Opinion – Page 327

  • Comment

    Taken for Granted

    2010-05-21T00:00:00Z

    I am concerned on behalf of the 400,000 homeless people in the UK, that the downgrading of this vital ministry from the Cabinet will result in little new action on behalf of the most vulnerable within our society (“Grant Shapps is housing minister”, 13 May, building.co.uk).

  • Comment

    And so the cuts begin

    2010-05-21T00:00:00Z

    Well done Cameron – brilliant (“Billions of pounds of schools and health projects frozen,” 14 May, page 9).

  • Comment

    ɫTV schools in the future

    2010-05-21T00:00:00Z

    ɫTV schools in the future Speculation about what is going to happen after the election is unhelpful (14 May, page 3).

  • Comment

    Nothing new

    2010-05-21T00:00:00Z

    It’s interesting that the RICS has learned nothing from the past. I criticised the organisation years ago for not consulting its members or doing what was in the interests of its members (I resigned eventually after many attempts to influence failed) and it is still not doing what it should. ...

  • Sarah Richardson
    Comment

    What’s going on?

    2010-05-21T00:00:00Z

    The coalition has stated that it will review spending commitments made since January using its own value for money criteria, and it’s obvious that the £55bn earmarked for schools renewal is not going to survive this process unscathed

  • Comment

    Private Code

    2010-05-21T00:00:00Z

    Congratulations to the OFT for withdrawing support for the Consumer Code.

  • Comment

    Elections? Who needs them

    2010-05-21T00:00:00Z

    Back issues special We had two other hung parliaments in the past hundred years. If the election of 1974 was bizarre by today’s standards, 1929 was truly surreal,

  • Phil Hutchinson
    Comment

    A day at Moscow's OfficeNext conference

    2010-05-21T00:00:00Z

    Russia’s capital has experienced a recent boom, so it’s about time it had a commercial office exhibition to reflect the fact - BDG Workfutures’s Phil Hutchinson was there

  • Comment

    Private housing completions in England have dropped by more than half since the credit crunch

    2010-05-20T10:48:00Z

    We all know it’s been bad in house building, but sometimes you have to look at the figures again to remind yourself just how bad things have been. The release of the latest housing figures provides that reality check, as the graph below so clearly illustrates. It's been carnage ...

  • Comment

    The problem with surprises on inflation

    2010-05-19T12:06:00Z

    Could it be that we are about to witness the beginnings of widening concerns over rising inflation?The Consumer Prices Index “surprise” jump to 3.7% yesterday will certainly increase rumblings in the markets and elsewhere.Although for the time being I suspect attention will be more focused on June 22 and ...

  • Comment

    Will London's new bus win our hearts?

    2010-05-19T12:02:00Z

    The newly redesigned Routemaster has been launched. Is it any good and perhaps even more importantly, is it worth it?

  • Joey Gardiner new 91
    Comment

    Is Shapps going to be good news for housebuilders?

    2010-05-18T09:51:00Z

    The appointment of new housing minister Grant Shapps has been warmly welcomed by the housing industry. Twas ever thus. Trade bodies always welcome the announcement of new ministers, because even if they disagree with everything they’ve ever said, written, thought, or even considered thinking, there’s no point making them your ...

  • Comment

    Tactical adjudications

    2010-05-17T13:51:00Z

    The court reminded the parties in the case of Pilon vs Bryer not to play too many games

  • Comment

    Tactical adjudications

    2010-05-17T13:49:00Z

    Everyone knows that adjudications are often as much about tactical manoeuvring as they are about the substance of the dispute. However, once in a while the courts like to remind parties not to push their luck too far. That is exactly what happened in Pilon Limited vs Breyer Group Plc.Pilon, ...

  • Comment

    The new austerity begins now

    2010-05-14T00:00:00Z

    One of the side effects of spending five days in limbo after the general election is that some of the construction industry might have got the funny idea that nothing much had changed

  • Comment

    The big question for Mr Shapps

    2010-05-14T13:54:00Z

    I would like to be among those welcoming Grant Shapps to his new role as housing minister and wishing him well. I must admit I have not been particularly kind to his ideas to date. It’s my job to be critical I guess.But for the record I do have a ...

  • Comment

    Gus Alexander: Prince Charles the wrecker

    2010-05-14T00:00:00Z

    As if dealing with planners for months on end wasn’t painful enough, we now have to calculate a last-minute intervention from a prince addicted to retro architecture

  • Quentin Shears
    Comment

    Quentin Shears: The kingmaker

    2010-05-14T00:00:00Z

    ’The fresh croissants are, I feel, a big, open and comprehensive offer’

  • Comment

    Hansom: Coming to my bash?

    2010-05-14T00:00:00Z

    Quarrels over ways of measuring embodied energy (no, really), communication breakdowns, last-ditch efforts to prevent desertion … oh, why can’t we just be Friends?

  • Comment

    Schools in danger

    2010-05-14T00:00:00Z

    While there are inevitable criticisms that can be levelled at Labour’s record, we recognise that architecture has generally done well under Labour