Insights
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UK construction starts remain depressed despite stronger civil engineering activity. Glenigan records an 11% three-month fall, with residential work 46% below last year.
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Masonry employers want practical construction pathways embedded throughout secondary education. New reforms would allow pupils to combine core subjects with technical learning from Year 10.
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A Sheffield brick sculpture combines precise geometry with traditional craftsmanship. Grayson and master bricklayer Mark Rosier created the installation to demonstrate techniques rarely accommodated on volume projects.
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Construction teams lose eight working weeks annually finding project information. A UK and Ireland study links fragmented systems with rework, manual administration, and reduced project value.
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Mace has retained its 2026 tender-price forecasts amid rising costs. Steel inflation, weaker orders, and aggressive bidding are reshaping commercial risk across UK construction.
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UK construction starts and contract awards weakened throughout the quarter. Glenigan recorded a stronger planning pipeline, but financing, viability, and commercial confidence continue to delay its conversion into live work.
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SEND reforms give schools firmer grounds for estate planning decisions. Pick Everard says inclusion hubs and specialist spaces should be assessed before new duties take effect.
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Geneva remains construction’s costliest city as London ranks second globally. Arcadis places Zurich, Munich, and Copenhagen behind them as capital becomes more selective across complex urban building markets.
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Q2 extended construction’s slowdown as costs rose and starts weakened. Major programmes advanced, but conversion from pipeline to site remained uneven.
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Mace says workforce churn now costs UK construction £1.3bn annually. Its analysis links site turnover to lost productivity, weaker continuity, and disappearing project knowledge.