Opinion

As Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2023 comes to a close, our work in devising ways to attract talented youngsters into the built environment must continue, writes hub South West Scotland chief executive Michael Ross. According to the Construction Skills Network (CSN) report, Scotland will need 19,550

Spring 2023 will be a significant time for developers as the UK and Scottish governments progress their separate cladding remediation programmes. Each government’s programme is at a different stage. Caroline Maciver (partner) and Lynda Ross (director) from the construction team at law firm Bu

Mhairi Donaghy, associate director at Scottish Futures Trust, highlights a new report out today that looks at why town centre living (TCL) is important and the reasons investment has been limited.  Scottish society was built around towns and villages. From the traditional clan system to to

The monthly Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) column continues with Jocelyne Fleming reflecting on her visit to Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Construction. Ensuring the Scottish construction industry has a steady supply of labour with the necessary skills continues

With Scot­land and the rest of the UK con­tin­u­ally miss­ing house­build­ing tar­gets, Fraser Mitchell, part­ner in Shep­herd and Wed­der­burn's Prop­erty and In­fra­struc­ture team, asks: what are the road­blocks to build­ing?

A pause for reflection may be no bad thing if we are to see a return to a more normal residential property market in Scotland, argues DM Hall's John McHugh. While reports about a slump in house sales and dropping prices quite naturally attract the attention of a headline-hungry press, the reali

Brewster Brothers managing director Scott Brewster calls for help from the finance sector to make construction's sustainability aspirations a reality. Over the past few years, the construction industry has taken great strides to embrace sustainable practices. But faced with rising fuel costs, inflat

Callum Chomczuk, national director, CIH Scotland, illustrates the challenges that may make meeting the ambitious target of 110,000 affordable homes over 10 years unattainable, as set out in Scotland's National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). That sound you didn’t hear was Parliament agreeing on t

The case of Muir Construction Limited v Kapital Residential Limited [2017] CSOH 132 served as a timely reminder of the importance for parties to a construction contract to understand the role of pay less notices. As economic uncertainty continues, maintaining cashflows and ensuring the correct amoun

Housebuilding veteran John Muir shares his focus on the sector’s long-term resilience. This year is the 50th anniversary of Muir Homes building quality homes across Scotland. This landmark comes amidst rising energy prices and an industry bouncing back from the covid pandemic.

Policy and practice lead David Stewart looks at the Scottish Land Commission's work on land and housing, and land reuse proposals, that could support the necessary shift from greenfield to brownfield development.  NPF4 is highly significant. It sets a framework for land use and development in S

Alastair McCoan, building consultancy partner at Knight Frank Scotland, on the pitfalls that can come with moving offices from dilapidations.  After nearly three years interrupted by Covid-19 and macro-economic disruption, 2023 could be the year many businesses start making big decisions.

Sandra Cassels discusses the recent changes to the law of prescription and their impact on latent defects in construction projects. The expiry of claims for damages in Scotland is regulated by the Prescription & Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973. Section 6 of the 1973 Act provides that claims

Jessica Tresham, James Ignotus and Michelle Essen from the construction team at Womble Bond Dickinson share why arbitration is such a popular way of resolving cross-border disputes. Most people in the construction and engineering industry are familiar with the term "international arbitration". They

Paul Raby, Balfour Beatty group HR director and executive committee member, explores Right to Respect and what it means to Balfour Beatty and the wider construction and infrastructure industry. Ours is an industry plagued by historical misconceptions; long heralded as typically male dominated, steep