A weekly podcast in which veteran construction industry journalists Bishop and Taylor have a natter about some of the week’s events in the UK construction industry, seeking meaning even where none may exist.
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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.
