A manslaughter trial has opened following the death of a member of the public struck by falling bricks near a construction site in Bow, east London. Prosecutors allege Higgins Homes and four individuals failed to carry out adequate risk assessment and controls for a crane lift carried out close to a public pavement.
The article discusses the Technology and Construction Court’s decision in Essendi UK Hotels 2 Ltd v London Property Company Ltd, arising from remediation of dangerous ACM cladding on a hotel in Wembley. The judgment is presented as part of a wider post-Grenfell trend in which courts focus on building safety and the need to remove serious life-safety risks rather than rely on temporary mitigation measures.
The article reports on a landmark court judgment in which Mulalley secured a contribution from Sto, highlighting ongoing legal disputes over responsibility for cladding-related failures in the aftermath of Grenfell. It notes that the courts continue to address liability questions nearly a decade after the fire.
A Vinci-owned subsidiary, Taylor Woodrow Construction, has been unable to use an earlier arbitration victory to prevent a new defects claim relating to fire defects at seven high-rise blocks in Cardiff. The case follows a major change in building-safety law and involves a fresh claim brought after an earlier dispute with Taylor Wimpey Developments Ltd was defeated in 2022.
The Building Safety Regulator has softened its approach to rejecting Gateway 2 applications, saying it will still refuse sub-standard submissions but only where there is no realistic prospect of approval. The change appears intended to reduce the risk of unnecessary project disruption while maintaining scrutiny of building safety compliance.
The article reports on a trial concerning a fatal incident at a Higgins Homes construction site, where a pallet of bricks fell and killed a pedestrian. A self-employed slinger working for a subcontractor described trying to stop the load before it struck a scaffolding pole and fell.
Barking and Dagenham Council says it has resolved an adjudication dispute with McLaren Construction concerning the power supply arrangements at the 12 Thames Road mixed-use development in Barking. The issue centred on whether the scheme’s electrical resilience met British Standards, particularly in relation to firefighting lifts and sprinkler systems during a fire and simultaneous power outage.
New legislation has been introduced that would make it easier for contractors and developers who have paid to replace unsafe cladding to recover those costs from product manufacturers. The Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill is intended to support cost recovery linked to remediation work.
NHS Grampian has warned that further delay remains possible on Graham’s two hospital projects in Aberdeen, with the Anchor cancer centre now expected to open in May 2027 and the Baird Family Hospital still scheduled for September 2027. The report cites unresolved technical, defect, commissioning and assurance issues, including water-safety measures, ventilation cooling strategy, electrical resilience and testing requirements.
Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick has denied allegations that a student accommodation scheme completed by a predecessor joint venture was unfit for habitation. The denial forms part of its defence to a £9.6m claim brought by two Jersey-based companies over alleged fire defects.
The article argues that adaptive reuse and retrofit should play a central role in meeting housing demand and net zero goals, rather than relying primarily on demolition and new build. It cites London examples, policy shifts, and emerging digital and finance tools that are making retrofit more viable, while noting that technical, financial and process barriers still limit wider adoption.
The local NHS trust says the facade installed by Merit Health on an unfinished hospital project needs replacing, alongside concerns about the steel frame. Robertson is due to begin removing mechanical and electrical systems, pipework and internal elements as part of the next phase of work.
