Re:Construction

After two hundred episodes and six (and a bit) years, Bishop and Taylor gracefully bow out from their responsibilities on the Re:Construction podcast.  Don’t worry - they still manage to fit in some last bits of construction industry news relating to a change in the top at Vistry and the latest goings on at Strabag.  

Bishop and Taylor discuss proposals to finally ban the use of retentions. Plus they ask why is the government  consulting on proposals to cut consultations? And who is Fatty Acid Methyl Ester?

Bishop & Taylor discuss the extent to which a much anticipated imminent recovery in UK construction is likely to have been hit but the latest turn of world events. They also chat about the impending departure of Vistry CEO Greg Fitzgerald and the election of a plumber to the House of Commons.

Bishop & Taylor are joined again by barrister Rudi Klein, who for more than 30 years was chief executive of the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group, to discuss progress – or lack of – in construction industry payment reform.

In this episode Bishop & Taylor discuss the latest in the ongoing saga of the physical deterioration of the Palace of Westminster.  They also talk power tools, with the relaunch of a redesigned range of JCB-branded tools. And they talk soil recycling, with specific reference to house-builder Persimmon’s latest money-saving initiative.

This episode sees Bishop & Taylor discuss the state of labour relations in the UK construction industry, the rationality of sentences for health & safety breaches and the precise definition of ‘a Tier One contractor’.

With the demise of Versarien, the company behind Cementene, Bishop & Taylor discuss whether graphene admixtures will ever take root in the construction industry. They also talk about the landmark Supreme Court ruling in the case of Providence v Hexagon and a young plant hire company in the northeast making a tidy 40% pre-tax profit margin.

The Single Construction Regulator Prospectus dropped shortly before Christmas – with some astonishing content. And the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has published the interim report of its civil engineering market study. Much food for thought here for Bishop & Taylor to discuss. And, prompted by a new appointment at Kier, they ponder: what does a chief of staff actually do?

Were you paying attention in 2025 or closing your eyes at the back of the classroom? Bishop & Taylor are here to remind you of some of the UK construction industry news highlights of the year, or maybe tell you what you missed.

After a brief look at Birmingham City’s bonkers stadium plan, Bishop & Tayor discuss this week’s budget news, RSK’s latest acquisition and major developments in plant and tool hire, including the sale of Marubeni-Komatsu and the repositioning of Brandon Hire Group

With the latest UN Conference of the Parties (COP) taking place in Brazil, Bishop & Taylor ruminate on aspects of sustainability, including a warning from RICS of “clear signs of fatigue and uncertainty”. They also discuss the trend for construction trades to seek professional status, and whether they are prepared for the lifetime commitment to continuing professional development (CPD) that it must surely entail.

Topics discussed this week include a new film from Gilbert Ash, the Louvre jewellery heist, a poorly attended parliamentary debate on cement, and the binning of plant-theft legislation.

In this episode Bishop & Taylor discuss the break up of tool hire group HSS, the external wall insulation scandal and the cost of gold (or should that be green?) plating the Lower Thames Crossing project

Bishop & Taylor discuss the government’s latest plans for new towns, Gatwick Airport expansion and what might very well be Britain’s best supported building – is 17,000 piles a record?

Taylor struggles manfluey (sic)  through this episode’s discussion with Bishop on topics including the challenges facing the new housing secretary, which statistics to believe and when contracts come to an end.

With that 1.5 million new homes target looking increasingly unachievable, Bishop & Taylor consider some of the blockages in the system. They also discuss how National Highways spends its ‘designated funds’. And they review some recent industry acquisitions, giving them the opportunity to talk cranes.

Bishop & Taylor trawl through The Construction Index 2025 rankings of the Top 100 construction contractors. And they hit upon the solution to the industry’s recruitment problems.

From Roskill to Arora, Bishop & Taylor discuss Heathrow expansion and alternatives of the past. They also wonder why Mace sold its most protitable operations. And they review some of the latest goings-on overseas, including the Strait of Messina Bridge.

After their regular review of recent headlines, Bishop & Taylor are joined by Suzannah Nichol, Chief Executive of Build UK, to look back on the first 10 years of the industry’s biggest representative body.

Bishop & Taylor discuss EDF’s decision to rein in its exposure to the Sizewell C nuclear plant, reorganisation of the Building Safety Regulator and the imminent soaring hike in landfill tax.

It’s all big infrastructure in this episode, with Bishop & Taylor discussing a new 10-Year Plan, revelations of how badly awry HS2 has gone, and cartel busters from the Competition & Markets Authority being given a stab at management consultancy to tell us how to do civil engineering better.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the UK government’s big push on nuclear power, the forthcoming requirement for new homes to have solar panels and Extract, the new AI tool for local planning departments

Bishop & Taylor approve of a significant Supreme Court victory for Barratt Developments and take opposing views on the government’s plan to prevent land banking. They also discuss a report from a group of MPs calling for a licensing scheme for individuals and companies engaged in domestic energy efficiency retrofits.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the difference between cheating and gaming the system, how to tackle bribery and corruption in the construction industry, and (completely unrelated) the Reform Party’s construction connections

Bishop & Taylor have been learning that concrete is far from the carbon-bad-guy that it is popularly portrayed as. They also discuss the Nature Levy, known by some as Licence to Kill. And they wonder whether aerogels are set for take-off in insulation.

