The Construction Briefing – A Practical Law Podcast

Hosted by Thomson Reuters

BusinessInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Apr 2026

Language

About the show

The Construction Briefing is an alternative way of learning about key developments in construction law, with the Practical Law editorial team discussing some of the wider issues those developments raise. To give feedback or suggest topics for future episodes, please contact us: https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/Browse/Home/About/OurteamConstruction.

Listen to episodes

58 recent

April 23, 2026Episode 5648 min

The Construction Briefing podcast, episode 56: building safety and liability orders, payment notice and reforms and... goodbye

This episode marks the final instalment of The Construction Briefing podcast. After four years and eight months, Michelle Rousell and Yassir Mahmood from Practical Law Construction sign off with a final update, focused on building safety, litigation and late payment reforms. In this episode, they cover the UK government's latest consultation on relaxing gateway two requirements on existing higher-risk buildings (starts at 2.10), the Building Safety Regulator's 2026-27 strategic plan (starts at 5.12) and the key developments for construction law practitioners in the year ahead (starts at 08.08). They also examine two recent TCC judgments (starts at 16.18): Crest Nicholson Regeneration Ltd v Ardmore Construction Ltd [2026] EWHC 789 (TCC) and Laing O'Rourke Delivery Ltd v Shepperton Studios Ltd [2026] EWHC 612 (TCC), before moving on to the government's response to its 2025 late payment consultation that, crucially, includes proposals to ban construction retentions (starts at 31.49). Finally, Michelle and Yassir wrap up the episode (and the podcast as a whole) with Kaley Botting as host, in a heartfelt conversation reflecting on their experience of producing and hosting the podcast (starts at 40.02).

March 29, 2026Episode 5544 min

The Construction Briefing podcast, episode 55: Welsh building safety divergence, construction products reform and BIM standards

In this episode, Michelle Rousell and Yassir Mahmood from Practical Law Construction discuss the latest building safety developments, including the UK and Welsh governments' annual progress reports (starts at 00.35), Wales' deviated approach for gateway two applications (starts at 01.49), the Senedd's passage of the Building Safety (Wales) Bill (starts at 03.21) and the Building Safety Regulator's (BSR) new remediation improvement plan (starts at 11.33). The episode also covers the UK government's construction products consultations (starts at 13.16), the judgment in GS Woodland Court GP 1 Ltd v RGCM Ltd [2026] EWHC 351 (TCC) (starts at 23.58), the British Standards Institution's building information modelling (BIM) standards consultation (starts at 32.34) and NISTA's updated infrastructure pipeline and Whole Life Carbon Management Handbook (starts at 40.45).

February 17, 2026Episode 5446 min

The Construction Briefing podcast, episode 54: single construction regulator reform, Providence v Hexagon and assignment rights in adjudication

In this episode, Michelle Rousell and Yassir Mahmood from Practical Law Construction discuss the latest building safety developments, including government plans for a new single construction regulator (starts at 00.37) and consultation on relaxing building regulations compliance for telecommunications work (starts at 06.30), before moving on to construction litigation. Key judgments covered include Providence Building Services Ltd v Hexagon Housing Association Ltd [2026] UKSC 1 (starts at 13.49), Paragon Group Ltd v FK Facades Ltd [2026] EWHC 78 (TCC) (starts at 22.49) and Darchem Engineering Ltd v Bouygues Travaux Publics [2026] EWHC 220 (TCC) (starts at 35.50).

January 23, 2026Episode 5351 min

The Construction Briefing podcast, episode 53: what to expect in building safety, litigation and AI in 2026

In this episode, Michelle Rousell and Yassir Mahmood from Practical Law Construction kick off 2026 with an overview of what to expect in construction law this year. On building safety, the podcast covers building control reforms in England (starts at 01.04), the single construction regulator consultation (starts at 11.02), the Building Safety Act 2022 rollout in Wales (starts at 14.13), as well as several upcoming appeals concerning remediation costs (starts at 18.53). Other topics include late payment reforms (starts at 31.57), AI in construction contracts (starts at 38.10) and Providence Building Services Ltd and Hexagon Housing Association Ltd (starts at 48.20).

December 17, 2025Episode 5248 min

The Construction Briefing podcast, episode 52: f-f-freezing orders, Autumn Budget, Welsh reforms and AI in expert evidence

In their final episode of 2025, Michelle Rousell and Yassir Mahmood from Practical Law Construction cover the Autumn Budget 2025 (starts at 00.40) and the latest building safety developments, including the Building Safety Levy Regulations 2025 (starts at 06.17) and the Welsh Government's proposals for higher-risk buildings and social public works clauses (starts at 09.44), before moving on to discuss the case High Tech Construction Ltd v WLP Trading and Marketing Ltd [2025] EWHC 3209 (TCC) (starts at). Finally, they conclude the podcast with updates relating to AI (starts at 30.10), the Disclosure Review Working Group (starts at 40.59) and NISTA (starts at 44.51).

