Building Weekly Digest: 20 May

Let's kick off

Lots of news & analysis for you this week - plus today we publish our monthly magazine in print and as a digital edition. For the football fans out there, our cover feature zooms in on Manchester United's ageing stadium: will the club decide to refurbish or rebuild? And there's more: with nearly 90 pages the May edition has something for everyone - news round-ups, in-depth interviews, vital market data and cutting-edge projects. A real page-turner, enjoy!

Latest edition out today

As we said, the latest edition of Building has dropped today, and we have covered a lot of ground! Our cover story sees deputy editor Dave Rogers explore what could be next for Old Trafford, getting advice from experts who have worked on other iconic sporting venues. And we look beyond Manchester United, with a guide to how six other major sports stadium projects fared. We also take a deep dive into the government's planning reform U-turn and look at what that means for developers. In an in-depth interview Travis Perkins boss Frank Elkins talks about getting to grips with rampant inflation, while Arcadis, analyses the latest trends in international construction costs as markets around the globe adjust to post-covid recovery, the Ukraine war and other factors. Plus, we talk to the Seismic consortium which has engineered a?standardised frame solution for delivering schools and other low rise buildings. The system claims to be 75% faster than traditional construction and it's about crank up?production. And let's not forget our regular gossip column (founder Joseph Aloysius Hansom would be upset).

And that's just a taster. To read all our articles and get your hands on the latest digital edition or print magazine, you can subscribe here

In Business interview: Frank Elkins at Travis Perkins

The chief operating officer of the country’s biggest builders merchants, Travis Perkins, talks about what the impact of soaring inflation and squeezed household budgets could have on his business.

Like many business leaders, inflationary pressures were on his radar as he went into this year but a war in Ukraine was not. In this interview he is clear that this round of inflation is unlike anything he has seen before, and he discusses the challenges and opportunities he sees ahead for different parts of the construction industry.

Nutrient neutrality: What does it mean for the housing industry?

A legal requirement that new houses do not pollute nearby wetlands, rivers and nature reserves has halted residential development across large parts of England, leaving local authorities and housebuilders in limbo.

Joey Gardiner reports on new guidance, issued without warning or consultation, which means that councils cannot issue residential permissions in which nutrient pollution is not fully mitigated or offset. This has left many affected local authorities and developers with their heads in their hands, at a loss to know how to proceed.?(Image source: shutterstock.com)

Gove intervention on ITV studios leaves many wondering which scheme is next in firing line

Last week, communities secretary Michael Gove dropped a bit of a bombshell when he effectively halted plans to turn the former ITV studios on London’s South Bank into office space by issuing it with a so-called Article 31 notice. There is now a growing wariness in the industry that these interventions will not be one-offs. It’s spooked some and left others to wonder which project is next.?

In the analysis from deputy editor Dave Rogers we hear from respected industry figures including Sir Stuart Lipton and Peter Murray, chairman of architecture thinktank New London Architecture, as they discuss whether we should all expect more projects to be questioned by the secretary of state.

Welcome to the Every Person Counts coaching

This week also saw the first instalment of our Every Person Counts campaign's coaching clinic - which takes a look at how to find the sweet spot for hybrid workers. Natalie Hall and Phanella Fine, who run Up Rising, a human?capital consultancy focused on culture and leadership, have provided insight on how while flexible working poses challenges for team leaders there are ways of accommodating staff preferences while achieving business goals.

And on the topic of our campaign - be sure to check the Building homepage or social challenges on Monday to discover one firm's answer to the skills crisis - starting their own training centre.

Construction Industry Dragon Boat Challenge

This week the team from Assemble Media Group, which includes Building, Building Design, Housing Today and Venue Finder, joined a host of teams from across the construction sector to take part in the 2022 Construction Industry Dragon Boat Challenge to raise money for CRASH.

For those unfamiliar with the work CRASH does - the organisation works?with homeless and hospice charities to support their construction projects. And while Building may not have walked away with the big prize you can still support the wonderful work being done by CRASH here

A look ahead... to our Risk & Regulations Summit

And just a quick reminder that our Risk & Regulations Summit?will be taking place on Wednesday and Thursday next week. All the sessions are free to attend and will be available on demand an hour after they take place. The agenda is as follows:

25 May

• 11am - noon: Building Safety Act: Navigating gateways two and three
• 2pm - 3pm: What does the new cladding regime mean for the housing industry??

26 May

• 11am - noon: What does the UK’s product testing sector need to do to become fit for purpose?
• 2pm - 3pm: Embedding the Golden Thread into construction processes

Have a lovely weekend and we'll be back with another update next week