractors take on much of the financial risk when they tender successfully for projects. But, as the w
A reclaiming motion by a local authority challenging the refusal of its counterclaim against an adjudicator’s decision that a Final Certificate of an amount due to a building contractor was not conclusive has been refused by a 2:1 decision in the Inner House of the Court of Session. D McLaughl
Bruce Allan, director of Malcolm Allan Housebuilders, has pleaded guilty to being responsible for the destruction of setts that were home to an estimated 30 badgers while completing construction works in Milltimber, Aberdeen. Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that when Malcolm Allan Housebuilders was war
A bid by West Dunbartonshire Council to overturn the Scottish Government’s approval of 99 homes on greenbelt land in Clydebank has been refused by the UK Supreme Court. Councillors had unanimously opposed the original plans by Barratt Homes for the development at Duntiglennan Fi