November 26, 2025Episode 5138 min

The Construction Briefing podcast, episode 51: Building control collapse, BSR independence, "smash and grab" adjudication and NEC Digital

This episode, Michelle Rousell and Yassir Mahmood from Practical Law Construction discuss the collapse of several building control firms (starts at 00.48) and the Building Safety Regulator's upcoming transition to independence (starts at 06.11), before moving on to examine the pitfalls of payment notices in the judgment Vision Construct Ltd v Gypcraft Drylining Contractors Ltd [2025] EWHC 2707 (TCC) (starts at 15.07). Finally, they wrap up the podcast with the launches of ICE's specialist adjudication scheme for "smash and grab" payment disputes (starts at 23.54) and NEC's new digital contracts service (starts at 29.37).

October 28, 2025Episode 5049 min

The Construction Briefing podcast, ep 50: Grenfell Tower, Providence Building Services Ltd v Hexagon Housing Association Ltd and generative AI

This episode, Michelle Rousell and Yassir Mahmood from Practical Law Construction start the discussion with the government's second progress report on the Grenfell Tower public inquiry recommendations (starts at 00.36) before moving on to the judgment in Construction Muzzy Ltd v Davis Construction (South East) Ltd [2025] EWHC 2258 (TCC) (starts at 18.46). They also highlight the latest news in the long-running litigation involving Providence Building Services Ltd and Hexagon Housing Association Ltd (starts at 24.08) before ending the podcast with a brief analysis of the judge's use of generative AI in Evans v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2025] UKFTT 1112 (TC) (starts at 40.00).

October 1, 2025Episode 4939 min

The Construction Briefing podcast, ep 49: AI arbitrators, ANBs in adjudication, NISTA and building safety

In their latest podcast, Michelle Rousell and Yassir Mahmood of Practical Law Construction discuss recent developments in building safety, including new building regulations coming into effect on 7 October 2025 (starts at 00.41) and Welsh developer remediation contracts (starts at 02.20). They also analyse the judgments in Clegg Food Projects Ltd v Prestige Car Direct Properties Ltd [2025] EWHC 2173 (TCC) (starts at 07.54) and RNJM Ltd v Purpose Social Homes Ltd [2025] EWHC 2224 (TCC) (starts at 19.10), before briefly mentioning NISTA (starts at 29.38) and the upcoming launch of an AI arbitrator for documents-only construction cases in the USA (starts at 33.13).

August 28, 2025Episode 4835 min

The Construction Briefing podcast, ep 48: Gateway 2 guidance, retention reform and RBH

This episode, Michelle Rousell and Yassir Mahmood from Practical Law Construction discuss the latest building safety developments, including new guidance on gateway 2 applications (starts at 01.18) and the draft Building Safety Levy regulations (starts at 04.39), before moving on to the government's proposed reform to retention clauses (starts at 08.38) and the judgment in RBH Building Contractors Ltd v James [2025] EWHC 2005 (TCC) (starts at 23.12). Finally, they end with a brief update on the Arbitration Act 2025 and other construction-related bills (starts at 31.13).

July 22, 2025Episode 4736 min

The Construction Briefing podcast, ep 47: Building safety regulator, Target Cost Contract 2024 and Triathlon Homes

This episode, Michelle Rousell and Yassir Mahmood from Practical Law Construction discuss discuss the latest building safety developments, including the challenges facing the Building Safety Regulator (starts at 00.34) and the Welsh government's forthcoming legislation (starts at 09.08). They also return to the Supreme Court's decision in URS Corp Ltd v BDW Trading Ltd [2025] UKSC 21 (starts at 11.05). Moreover, they briefly discuss the final judgment in the Toppam/Abbey v Simply litigation, Toppan Holdings Ltd and another v Augusta 2008 LLP [2025] EWHC 1691 (TCC) (starts at 13.41), which relates to Abbey's court claim for breach of contract, before mentioning the JCT's release of its final 2024 Edition contracts (starts at 18.24). They also mention the judgment in London Eco Homes Ltd v Raise Now Ealing Ltd [2025] EWHC 1505 (TCC) (starts at 22.32), before finally discussing leaseholder issues in Triathlon Homes LLP v Stratford Village Development Partnership [2025] EWCA Civ 846 (starts at 29.19).