Permitted Development Changes in England The Prime Minister has both announced – and hinted at – some major changes to Permitted Development rights for England as part of his Build, Build, Build campaign. From September this year we are to understand that homeowners living in the majority of post-war homes (whether they are detached, semi-detached…
What is the impact of Covid-19 on residential building contracts? In this blog CLPM’s Quantity Surveying team explore how Covid-19 is impacting construction works in the residential building market, and how we are advising and supporting our clients through this difficult time. Covid-19’s impact on Contract Administration The role of the Contract Administrator has always…
Are you planning a renovation, remodel or new build project? If so, then a visit to Build It Live! next month is a must. Build It Live! gives you the opportunity to meet and speak with hundreds of suppliers and source the right materials for your project. You can go to free seminars, workshops and demonstrations.…
Are you almost ready to make a planning application for a new build, restoration or extension building project? If so, you might want to make sure you get it in, and validated, with your local planning authority as soon as possible. Just before Christmas, parliamentary approval was given to legislation that will increase planning application…
Local Authorities, typically, have roles to play in terms of Forward Planning and also Development Control. All well, and good. More recently, however, Central Government has all but got rid of the centralised ideas plan. Local Authorities are supposed to be coming up with recommendations for site development rather than simply waiting for Planning Applications.…
Once upon a time we had great, influential architects who stamped their mark on whole areas of our cities and so created a cohesive feel to town centres and residential areas. In the early 18th century the city of Bath was transformed by John Wood and his son in the Palladian revival style through the…
Charlie Laing wrote an article about the future of the Didcot Towers recently which was published in the Business section of the Oxford Times. For those of you who missed it, here’s the article. In 2014 the 6 cooling towers at Didcot power station will be knocked down. Each of these towers is 200m tall…
The wonderful world of the Building Research Establishment I was lucky enough to be part of a tour of the BRE (building research establishment) the other day. I knew that it was involved in certification and in testing of materials but had no idea quite how extensive and intensive its operations were so the trip…
This post was sent in by a client of Charlie Laing Ltd for use in this blog! Can I turn the heating on yet? The big debate we all have once the weather starts to turn. Woman says yes, man says “No, put a jumper on!” Are you recognising any of this? Listening to the…
Energy bills are a hot topic at the Labour party conference. I can’t see how capping prices would work. If the energy companies can’t make profit in the UK they will simple go elsewhere – electricity prices in Germany are over 50% higher than in the UK. But why have an energy bill? Why not…