It has been another busy year for the industry, from building safety updates to the appointment of CIOB’s new CEO. Below are the 10 most popular news stories published by CM this year.
10. ‘Heed the wake-up call’: industry reacts to Hackitt’s building safety warnings
Following Dame Judith Hackitt’s comments at the Sir James Wates lecture in late 2024, CM spoke to several leading organisations from across the built environment for their views and how they have responded to her calls for change.
Neil Rosiak, HSE director at Tilbury Douglas, said: “Dame Judith Hackitt’s lecture reminds us that this is the biggest mindset change in a generation since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
“The industry, as a whole, has to make that step change and heed the wake-up call.”
9. Former ISG employee wins breach of contract employment case
A former ISG employee was awarded more than £16,000 after winning an employment tribunal case against ISG Retail for breach of contract over the redundancies resulting from the company’s collapse.
Kaldeep Dhanda MCIOB was a project director at ISG from December 2020 until the contractor filed for administration on 20 September 2024, according to his LinkedIn profile.
An employment judge ruled that ISG Retail Ltd (in administration) failed “to consult properly or at all with the claimant regarding proposed redundancies”.
8. Government approves plans for controversial data centre in green belt
In May, the government overturned a decision by a Hertfordshire local council which blocked the development of a huge data centre next to the M25.
In January 2024, Three Rivers District Council had rejected a planning application by high-tech infrastructure developer Greystoke Land to build an 84,000 sq m hyperscale campus on green belt land off Bedmond Road, in Abbots Langley.
7. Caroline Gumble steps down as CIOB CEO
At the start of the year, Caroline Gumble announced her decision to step down as CEO of CIOB to take on a leadership role within the engineering sector. A selection of comments from CM’s readers reflected on the “energy and commitment” she brought to the role.
Victoria Hills MRTPI FICE was announced as Gumble’s successor. During her tenure as CEO of the Royal Town Planning Institute, Hills led a major transformation programme to develop the organisation into a more outward-facing and dynamic body to engage more effectively with external stakeholders and members.
6. First building liability order handed down under the Building Safety Act
In April, CM revealed that a high court judge had issued what is believed to be the first-ever building liability order (BLO) under the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA), marking a significant development for building safety disputes.
BLOs were introduced by the BSA to give courts the power to extend a company’s liability for building safety issues to associated companies “if it considers it just and equitable to do so”.
5. Man City to install giant digital screens ahead of new season
Before the start of the 2025-26 premier league football season, Carlisle-based engineering firm, Peacock Precision Services, was appointed to deliver a major digital screen installation project at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.
The project involved specialist preparation and structural works to enable the integration of the screens within the stadium’s existing infrastructure.
4. High court judge rules contract made over WhatsApp is valid
A high court judge ruled that a WhatsApp exchange between a property developer and demolition contractor constituted a valid contract.
The case involved a dispute around demolition works at the former Mercy nightclub in Norwich.
Justice Roger ter Haar KC, a judge at the Construction and Technology Court, ruled that a message exchange on WhatsApp on 17 May 2023 constituted a contract based on the clear agreement on the project’s fee, work scope and payment terms, indicating an intention to create a binding agreement.
3. Three arrests in Mace data centre bribery investigation
In May, CM reported that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) had launched a multi-million pound international bribery investigation, centred on Blu-3 and former associates of Mace.
The SFO said individuals at infrastructure provider Blu-3 are suspected of paying over £3m of bribes to former associates of Mace Group in relation to the construction of a data centre in the Netherlands for the technology giant Microsoft.
A topical contract clinic question from a CM reader helped shed light on the risks of accepting ‘facilitation payments’ and the penalties for engaging in bribery.
2. Luton Town FC’s new 25,000-seat stadium gets go-ahead
Luton Borough Council approved Luton Town FC’s plans to build a new 25,000-capacity stadium in the heart of the town centre.
It would more than double the capacity of the current ground in Kenilworth Road, where the club has played for almost 120 years.
An April update from the project revealed that Limak International, the Turkish contractor behind the redevelopment of FC Barcelona’s Spotify Camp Nou, had agreed a pre-construction services agreement with Luton Town.
1. BCIS forecasts 17% building costs increase over next five years
Construction forecast data released by the Building Cost Information Service in January showed that building costs will increase by 17% over the next five years.
Over the same period, tender prices will rise by 19% and new work output, which contracted since mid-2023, is expected to grow by 21%.