In this episode stonemason Pierre Bidaud of The Stone Collective promotes the benefits of natural stone as a structural building material.  Also, Bishop & Taylor discuss the crisis at British Steel (and whether it matters) and marvel at coffee-infused cement.

Bishop & Taylor discuss some of the talking points from chancellor Rachel Reeves’ recent spring statement, the formation of new government bodies, and the rise of pine.

Bishop & Taylor discuss government’s efforts to reduce regulatory hurdles, the challenges facing the UK cement sector and a proposal to lower the school leaving age to 14 in Scotland

Bishop & Taylor discuss the government’s response to the Grenfell Inquiry’s final report and juxtapose this with the forgotten Cole Report report into a primary school wall collapse.

In this episode, Bishop & Taylor discuss exploding batteries, how the one-year-old biodiversity net gain (BNG) rules are bedding in, and a call from steel companies for clients to buy British

In a landmark speech last week, chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves voiced support for Heathrow’s long-range third runway plan but may have killed the shovel-ready Lower Thames Crossing. Bishop & Taylor chew it over. They also mourn the demise of the SGB brand (Scaffolding Great Britain, as was).

In this episide Bishop & Taylor discuss a thwarted attempt to make solar panels compulsory on all new houses, RIBA’s support a contractor licensing scheme and the latest examples of companies having a rethink about their plant operations.

Bishop & Taylor share their expectations for the UK construction industry in 2025, including a raft of major government initiatives, from NISTA to new towns.

In their last episode of the year, Bishop & Taylor look back on some of the highs and lows of the year: the change in government and what it has brought, the Grenfell Inquiry report, the fall of ISG, the birth of Barratt Redrow, the six-thousand-tonne crane… and more besides.

Bishop & Taylor discuss plans to for the provision of fast-track construction apprentices, the latest HSE statistics (shouldn’t musculoskeletal disorders be classified as injuries rather than illnesses?), and the small London company with a letter of intent for 10,000 prefab homes.

Bishop & Taylor are joined by Paul Wilkinson, vice-chair of Nima, to discuss the Information Management Initiative (IMI) and its significance to the construction industry, particularly in relation to building information modelling (BIM) and technology adoption.

Bishop & Taylor are joined by Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist of the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), to discuss chancellor Rachel Reeve’s autumn 2024 budget statement. Suffice to day, the doctor is unimpressed with her remedies.

Bishop & Taylor have yet to be much impressed by the new government’s impact on the construction industry. They also discuss Britain’s second-biggest house-builder, and plant hire companies turning away from general plant.

A decision on the £9bn Lower Thames Crossing is due this week, batteries are getting bigger and better, and there’s a new name in house-building. Bishop & Taylor discuss all this, and more.

In this episode Bishop & Taylor discuss the collapse of ISG, the rise and sale of Fox Brothers, and National Highways’ trial of graphene-enhanced asphalt.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the findings, and recommendations, of phase two of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Bishop & Taylor discuss the first 50 days of Kier Starmer’s prime minstership, the demise of two very different organisations – Women into Construction and Hypertunnel – and the appeal court ruling on Providence v Hexagon

Bishop & Taylor discuss this year’s tide of merger & acquisition activity, the appointment of Pete Redfern at Travis Perkins and National Highways’ footbridge design competition. But they start with an update on last episode’s discussion on AdBlue.

In another typically wide-ranging episode, Bishop & Taylor discuss what we can expect from the new government, problems with AdBlue and the latest addition to Network Rail’s footbridge catalogue

In a football and election-free zone, Bishop & Taylor discuss the implications of the Finch v Surrey CC Supreme Court judgment, the flawed credentials of certain hydrogens and Mammoet’s massive new flagship machine

After airing views about construction industry lobbying, Bishop & Taylor decide to park the politics. Taylor has been talking to an interesting SME, while Bishop has been following the battle for Chatham Docks.

Bishop & Taylor discuss how construction industry interests may or may not figure in the main party manifestos. They also discuss the UK’s entry to an Indo-Pacific trade bloc and why machinery manufacturers fear restrictions on the use of ‘forever’ chemicals.

Bishop & Taylor are joined by recruitment consultant Greg Shaw, Randstad’s London regional director, to discuss the construction industry jobs market and the future of the industry

In this episode Bishop & Taylor mourn the demise of Geoffrey Osborne Ltd. They also discuss how missing green targets brought down Scotland’s first minister. Also examined are demolition projects featured in the May 2024 issue of The Construction Index magazine: Honda’s Swindon plant and a bridge over the M25 at Wisley.

Britain’s briefest prime minister has a book out this week and Bishop & Taylor discuss some of the things that she’s been saying. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, they decide. So what might Liz Truss be right about? Also in this episode, checking consultants’ credentials and Taylor’s adventure in artificial intelligence.