From an in-depth look at materials shortages in the wake of the first lockdown, to an investigation into cladding disputes among high-profile hotel chains, we detail some of this year’s top features, analysis and investigation pieces.
As the government looked to extend the combustible-materials ban to hotels, Ian Weinfass revealed the glut of legal disputes between hotel chains and contractors.
At a time of such strain for the hotel industry, the question raised was whether the government was likely to add extra costs to hotels by extending the combustibles ban.
Our exclusive analysis revealed a continuing trend of lower rewards across the industry’s top 20 highest earners at listed firms, with the UK’s largest contractors falling broadly in line with wider patterns of executive pay restraint.
Most of the table covered the period ending 31 December 2019, well before the COVID crisis.
With questions emerging around a widening knowledge gap in the industry, as those not working prepared to reopen on the back foot, Construction News spoke to McGoff Construction about how firms in the supply chain and beyond could adapt to a new way of working – especially with social distancing looking to be very much the norm.
CN spoke at length to firms across the supply chain, as the pandemic continued to wreak havoc on the industry.
The findings were startling: the average contractor had enough cash to last around six to eight weeks while projects came to a stop in the first half of the year, with viability of businesses beyond that in serious doubt.
During 2019, on average, Construction News reported on a contractor administration almost once a fortnight. Reporter Megan Kelly and finance editor David Price explored the factors that cause a company to collapse, and how to spot the signs of a business in trouble, concluding that companies must prioritise cash and management to prevent disaster.
A CN survey found that fear, anger and resentment were the three sentiments being felt most keenly by our respondents.
Expressions of fury and bitterness over muddy government ‘guidance’ and anger at businesses coercing them to keep working in unsafe conditions were commonplace, as the industry reacted to the ‘new normal’ coming into force.
CN’s annual health check of the industry revealed a sector under more scrutiny than ever before, with the prevailing sentiment that, amid the pandemic, cash really was king.
Overall, better financial health had been achieved during a period of mixed results, with outcomes split broadly depending on the size of the firm.
In late March, Zak investigated how outbreaks on projects were being hidden from onsite staff and safety concerns were ignored. Amid confusion and mixed messages from government, several scared workers told CN complaints had been brushed off or ignored by management.
Worried about losing jobs, money or being blacklisted, sources spoke out on the condition of anonymity, highlighting the chaos caused at the beginning of the year.
CREDIT @DanJDobson – picture taken Monday 23 March
As the country went into lockdown, some in the sector wanted to work while others believed doing so was unsafe.
Zak Garner-Purkis wrote up the inside story of the disputes that shook the sector during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. The message from Boris had been clear: if you can’t work from home, continue to go to work. But amid a public backlash and the implementation of social distancing guidelines, many faced a moral quandary.
With material and product manufacturers grappling with the effects of COVID-19 just as much as the contractors undertaking construction work on site, Construction News took a look at where the most common pinchpoints were back in April, as the pandemic took hold of the country.
From plasterboard and bricks, to PPE and internet connectivity, one thing became very clear: the organisation of material and product procurement would be vital in the following months with experts agreeing on the need to plan further ahead than before.
