126 | Smart Motorways, Staffing Issues and Heat Pumps
19th April 2023
Bishop & Taylor discuss the cancellation of the smart motorways programme, Billington’s recruitment difficulties, GMI’s shadow board and heat pumps.
Re:Construction
A fortnightly podcast in which veteran construction industry journalists Bishop and Taylor have a natter about some of the week’s events in the UK construction industry, seeking meaning even where none may exist.
125 | HS2’s Listening Skills, Demolition Cartels and Dud Batteries
5th April 2023
Meriden MP Saqib Bhatti joins Bishop & Taylor to discuss HS2’s listening skills and community relations in the West Midlands. Also on the agenda are the £60m fine handed down to a demolition cartel and Balfour Beatty’s discovery that most battery-powered plant is not up to the job.
124 | Budget, Tax Allowances and Gove refuseniks
22nd March 2023
Bishop & Taylor discuss the recent Budget statement, including tax allowances (and perhaps how to exploit them), new additions to the Shortage Occupations List and the postponement of major transport projects. They also discuss developers that have not (or not yet, at time of recording) signed Michael’s Gove’s building remediation contract. And there’s an interesting new arrival in Vistry’s boardroom.
123 | Bridge repairs, Retrofits and Winvic’s dilemma
8th March 2023
Bishop & Taylor give two cheers to National Highways for choosing to repair a Scottish viaduct instead of simply filling it in; they discuss latest initiatives in the push for a national retrofit strategy; and they sympathise with a contractor stuck between a rock and a hard place.
122 | Protectionism, Concrete and a Budget Wishlist
22nd February 2023
Bishop & Taylor’s wide-ranging discussion in this episode takes in the 90-year-old Buy American Act, concrete made from seashells, problems with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and what plant-hire companies want from the upcoming budget statement.
121 | Nosy Neighbours, Compulsory Purchase and Eco Mitigation
8th February 2023
Bishop & Taylor discuss a Supreme Court judgment on nuisance, the review of Compulsory Purchase Orders, and claims that HS2 is not as biodiversity-neutral as it thinks it is.
120 | Bids, cards and Official Statistics
25th January 2023
Bishop & Taylor discuss Levelling Up fund allocation and changes to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. They are then joined by John Allcoat, head of construction stats at the Office for National Statistics, who explains what he does and how he does it. Best of all, he has some good news…!
119 | HAVS, Re-treads and Interns
11th January 2023
Bishop & Taylor kick off 2023 with a look at the latest HSE statistics, including those relating to hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS); with the return of Andy Milner to Amey, they discuss boomerang CEOs; and they close proceedings with their views on internships.
118 | Takeovers, MMC Fire Alarm and Review of the Year
14th December 2022
Bishop & Taylor look back on some of the highs and lows of 2022. But first there’s the week’s news to catch up on: new owners for Mick George and Jewsons; and a warning from fire chiefs about modern methods of construction.
117 | Autumn statement, Sizewell C and CIOB presidents
30th November 2022
Bishop & Taylor discuss government spending plans, how Sizewell C power station will be funded and whether builders should have a builder as their institute’s president
