Grenfell and the Draft Building Safety Bill

Blog Author: Michael Haste – Director, Pascall+Watson  Since the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 we have within the construction industry started to see a number of important developments that will ultimately re-shape our industry for many years to come. These will have far-reaching consequences on many of us but may have limited impact on others, but all should expect to see change of one form or another. Grenfell should never have happened and the fact that it did will remain for many years…

‘Parkside’ – Imperial War Museum HQ, London

The Imperial War Museum’s (IWM) new office headquarters, known as Parkside, combines cutting edge offsite construction and the latest in architectural design to deliver a high-performance building with traditional touches that respect its local surroundings. The building provides a new hub for the IWM to continue its mission to improve public understanding of war and conflict through its exhibitions, events, and programming. A JCT Design and Build Contract was the form of choice. Parkside is a three-storey modular block that provides office space for the…

Insurance and JCT contracts: Your Questions Answered

Blog Author: Douglas Brown – Renovation Underwriting Douglas Brown, Managing Director of specialist renovation policy provider Renovation Underwriting, shares his views and insights on JCT contracts and renovation insurance more widely. It might be a surprise to know that most home renovators, and many home insurance brokers, have no knowledge of JCT contracts. In most cases, it is only when a homeowner needs to arrange the insurance for their home undergoing work that they uncover just exactly what is involved. Very few even notify their…

JCT Training Online – Book a Place Today on one of our Interactive Online Courses

JCT has launched the next batch of new JCT Training Online courses. The dates and courses listed below are now available to book from the JCT online store at www.jctltd.co.uk/jct-training. A reminder about JCT Training Online: Courses are 3 hours duration, delivered as live broadcast webinars. Courses feature the same expert trainers as the face-to-face courses – all either past or current members of the JCT Council or JCT Drafting Sub-Committee. Interactivity is provided with the ability to ask questions through the interface during set…

Tameside Wellness Centre, Greater Manchester

Built on a JCT Design and Build Contract and completed ahead of schedule in March last year, the Tameside Wellness Centre in Denton, Greater Manchester, is the crowning glory of a 12-acre residential, retail, and health development to transform a local community. The launch of the Tameside Wellness Centre in March 2020 was the culmination of a two-decade journey for Warrington-based developer, Network Space, to transform a derelict brownfield site and provide much needed regeneration – reinvigorating and giving a fresh identity to the local…

New From JCT – Dispute Adjudication Board Documentation 2021 (DAB 2021)

JCT has announced the release of the Dispute Adjudication Board Documentation 2021 (DAB 2021), a new addition to the JCT 2016 contract suite. Designed for use with the JCT 2016 Design and Build Contract (DB) and JCT Major Project Construction Contract (MP). Enables parties entering into contract with either of the above forms to establish and operate a Dispute Adjudication Board. The documentation comprises the JCT/CIArb Dispute Adjudication Board Rules, a JCT Model Dispute Adjudication Board Tripartite Agreement, and enabling provisions for each of DB…

JCT Interviews…Karen Kirkham, JCT Chair

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. Karen Kirkham is the new JCT chair. She is a…

Chair’s Letter: Better Information Management

Blog Author: Richard Saxon, CBE Readers may be familiar with my interest in Building Information Modelling or BIM. Since the turn of the century I have been involved with the concept, helping to spur the government to make it their policy to mandate its use. In 2012 I was commissioned to produce a report for what is now BEIS on ‘BIM for Growth’, the potential effect on economic growth of the uptake of BIM in the UK. I became ‘UK BIM Ambassador for Growth’ in…

JCT Povey Lecture 2020 – Webinar Reaches Widest JCT Audience to Date

“Safety in Numbers: Resilience and Certainty Through Data” was the topic of the 2020 JCT Povey Lecture, presented by Dr Damien Buie, group technical director at Laing O’Rourke, on Wednesday, 18 November 2020. The JCT Povey Lecture was broadcast live as a webinar for the first time, in light of the restrictions in place due to Covid-19. Attendees were able to register in advance via the event website and the interactive online interface enabled questions and comments to be submitted in real time. With over…

Assessing the Draft Building Safety Bill

Blog Author: Michael O’Connor – Partner, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP Taken with various accompanying measures relating to building safety – such as the Fire Safety Bill currently passing through Parliament, various changes to the Building Regulations and the establishment of funds for the replacement of both ACM and Non-ACM cladding and the cost of waking watches, worth £1.6bn – there is no doubt that the measures comprise the most wide-ranging reforms in building safety for 40 years. Building Safety Regulator Initially confirmed by the Government…