In this episode Bishop & Taylor discuss the break up of tool hire group HSS, the external wall insulation scandal and the cost of gold (or should that be green?) plating the Lower Thames Crossing project
Bishop & Taylor discuss the government’s latest plans for new towns, Gatwick Airport expansion and what might very well be Britain’s best supported building – is 17,000 piles a record?
Taylor struggles manfluey (sic) through this episode’s discussion with Bishop on topics including the challenges facing the new housing secretary, which statistics to believe and when contracts come to an end.
With that 1.5 million new homes target looking increasingly unachievable, Bishop & Taylor consider some of the blockages in the system. They also discuss how National Highways spends its ‘designated funds’. And they review some recent industry acquisitions, giving them the opportunity to talk cranes.
Bishop & Taylor trawl through The Construction Index 2025 rankings of the Top 100 construction contractors. And they hit upon the solution to the industry’s recruitment problems.
From Roskill to Arora, Bishop & Taylor discuss Heathrow expansion and alternatives of the past. They also wonder why Mace sold its most protitable operations. And they review some of the latest goings-on overseas, including the Strait of Messina Bridge.
After their regular review of recent headlines, Bishop & Taylor are joined by Suzannah Nichol, Chief Executive of Build UK, to look back on the first 10 years of the industry’s biggest representative body.
Bishop & Taylor discuss EDF’s decision to rein in its exposure to the Sizewell C nuclear plant, reorganisation of the Building Safety Regulator and the imminent soaring hike in landfill tax.
It’s all big infrastructure in this episode, with Bishop & Taylor discussing a new 10-Year Plan, revelations of how badly awry HS2 has gone, and cartel busters from the Competition & Markets Authority being given a stab at management consultancy to tell us how to do civil engineering better.
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.