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Hastings Pier

A devastating fire in 2010 destroyed 90% of the super-structure of Hastings Pier, leaving only the western pavilion building salvageable. With funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the local community, the opportunity was taken to redefine the role of a pier for the 21st Century. The fabulous result – which won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2017 – was built on a JCT Minor Works Building Contract. Hastings Pier’s history goes back to 1872 as a classic, Victorian style, pier designed by Eugenius Birch…

“Reassuringly Expensive?”

Blog author: Christopher Miers, Probyn Miers You may remember an advertising campaign which captured the slogan “reassuringly expensive”, along with a series of short films such as ‘Jacques de Florette’ (think French countryside, bouquets of flowers, and … cold beer), suggestive of the idea that price was not the only factor to consider when buying a product, and that a higher price may be an indicator of a higher quality (in this case, of beer). Deciding on your choice of beer, or any other product, is…

The Sector Deal

Blog author: Richard Saxon CBE, JCT Chairman The Construction Leadership Council is an innovation set up by Government in 2016 to provide a successor to the concept of the Chief Construction Adviser and to provide an expert body to guide government in its approach to the industry. The concept was to select a group of chief executives or chairmen from leading firms across the supplier landscape, co-chaired by the construction minister and a major client, Andrew Wolstenholme of Crossrail. Government disdains the bodies set up…

“Procure for better value, be more transparent, and get the basics right”

Ann Bentley gives the JCT Povey Lecture 2017: Smarter procurement, including expanding the definition of ‘value’, being more transparent in terms of best practice, and getting key basics right – particularly in regard to Fair Payment – were the key messages given to JCT delegates in a presentation by Ann Bentley, at the JCT Povey Lecture held at The Building Centre, London, on Wednesday 8th November. The subject of Ann Bentley’s lecture was to describe the work she has been doing in her role on…

JCT Povey Lecture 2017 – Hitting the sweet spot: value for clients delivered by valued suppliers

JCT Povey Lecture 2017 “Hitting the sweet spot: value for clients delivered by valued suppliers. How small changes in approach to procurement could have a big impact on the construction industry” Ann Bentley About the Povey Lecture The JCT Povey Lecture is an annual event at which an eminent person is invited to give their thoughts on significant matters that are relevant to the construction and property industry. The purpose of the lecture is to stimulate thought and encourage ways of continuing to improve the…

MW 2016 Insurance: Not Sure How to Complete Clause 5.4C Particulars?

Possible solutions for you to consider: The following is an extract from ‘Insurance under the Minor Works Building Contract 2016’. This extract outlines possible solutions where clause 5.4C is to operate i.e. those circumstances where clauses 5.4A and 5.4B are not appropriate. The full text is available at https://corporate.jctltd.co.uk/insurance-under-the-minor-works-buildingcontract-2016/. Clause 5.4C is to apply where clause 5.4A does not apply and clause 5.4B cannot apply because the relevant insurance is not available. As a consequence one has to make other arrangements and which clause 5.4C…

White Collar Factory

Derwent London’s latest commercial development, White Collar Factory, combines years of research,lessons learned from well-built historic industrial spaces, and best practice in sustainable modern office design, to deliver a low-cost, low impact, and flexible working environment. A JCT Design and Build Contract provided the contract solution. Located overlooking Old Street roundabout, White Collar Factory is surrounded by the trendy and artistic enclaves of Shoreditch, Hoxton and Clerkenwell in the northern part of the City of London. Home to Tech City, Old Street is a diverse…

JCT Tendering Practice Note 2017: Available Now

JCT has updated its Tendering Practice Note and the latest version, the JCT Tendering Practice Note 2017, is now available from JCT’s online store www.jctltd.co.uk/product/tendering-practice-note Now in its third edition, the 2017 Practice Note reflects key developments in public sector tendering following the coming into force of The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and updates the Note generally to reflect current best practice in both public and private sectors. The JCT Tendering Practice Note 2017 is a general guidance document, providing an informative and practical tool…

‘Going Soft’

We need to be harder on ourselves as an industry and admit that most of our new buildings reach the end of their defects liability period without ever delivering the performance that they promised. BREEAM ratings at design stage do not predict carbon emissions commensurate with the grading. Sometimes, the certificated building burns several times the expected energy consumption. And typically, we don’t go back to analyse the performance, nor the workability of the design for the purpose intended. We move on to the next…

JCT Student Competition 2018 – What Inspires You About Construction?

JCT’s annual Student Competition will be running for 2018, with a number of new features to make the competition more open, creative and easier to enter. The competition will be open for entry in October 2017 and will close in March 2018. As with previous years, the overall winner’s prize will be £1,000, with two runner-up prizes of £250 also available. There will be two aspects to this year’s competition. For the main competition, the topic is “What Inspires You About Construction?”. Candidates may wish…