Re:Construction

Bishop & Taylor discuss the UK government's big push on nuclear power, the forthcoming requirement for new homes to have solar panels and Extract, the new AI tool for local planning departments

Bishop & Taylor approve of a significant Supreme Court victory for Barratt Developments and take opposing views on the government's plan to prevent land banking. They also discuss a report from a group of MPs calling for a licensing scheme for individuals and companies engaged in domestic energy efficiency retrofits.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the difference between cheating and gaming the system, how to tackle bribery and corruption in the construction industry, and (completely unrelated) the Reform Party's construction connections

Bishop & Taylor have been learning that concrete is far from the carbon-bad-guy that it is popularly portrayed as. They also discuss the Nature Levy, known by some as Licence to Kill. And they wonder whether aerogels are set for take-off in insulation.

In this episode stonemason Pierre Bidaud of The Stone Collective promotes the benefits of natural stone as a structural building material.  Also, Bishop & Taylor discuss the crisis at British Steel (and whether it matters) and marvel at coffee-infused cement.

Bishop & Taylor discuss some of the talking points from chancellor Rachel Reeves' recent spring statement, the formation of new government bodies, and the rise of pine.

Bishop & Taylor discuss government's efforts to reduce regulatory hurdles, the challenges facing the UK cement sector and a proposal to lower the school leaving age to 14 in Scotland

Bishop & Taylor discuss the government's response to the Grenfell Inquiry's final report and juxtapose this with the forgotten Cole Report report into a primary school wall collapse.

In this episode, Bishop & Taylor discuss exploding batteries, how the one-year-old biodiversity net gain (BNG) rules are bedding in, and a call from steel companies for clients to buy British

In a landmark speech last week, chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves voiced support for Heathrow's long-range third runway plan but may have killed the shovel-ready Lower Thames Crossing. Bishop & Taylor chew it over. They also mourn the demise of the SGB brand (Scaffolding Great Britain, as was).

In this episide Bishop & Taylor discuss a thwarted attempt to make solar panels compulsory on all new houses, RIBA's support a contractor licensing scheme and the latest examples of companies having a rethink about their plant operations.

Bishop & Taylor share their expectations for the UK construction industry in 2025, including a raft of major government initiatives, from NISTA to new towns.

In their last episode of the year, Bishop & Taylor look back on some of the highs and lows of the year: the change in government and what it has brought, the Grenfell Inquiry report, the fall of ISG, the birth of Barratt Redrow, the six-thousand-tonne crane… and more besides.

Bishop & Taylor discuss plans to for the provision of fast-track construction apprentices, the latest HSE statistics (shouldn't musculoskeletal disorders be classified as injuries rather than illnesses?), and the small London company with a letter of intent for 10,000 prefab homes.

Bishop & Taylor are joined by Paul Wilkinson, vice-chair of Nima, to discuss the Information Management Initiative (IMI) and its significance to the construction industry, particularly in relation to building information modelling (BIM) and technology adoption.

Bishop & Taylor are joined by Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist of the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), to discuss chancellor Rachel Reeve's autumn 2024 budget statement. Suffice to day, the doctor is unimpressed with her remedies.

Bishop & Taylor have yet to be much impressed by the new government's impact on the construction industry. They also discuss Britain's second-biggest house-builder, and plant hire companies turning away from general plant.

A decision on the £9bn Lower Thames Crossing is due this week, batteries are getting bigger and better, and there's a new name in house-building. Bishop & Taylor discuss all this, and more.

In this episode Bishop & Taylor discuss the collapse of ISG, the rise and sale of Fox Brothers, and National Highways' trial of graphene-enhanced asphalt.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the findings, and recommendations, of phase two of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the first 50 days of Kier Starmer's prime minstership, the demise of two very different organisations – Women into Construction and Hypertunnel – and the appeal court ruling on Providence v Hexagon

Bishop & Taylor discuss this year's tide of merger & acquisition activity, the appointment of Pete Redfern at Travis Perkins and National Highways' footbridge design competition. But they start with an update on last episode's discussion on AdBlue.

In another typically wide-ranging episode, Bishop & Taylor discuss what we can expect from the new government, problems with AdBlue and the latest addition to Network Rail's footbridge catalogue

In a football and election-free zone, Bishop & Taylor discuss the implications of the Finch v Surrey CC Supreme Court judgment, the flawed credentials of certain hydrogens and Mammoet's massive new flagship machine

After airing views about construction industry lobbying, Bishop & Taylor decide to park the politics. Taylor has been talking to an interesting SME, while Bishop has been following the battle for Chatham Docks.

Bishop & Taylor discuss how construction industry interests may or may not figure in the main party manifestos. They also discuss the UK's entry to an Indo-Pacific trade bloc and why machinery manufacturers fear restrictions on the use of ‘forever' chemicals.

Bishop & Taylor are joined by recruitment consultant Greg Shaw, Randstad's London regional director, to discuss the construction industry jobs market and the future of the industry

In this episode Bishop & Taylor mourn the demise of Geoffrey Osborne Ltd. They also discuss how missing green targets brought down Scotland's first minister. Also examined are demolition projects featured in the May 2024 issue of The Construction Index magazine: Honda's Swindon plant and a bridge over the M25 at Wisley.

Britain's briefest prime minister has a book out this week and Bishop & Taylor discuss some of the things that she's been saying. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, they decide. So what might Liz Truss be right about? Also in this episode, checking consultants' credentials and Taylor's adventure in artificial intelligence.

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.