News

The BBC has been criticised for its lack of construction project management skills during the delayed work to build a new set for its flagship EastEnders programme. The House of Commons public accounts committee said the corporation underestimated scale and complexity of the E20 project, which will

Looking to improve your home in 2019? Planning to tackle that extension or loft conversion?

The significant increase in planning costs associated with the amendments made at the latest Parliamentary stage of the Planning (Scotland) Bill threaten the very aims of the new legislation, according to planning minister Kevin Stewart. Mr Stewart was speaking as the Financial Memorandum for the Bi

A Scottish local authority which sued engineering contractors over a failed social housing development that had to be demolished for health and safety reasons has had its £12 million damages claim dismissed. Midlothian Council raised an action against Blyth & Blyth Consulting Engineers Ltd

The group opposed to Aberdeen Football Club’s bid for a new £50 million stadium at Kingsford has said it will not appeal against a court decision backing the project. The Dons got planning permission from Aberdeen City Council in April to build a 20,000-seat arena and training complex al

Housebuilder Mactaggart & Mickel has received planning permission to build the next phase of its flagship Millerhill housing development at Shawfair in Midlothian. Mactaggart & Mickel is currently on site, finalising the first phase of the development which comprises a total of 137 private h

Proposals for more than 500 homes at Donald Trump’s north-east golf course have been recommended for approval despite planners claiming it “significantly breaches” legislation. Councillors on Aberdeenshire Council’s Formartine area committee are due to give their views on the

The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into suspected anti-competitive arrangements in the supply of construction services in Britain. The competition watchdog said the investigation concerns suspected infringements of Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998 but ha

Scottish procurement reforms are failing to help smaller businesses win public contracts, a new report from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has revealed. According to FSB’s research, only about a fifth of Scotland’s £12 billion procurement budget goes directly to small bus

Persimmon is to become the first major UK housebuilder to offer a retention policy to protect homebuyers from repair problems. Under the new initiative, which begins today, the company’s standard contract will say 1.5% of the total home value can be withheld by the buyer’s solicitor unti

Planning Minister Kevin Stewart blogs about the need for Scottish Parliament to amend the Planning Bill to ensure it supports economic growth. The Financial Memorandum for the Planning Bill has been published. This sets out the estimates of the financial implications of the legislation as it st

National law firm Shoosmiths has made three new appointments to its real estate team in Edinburgh. The expansion comes as the division looks to further capitalise on sustained business growth and recent client wins.

Heart of Midlothian Football Club has upgraded its Tynecastle Park in Edinburgh with a new state-of-the-art hybrid pitch thanks to Aggregate Industries’ drainage stone, sand and rootzone. Having used a natural grass pitch and without a full pitch replacement in over 20 years, Hearts wante

Delegates from five major construction companies in the United Arab Emirates visited the ground-breaking new GRID building at Heriot-Watt University (HWU) in Edinburgh this week. The group were then paid a visit from innovation and trade minister Ivan McKee MSP.

Works are progressing at two developments by Highland Housing Alliance that will deliver more than 80 homes. Onsite building works are under way at Glenfield in Ullapool, which will see 49 homes becoming available in winter 2019, while demolition work nears completion at a 37-home project in Inverne