Home

Construction News is the leading provider of UK construction industry news, opinion, analysis and events. Founded in 1871, the Construction News celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2021.

CN runs a full programme of annual face-to-face and online events including conferences, award ceremonies, webinars, roundtables and more. We bring contractors, suppliers and clients together to share knowledge, best practice and other industry insight. We honour excellence in the industry through our awards events, which are judged by independent panels.

The magazine was first published as Labour News on 30 August 1871, under founder, Victorian reformer Alsager Hay Hill, aimed at tackling unemployment by printing information about job vacancies. It was first published under its current name during the 1960s.

Today it publishes news on topics impacting the UK construction industry, including sustainability, skills shortages, materials prices, workforce diversity, legal commentary, deep-dive analysis, administrations and contract wins.

The revised NPPF recognises that data centres are integral to economic growth

Rebecca-Roffe_Chris-Devitt-300x200.png

Rebecca Roffe is a partner and Chris Devitt an associate at law firm CMS The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) emphasises the government’s commitment to economic growth through building. Key to this growth are proposals for a modern tech-focused economy, and nowhere is this more relevant than in the…

Will new skill hubs fix UK’s shortage of builders?

Chris-Acton-300x200.jpg

Chris Acton is chief executive of engineering firm Clancy Consulting The new Labour government has hit the ground running with numerous pledges that aim to “rebuild Britain”, as chancellor Rachel Reeves recently said. “The 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs will see an investment in local training that is tailored to…

Delivering biodiversity net gain in construction: what are the limitations?

Mark_Topping-300x200.jpg

Mark Topping is director of design at consultancy Lanpro The requirement for a minimum 10 per cent biodiversity net gain (BNG) came into force for small sites in February last year. The requirement was introduced under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as inserted by Schedule…

Dispute boards: the secret to cheaper construction conflict resolution?

Bill_Barton-300x200.png

Bill Barton is director of law firm Barton Legal Disputes continue to occur with troubling frequency across the construction industry – and remain extremely expensive. Unsurprisingly, the sector is searching for ways to limit their frequency and cost. “In the lifecycle of a construction project, it’s highly likely that some…

A career in construction is within everyone’s reach

Lesley-Rowland-300x200.webp

Lesley Rowland is national sales director at Keyline Civils Specialist When we talk about women in construction, it can quickly become a conversation – not without good reason – about barriers. I want to give a little positivity to women considering a move into construction: I’ve spent 27 years in…

Courts provide some clarity on pay-less notices

Mark-Christie-300x200.jpg

Mark Christie is a partner at Clarke Willmott A recent case this year in the Technology and Construction Court has shed some very welcome light on a fairly obscure part of the Construction Act relating to the correct timing for issuing pay-less notices. “The judge accepted that the argument was…

Staying resilient while navigating a career in construction

Jacqueline-Mars_BW-Workplace-Experts--300x200.webp

Jacqueline Mars is health, safety and wellbeing advisor at BW: Workplace Experts I haven’t always worked in construction – I moved to the sector following time as a civil servant, safeguarding children. For several years I supported the education of teachers and parents about social media safety and collaborating with…

The importance of visibility for women in construction

Poppy_Whittle-300x200.webp

Poppy Whittle is a technical trainee at Keepmoat When I first stepped into the construction industry at just 16, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. It’s no secret that construction has long been a male-dominated field, and I wasn’t sure if I’d be working with many other women. I…

Higher-risk building clients should be licensed, not contractors

Bernard-Rimmer-300x200.jpg

Dr Bernard Rimmer, construction commentator Angela Rayner announced last week that there will be further investigations into the roles of seven participants in the Grenfell tragedy, possibly leading to debarring them from work in the public sector. But she did not announce a clear plan to deal with the industry’s…