20 November 2023 Blog The RAAC crisis and schools – the impact on construction professionals and insurance implications Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) is a reinforced form of lightweight concrete used to form panels or planks. Only now are we seeing significant structural and safety issues arising in buildings across the country as a result. Share this article Bookmark this page 4 min read
30 October 2023 Blog Building Blocks: What is a Collateral Warranty? A collateral warranty is provided by a party who has agreed to provide services or works under a building contract or consultant’s appointment. It warrants to an interested third party, such as a funder, purchaser or tenant (usually described as a beneficiary) that it has fulfilled its obligations under the contract or appointment. Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read
11 October 2023 Blog Building Blocks: Professional Indemnity – who needs it/why? And how does it work? Professional indemnity insurance (“PII”) is one of the most important insurance policies within the construction industry. This specialized form of insurance is designed to protect both professionals and developers from financial losses stemming from claims alleging errors or omissions, breach of professional duty and sometimes wider civil liabilities. This insurance is particularly relevant to any professional team member on a project with a responsibility for any design work, particularly the design & build contractor, architects, engineers and other specialist designers involved in the project. Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read
26 September 2023 Insight First Remediation Order under Building Safety Act A group of leaseholders of two blocks of flats successfully applied for a Remediation Order against the freeholder in respect of defective external cladding and other fire safety issues. The decision by the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber (Residential Property) in Sarah White & Karin Ida Christina Martensson & Other leaseholders v Kedai Limited (freeholder) LON/00AY/HYI/2022/0005 & 0016 is the first Remediation Order made under section 123 of the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA). Bookmark this page 7 min read
19 September 2023 Insight Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete – a headline grabber or a realistic claims risk? Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (“RAAC”) has hit the press recently after more than 100 schools were fully or partially closed on the eve of the new term due to the risks created by its presence. In this article we discuss potential risks for the construction sector and its insurers. Bookmark this page 5 min read
6 September 2023 Blog Building Safety: First Remediation Order made A group of leaseholders of two connected blocks of flats have successfully applied for a remediation order against the landlord in respect of defective external cladding and other fire safety issues Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read
5 September 2023 Blog Building Safety: Gateway 2 In May this year, Kate Rushworth blogged about the 3 gateways, which will apply to higher-risk buildings (ie buildings over 18 metres or 7 storeys high with 2 or more residential units). Share this article Bookmark this page 3 min read
29 August 2023 Blog Building Safety: Recent Court of Appeal decision A recent Court of Appeal case has clarified a number of important construction law points – although the facts arose out of building safety issues, like the Building Safety Act (or ‘BSA”), the case has much wider application and significance. Share this article Bookmark this page 4 min read
10 August 2023 News Mills & Reeve advises on construction of advanced cancer research hospital The Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) will be a 26,000m2 state of the art facility built in the heart of Cambridge Bookmark this page 2 min read
8 August 2023 Insight Clean Air Zones - the latest The recent decision of the High Court in respect of the Mayor of London’s proposed ULEZ expansion has prompted particular media coverage. When combined with the perceived issues for voters in the recent Uxbridge by-election and positioning by politicians in respect of motorists, it's perhaps worth revisiting Clean Air Zones: What are they and what do they seek to achieve? Bookmark this page 7 min read
3 August 2023 Blog Building Blocks: What is a parent company guarantee? A parent company guarantee (“PCG”) is a guarantee given by a party’s parent company to the other party to the contract. It is a form of undertaking by the parent company to answer for one of the group company’s liabilities under the main contract. In this blog post, we take a look at PCGs in a construction context. Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read
25 July 2023 Blog New JCT suite of contracts The JCT has announced that it will be producing a JCT 2024 suite of contracts. Share this article Bookmark this page 1 min read