Re:Construction

Bishop & Taylor turn their attention to the contents of the August issue of The Construction Index magazine, and cover remarkably wide ground…

Bishop & Taylor are joined by structural engineer Kevin Lyons to discuss offsite construction. Our two regulars then also mull the government’s planning white paper and wonder whether contractors will be eager to pay plant hire firms a premium for carbon offsetting.

This was the week that we learned more details of the £2bn Green Home Grants scheme, with the condition that only Trustmark accredited installers could be used; and the Genoa San Giorgio Bridge opened, less than two years after the old Morandi Brige collapsed. Bishop & Taylor reflect on it all.

With a no-deal Brexit on the cards, Bishop & Taylor discuss unresolved issues for the construction industry, including the future of product standardisation; and – with protests camps fighting a rear-guard action – they agree to disagree about HS2.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the need for face masks (both in life and on site), Rishi Sunak’s Plan for Jobs, and (after the fatal 8th July collapse in East London) tower crane safety.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the Prime Minister’s Rooseveltian ambitions, the suspension of democratic accountability at the Construction Industry Training Board, and the sale of Interserve Facilities Management to Mitie. Read more on all these topics, and more, at www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news

In this episode Bishop & Taylor discuss industry job losses, how overseas contractors exploit UK state aid, construction’s plastic packaging problem and the remarkable claims of air-purifying paint.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the Roadmap to Recovery, the sudden flow of transport projects and the building workers (including TV’s Ricky Tomlinson) jailed nearly 50 years ago, whose convictions the Court of Appeal is now, finally, revisiting. Podcast, my arse!

Bishop & Taylor recap recent events in the UK construction industry, including this week: planned building works in parliament are under review, a company that allowed its workers to drive home tired has been in the dock and an old steam engine has been deployed to great effect on a decommissioning project.

This week Bishop & Taylor discuss the opportunities that some are finding in the health crisis, the use of drones in construction surveys and battery-powered machinery.

In this edition, Bishop and Taylor discuss latest safety stats from the National Access & Scaffolding Confederation, Highways England’s smart motorways alliance and whatever happened to Britain’s consulting engineers? The one’s that aren’t safely in employee ownership, that is...

Bishop & Taylor discuss furloughed construction workers, moves to revive the supply chain, recycling gypsum and the stalled cladding replacement programme.

Bishop & Taylor briefly discuss the latest news on HS2 before welcoming Steve Hadley to their virtual studio – he’s the Managing Director of Central Piling and the new chair of the Federation of Piling Specialists.

This week Bishop & Taylor discuss the latest mixed messages from Government on safe site operations, admire the heroic efforts of those getting field hospitals up and running, and have their interest piqued by the use of augmented reality to provide professional supervision to household DIY.

This week Bishop & Taylor discuss the continuing controversy about what sites should stay open, and the difficulties facing those that do. They also muse on the days when travel was easier, and press junkets enjoyed.

The lockdown has started and Bishop & Taylor chat about how the UK construction industry is responding to the Prime Minister’s order for all but essential workers to stay home. They also discuss working from home with expert input from our very own ‘Good Lady Professor Her Indoors’, Jacqui Bishop.

As the world goes into lockdown, Bishop & Taylor keep their distance to mull on Covid-19, Bimcams and bionic rakes, and the contents of the March issue of The Construction Index magazine.

Bishop & Taylor add a note about their last episode’s retentions discussion before turning attention to the Budget, bringing the end of cheap diesel for construction. They round off mulling why companies choose to change their name.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the potential ramifications of the Court of Appeal ruling against Heathrow expansion, developments (or lack of them) in the reform of cash retentions usage, and experiments in flexible working.

On 26th Feb 2020 Bishop & Taylor discuss the industrial impact of coronavirus, the creation of an ombudsman for buyers of new homes and the fate of construction industry archives.

It's Wednesday 19th February 2020 and in this week’s Re:Construction podcast, Bishop & Taylor discuss the benefits of cannabis, the UK’s new immigration rules and Sheffield’s smart bins.

This week Bishop & Taylor discuss the latest green light for HS2, a shocking display of bad leadership and the possible end of spring back / fall forward.

In this week’s Re:Construction podcast, recorded Wednesday 5th February 2020, Bishop & Taylor discuss beauty, signs of a Boris Bounce and cowboy builders.   See also: https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/government-considers-fast-track-for-beauty https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/data-news   & https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/who-needs-a-builders-licence

This week Bishop & Taylor discuss construction’s attempts to help save the planet, the idiocy of smart motorways and how quickly Wuhan is building emergency hospitals.

Re:Construction is a new podcast, launched this week by The Construction Index, featuring construction journalists David Taylor and Phil Bishop.  In this launch episode they discuss developments in the government’s Building Safety Programme, the latest attempt to legislate against late payments and the digital marketing prowess of the top contractors.  Each week Bishop and Taylor chew the fat for...