Re:Construction

Bishop & Taylor discuss the increasing difficulties endured by mobile crane hire companies faced with road embargos. They celebrate the completion of construction of the Thames Tideway tunnel (and hope it stops rowers vomiting). And they wonder what housing minister Lee Rowley’s MMC policy review might throw up.

In an unusually wide ranging episode, Bishop & Taylor cover crystalline silica, plastic pipes, the Lower Thames Crossing, the A66, the Daily Telegraph (is it really more important to national security than nuclear power?) and stress-inducing questions.

Bishop & Taylor are joined by Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist of the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), to discuss Jeremy Hunt’s spring 2024 budget statement.

Bishop & Taylor are joined by L Lynch Plant Hire joint managing director Merrill Lynch to discuss reducing construction’s diesel consumption.

Bishop & Taylor explore the disconnect between attempts to remove red tape for house-builders while simultaneously burdening them with ever-greater levels of bureacracy. They also discuss news from a couple of regulatory authorities: the Office of Rail & Road is investigating the deteriorating performance of National Highways; and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is on EDF’s case after a series of safety failings at its power plants.

In this episode, Bishop & Taylor hear from Bob Weston about why he had to scrap his £300m Anglia Square development in Norwich. They also discuss a House of Lords report that damns government’s lack of strategy for prefab housing. And they ask whether carbon measuring rules need to be dictated by government, as proposed by a coalition of industry institutions. Finally, they pay tribute to Jim Stockoll, founder of Dyno-Rod and daddy of UK franchising.

Bishop & Taylor are re-joined by Rudi Klein, perhaps the construction industry’s most seasoned campaigner for change. He shares his opinions on the need for industry reform and encourages listeners to take the opportunity of this year’s general election to lobby their local candidates.

Bishop & Taylor kick off 2024 mourning the demise of Stewart Milne Group. They also consider the apparent preponderence of neurodiversity within construction project management and discuss the rebranding of Artex.

As the end of the year approaches, Bishop & Taylor look back on some of the highs and lows on which they reported in 2023.

Bishop & Taylor chew over the autumn statement and late paying clients, discuss why Grenfell Tower still stands, and question whether state aid should go to a company owned by Persimmon and Goldman Sachs.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the latest goings on at Westminster, new applications of digital technology in construction machinery and the revelation that working from home has added a year of delays to HS2 design work.

Bishop & Taylor discuss Mace’s proposals to move London construction from mere recycling to the more virtuous state of circularity. They also chat about likely motives for the sale of piling specialist Rock & Alluvium. They conclude with a report that reckons a fifth of UK construction companies are in significant financial distress, and worry how many will survive.

Bishop & Taylor mull over Labour Party leader Keir Starmer’s promise to get Britain building again and the National Infrastructure Commission’s blueprint that might help him. They also return to the topic of dodgy ladders, with new research form the Ladder Association.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the cancellation of HS2’s northern section and the prime minister’s policy reversals on net zero targets.

Bishop & Taylor are joined by Balfour Beatty sustainability director Jo Gilroy for a chat about decarbonising construction machinery and the promise of hydrogen.

Bishop & Taylor return to the familiar topics of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and nutrient neutrality, both in the news. Fears of RAAC panels collapsing has prompted the closure of more than 100 school buildings and now more and more building owners are following suit. Rules that prevent houses being built where excessive nutrient run-off might pollute waterways are to be swept away, the government has decided. The final topic in this episode is the increasing obsolescence of power tools with plugs and cables.

After a whinge about companies trying to interfere with their journalistic integrity, Bishop & Taylor get onto the real business of this episode – the 2023 Top 100 ranking of UK construction contractors, as featured in the forthcoming September issue of The Construction Index magazine. They also discuss Sir Robert McAlpine’s version of the Barbie movie.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the latest tangles over switching from CE to UKCA product certification and the Transport Select Committee report on road-building. They also discuss repairs to Brentford’s modular Paragon Estate and latest results from volumetric house-builder TopHat

With industry forecasts this week predicting a 7% fall in construction output, much rests on Michael Gove’s latest raft of intitiatives. Bishop & Taylor chew the fat on this. They also revisit the Inland Homes story on corporate governance and “related party matters”.

Refreshed from a month off the airwaves [which is how they think podcasts are delivered], Bishop & Taylor discuss the A47 court challenge. They also expose how UK taxpayers support overseas construction companies instead of British ones. And they share concerns about how landlords use technology to educate their tenants.

Among topics covered in Bishop & Taylor’s wide-ranging conversation this week are Ilke Homes in need of rescue, the dangers of growth and whether the construction industry is behind the curve in embracing technology.

This week Bishop & Taylor discuss the revised hospital building programme and whether the HSE should investigate suicides. They are also joined by Adam Nicoll, director of HR firm Randstad, who has unfashionable views on the role of alcohol in the world of work.

Bishop & Taylor discuss Legal & General’s withdrawal from prefab housing, offsetting (again) and the economic clouds hovering over the UK industry

It has been a busy week for Bishop & Taylor: National Highways is preparing a diploma in integrated project delivery (IPD) that it expects its suppliers to sit; the Independent Review of Construction Product Testing has been published; and Persimmon has invested £25m in volumetric housing manufacturer TopHat.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the cancellation of the smart motorways programme, Billington’s recruitment difficulties, GMI’s shadow board and heat pumps.

