The Swannery, Bristol

/ Case Studies

Blog Author: Barefoot Architects   Youth-led design and the JCT Minor Works Building Contract in action A former pub in Bristol’s Barton Hill has been transformed into a vibrant youth-led community hub, demonstrating how collaborative design and the JCT Minor Works Building Contract with contractor’s design (MWD) can successfully deliver socially impactful, flexible projects. The Swannery, completed in October 2024, is a retrofit of The Swan—a disused public house that has been reimagined as a thriving youth club. Designed by Barefoot Architects for Wellspring Settlement,…

Retention Reform and the Future of Construction Payment Practices

/ Legislation

Blog Author: Chiara Pieri – Senior Associate, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP  “There must be a ‘cash flow’ in the building trade. It is the very lifeblood of the enterprise.” So observed Lord Denning MR over fifty years ago in Dawnays Ltd v F.G. Minter Ltd [1971] 1 WLR 1205 – words as pertinent today as then. It is precisely the issue of cash flow and its systematic disruption by late payment practices that the Government’s reforms now seek to address. In March 2026, the Government…

Autumn 2026 Series of JCT Training Dates Announced

/ Education, Skills and Students

JCT has announced its course dates for the autumn 2026 series of JCT Training. The series includes a range of full-day in-person courses and 3-hour online webinar courses. Scheduled to take place in October and November, the courses will focus on contract families from the JCT 2024 Edition of Contracts, as well as continuing our latest course, ‘Working with JCT Contracts 2024 (The Legal Aspects)’, an interactive session introducing the legal framework that underpins JCT contracts. The sessions to take place and the dates are…

JCT Young Professionals Group – Founder Member Leaders…Bailey Ellis

/ JCT Young Professionals Group

In this series we find out more about some of the key people who give their time to support the JCT Young Professionals Group (JCT YPG). We will look at our interviewees’ background and how they got into the industry, the importance of their contribution to JCT YPG specifically, and gain their views on JCT’s wider role within the industry. Name: Bailey Ellis Job Title: assistant building surveyor Company: JLL Short Bio: Working within JLL’s central London building surveying team for occupier clients throughout the office relocation process, providing end-to-end services, including dilapidations, technical due…

YPG Member Spotlight Questionnaire: Zoë Deckker

/ Interviews, JCT Young Professionals Group

Title or occupation: Solicitor How long have you been a YPG member: Two years   Professional Spotlight 1. Tell us a bit about your background; what is your current role, and why did you decide on a career in the construction industry? I am a Solicitor in the Construction team at Edwin Coe LLP. Coming from a family of Architects and Architectural Historians, I have always been very interested in the built environment – which I realise is a hugely broad term! From the very…

Increasing Knowledge and Closing the Skills Gap in Construction Contract Administration

/ Education, Skills and Students, Uncategorized

Blog Author: Peter Hibberd – Past JCT Chair A knowledge and skills gap The UK construction industry has for some time been concerned with shortages in skilled labour. Recent evidence such as the RICS Surveying skills report 2025 shows the problem extends beyond just site operations, which is the primary focus of the Skills policy in England report (2025). A less visible – yet increasingly critical – gap is opening in professional competencies, particularly those in project and contract administration. A gap that will be…

Shoemakers Museum, Street, Somerset

/ Case Studies

In the heart of Street, a new cultural landmark has risen to celebrate 200 years of one of Britain’s most recognisable footwear brands. The Shoemakers Museum, commissioned to mark the bicentenary of Clarks, is more than an archive and exhibition space. It is a carefully crafted statement about place, heritage and the enduring relationship between industry and community. The project was built on a JCT Standard Building Contract. The significance of Clarks to Street and the wider Somerset area cannot be overstated. Founded in 1825,…

JCT Training – Online Resources for Construction Professionals

/ Education, Skills and Students

Learn about JCT Contracts from your desktop with our online courses and video modules The Spring 2026 series of JCT Training is underway, but there is still chance to book a place on one of our online training courses. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the JCT Design and Build Contract 2024 and the JCT Minor Works Building Contract 2024. The sessions to take place and the dates are as follows: Online courses Wednesday, 22 April 2026 JCT Design and Build Contract 2024…

Why Pre-Construction Services Agreements are Becoming a Strategic Tool in Delivery

/ Contractual Issues

Blog Editor: James Rivers, Operations Health and Safety Director, Churngold Construction Pre-Construction Services Agreements (PCSAs) are no longer a niche procurement route reserved for complex projects; they are increasingly becoming a strategic tool for managing risk, cost and programme certainty in today’s construction environment. As development sites become more constrained, regulated and technically demanding, early contractor involvement is often the difference between a buildable scheme and one that struggles to progress. At its simplest, a PCSA is a formal agreement that appoints a contractor to…

JCT Interviews…Evelyn Scott

/ Interviews

JCT Interviews…Evelyn Scott In the ‘JCT Interviews…’ series we shine the spotlight on some of the key people who are involved with or give their time to support JCT, showing the diverse range of disciplines across the construction industry that our members represent and the collaborative work that contributes to the development of our contracts. We look at how our interviewees contribute to JCT specifically and gain their views on the wider industry and JCT’s role within it. Evelyn Scott member, JCT Board – SBCC…