Interviews

Housebuilders and the CITB must urgently respond to the UK skills shortage in housing as evidence returns of UK firms looking overseas for workers, according to Crest Nicholson’s chief executive.

As Sainsbury’s finalises next year’s £1bn expansion plans, its director of store development Dean Clegg says the UK’s third-largest retailer wants new partners as it increasingly eyes mixed-use sites across the UK.

Given the threat of shrinking margins and the number of big-name M&E firms that have gone under in the past two years, the chief executive of one of the UK’s largest subcontractors NG Bailey could be forgiven for feeling anxious.

As UK contractors continue to lament the harsh economic climate, one Spanish infrastructure giant has quietly opened a new London office and is already picking up some of the UK’s most high-profile projects.

Galliford Try chief executive Greg Fitzgerald wants to “aggressively” grow the company into a top-five contractor, and insists he won’t “lose sleep” over its turnover unless it drops below £750 million.

Crossrail is planning to publicly release a series of ‘lessons learned’ documents as it looks to fly the flag for UK construction following the successful conclusion of the Olympics.

Outgoing capital projects director for the British Airports Authority Steve Morgan has told Construction News that the delay to a decision on Heathrow’s third runway made his decision to leave easier.

The Federation of Master Builder’s chief executive could be forgiven for having a gloomy outlook on the industry given the dozens of companies going bust each month, the negative publicity generated by cowboy builders and a lack of public knowledge about the forthcoming Green Deal.

As new chief construction adviser Peter Hansford prepares to take up his role in December, the industry will ask what new ideas he will bring and what strategy changes are afoot.