Category: Opinion
-
Readers react to Caroline Gumble stepping down from CIOB
She has helped individuals to grow and develop, built collaborative links with other institutions, been unafraid to challenge where necessary and has consolidated CIOB as community of modern professionals committed to fulfilling the social value of the built environment. Thank you, Caroline, and all success in your next role.Sandi Rhys Jones OBE FCIOB View the…
-
Advancing building safety through systemic change
Matt Mahony explains the work CIC is doing to prevent tragedies like Grenfell from happening again. Building on this, in September 2020, CIC introduced a Building Safety Committee, led by former CIC chair Professor John Nolan CBE. This committee, chaired now by David McCullogh, comprises leading industry experts from our member organisations, who convene regularly to…
-
Construction must embrace real diversity if it wants change
Commitment to modern professionalism and an inclusive approach will be necessary to meet society’s evolving needs, writes Caroline Gumble. CIOB’s plan includes a focus on measures to encourage a more representative workforce Our virtual Members’ Forum meeting a few weeks ago was a great opportunity to share updates on the progress of our corporate plan…
-
Is the Building Safety Act slowing down Labour’s housing targets?
However, while rightly seeking to ensure parties take responsibility for their roles in construction projects, the industry is facing frustrations with the resourcing and capacity of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), which is inevitably slowing down higher-risk building (HRB) projects and will have a knock-on effect for hitting government housing targets if not resolved quickly.…
-
Navigating fire safety challenges in social housing: a critical examination
Anthony Walker looks at the fire safety issues facing landlords in the social housing sector. Many landlords are grappling with a backlog of remedial actions (Image: Dreamstime) The landscape of fire safety in social housing is undergoing significant scrutiny, with recent regulatory notices issued by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) highlighting the pressing challenges…
-
Awaab’s Law coming into force is good news – but it doesn’t go far enough
The second phase will be rolled out in 2026, when Awaab’s Law will be expanded to address all category 1 hazards in the housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS), which go beyond just mould and damp issues. This includes hazards such as excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire, electrical, explosions and hygiene.…
-
‘The use of the BIM model was a gamechanger on our site’
A selection of readers’ comments about news and issues in the industry from across the CIOB community and social media. GF Tomlinson has built a planetarium on top of an old 25m-diameter Victorian reservoir in Nottingham (Image: GF Tomlinson) Welcome home, planetarium The use of the BIM model was a gamechanger on our site. It…
-
What concrete costs tell us about construction inflation
Ready-mixed concrete also serves as an interesting indicator of local construction inflation. While its price is affected by global commodity markets and energy costs, it cannot be transported over long distances due to its short shelf life. This necessitates domestic production, making the price of ready-mixed concrete sensitive to local factors such as the cost…
-
CIC: A leadership reflecting the world it serves
Ian Brant FCIOB reflects on the importance of having a more inclusive and representative industry to meet construction’s challenges. The Construction Industry Council was given a reason to celebrate the start of 2025 as our chair Dr Wei Yang was honoured with an OBE in the King’s New Year Honours List. Wei is an internationally…
-
Combining old and new brings out the best in our heritage
The 2025 CIOB Conservation Conference will focus on the people behind the projects preserving UK historic buildings, says Caroline Gumble. I am very much looking forward to this event and I am grateful to our Heritage Advisory Panel, particularly Rebecca Thompson FCIOB, director of property at St Paul’s Cathedral, and Stewart Wright MCIOB, head of…