Meriden MP Saqib Bhatti joins Bishop & Taylor to discuss HS2’s listening skills and community relations in the West Midlands. Also on the agenda are the £60m fine handed down to a demolition cartel and Balfour Beatty’s discovery that most battery-powered plant is not up to the job.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the recent Budget statement, including tax allowances (and perhaps how to exploit them), new additions to the Shortage Occupations List and the postponement of major transport projects. They also discuss developers that have not (or not yet, at time of recording) signed Michael’s Gove’s building remediation contract. And there’s an interesting new arrival in Vistry’s boardroom.

Bishop & Taylor give two cheers to National Highways for choosing to repair a Scottish viaduct instead of simply filling it in; they discuss latest initiatives in the push for a national retrofit strategy; and they sympathise with a contractor stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Bishop & Taylor’s wide-ranging discussion in this episode takes in the 90-year-old Buy American Act, concrete made from seashells, problems with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and what plant-hire companies want from the upcoming budget statement.

Bishop & Taylor discuss a Supreme Court judgment on nuisance, the review of Compulsory Purchase Orders, and claims that HS2 is not as biodiversity-neutral as it thinks it is.

Bishop & Taylor discuss Levelling Up fund allocation and changes to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. They are then joined by John Allcoat, head of construction stats at the Office for National Statistics, who explains what he does and how he does it. Best of all, he has some good news…!

Bishop & Taylor kick off 2023 with a look at the latest HSE statistics, including those relating to hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS); with the return of Andy Milner to Amey, they discuss boomerang CEOs; and they close proceedings with their views on internships.

Bishop & Taylor look back on some of the highs and lows of 2022. But first there’s the week’s news to catch up on: new owners for Mick George and Jewsons; and a warning from fire chiefs about modern methods of construction.

Bishop & Taylor discuss government spending plans, how Sizewell C power station will be funded and whether builders should have a builder as their institute’s president

Bishop & Taylor discuss a toddler’s death caused by uninhabitable social housing and the latest from that other great recent social housing scandal, Grenfell Tower. They also discuss why the Code for Construction Product Information has stalled and the temporary reprieve for CE marking in the UK.

Bishop and Taylor discuss some of the challenges facing the new transport secretary, a new concept for self-service readymix, and Interserve’s £4.4m fine for data protection failings. The also discuss corporate uniforms, of which Taylor approves.

Just like the prime minister, Ray O’Rourke is not yet ready to leave his job. Both are on the agenda of Bishop & Taylor in this episode. They also discuss whether the future of offsite construction means offshoring to distant lands, the Lafarge scandal and whether electricians deserve protection.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the government’s plans to reinvigorate the UK economy. They then move on to the backlash against hydrotreated vegetable oil as a diesel replacement. And finally, the beaver is back, with full legal protection.

On 8th September 2022, two days after asking Elizabeth Truss to form a new government, HM Queen Elizabeth II died. Bishop & Taylor discuss both the rules of mourning and their expectations of the new PM. Finally, having received a polite ticking-off from Portakabin, they also discuss brand protection.

The episode in which Bishop & Taylor discuss The Construction Index’s latest annual analysis of the UK’s Top 100 construction companies.

As drought turns to floods, Bishop & Taylor discuss reservoir plans and other rainwater strategies. They also consider the implications of a survey that appears to show young people warming towards careers in construction. And they welcome Vp’s refusal to accept unworthy offers.

Tanned and refreshed after their summer break, Bishop & Taylor return to discuss all things energy related, including controlling bills, the cost of heat pumps, repowering wind turbines, importing Moroccan sun and Sizewell C’s prospects.

With the Building Safety Act 2022 now in force, Bishop & Taylor wonder how much of it was needed and why there aren’t more Rick Willmotts in the industry to speak out. They also discuss bid rigging in the demolition industry. Finally, with Genie being recently fined for an incident nine years ago, they wonder why it takes so long for health & safety prosecutions to get to court.

The concrete rebar lobby has challenged the sustainability credentials of cross laminated timber; asphalt suppliers are switching from hot to warm mix recipes; and the trade gap in construction products and materials has doubled when it was meant to have halved. Bishop & Taylor discuss all this, and a little more besides.

The government is consulting on the restoration of imperial units for shopkeepers. Bishop & Taylor have their views. They also discuss telescopic ladders and the latest news on the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project. But first, tune in to learn the fastest way to net zero…

Bishop & Taylor are joined by bricklayer-turned-teacher Dean Carpenter, a supporter of the Further Education Teacher Recruitment campaign. That’s after they discuss the rising costs of Hinkley Point C and the surprisingly long reach of the Competition & Markets Authority.

Bishop & Taylor reflect on this week’s state opening of parliament and the contents of the promised legislative programme, from planning to procurement. They also discuss the ‘For Sale’ sale that has been hung on the still-great company formally known as Vibroplant. And, five years after tunnelling completed, the Elizabeth line is finally opening for paying passengers. Hurrah!

The battle to dig the UK’s longest road tunnel enters the ‘competitive dialogue’ stage; MPs call for more action on asbestos removal; and Thames Tideway’s twisted chimneys turn ventilation shafts into public art. Bishop & Taylor ruminate on it all in their usual manner.

The Chartered Institute of Building is pressing for the development of an A level in construction – Bishop & Taylor approve. They also discuss the new BBC Three series, Brickies, and have been sent a list of the world’s smuttiest looking buildings, including the new Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the British Energy Security Strategy, talk innovation with Transforming Construction Challenge director Sam Stacey, and approve of a promised crackdown on fly-tipping. They also reveal themselves to be on Michael Gove’s side in his battle against construction product manufacturers.