Best CPD For Builders Podcasts (2025)

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190: COP 30 and CPD, the price of being a professional 43:33

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4d ago43:33

43:33

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 con…

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189: Publicity, Plant theft and Cement 52:09

8d ago52:09

52:09

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.By The Construction Index

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188: HSS, Insulation and Gold plating 43:54

24d ago43:54

43:54

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 projectBy The Construction Index

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187: New towns, Gatwick and piling records 51:15

2M ago51:15

51:15

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?By The Construction Index

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186: Reed for Rayner, PMI vs ONS and HPC crane drivers 35:52

2M ago35:52

35:52

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.By The Construction Index

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185: House-builders frustrations, Misspent funds and Acquisitions 52:41

3M ago52:41

52:41

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.…

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184: Top 100, training & recruitment 47:59

3M ago47:59

47:59

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.By The Construction Index

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183: Airports, Mace and Abroad 52:14

4M ago52:14

52:14

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.By The Construction Index

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182: The one with Suzannah Nichol 1:21:55

4M ago1:21:55

1:21:55

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.By The Construction Index

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181: Sizewell stakes, Firefighting at the BSR and Landfill tax hike 56:10

4M ago56:10

56:10

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.By The Construction Index

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180: The Infra Plan, HS2 Shambles and CMA’s study 56:24

5M ago56:24

56:24

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.By The Construction Index

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179: Nuclear, Solar and AI 51:43

5M ago51:43

51:43

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 departmentsBy The Construction Index

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178: Barratt’s Supreme victory, Land banking and Retrofit licenses 49:48

6M ago49:48

49:48

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.…

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177: Cheating, Corruption and Reform 49:02

6M ago49:02

49:02

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 connectionsBy The Construction Index

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176: Concrete Credentials, Nature Levy and Aerogels 44:49

7M ago44:49

44:49

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.By The Construction Index

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175: Materials special: Stone, Steel and Cement 1:00:57

7M ago1:00:57

1:00:57

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.By The Construction Index

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174: OBR, NISTA and Timber 48:10

8M ago48:10

48:10

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.By The Construction Index

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173: Cutting bureaucracy, Cement sector challenges and Leaving school 53:41

8M ago53:41

53:41

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 ScotlandBy The Construction Index

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172: Beyond Grenfell 55:52

9M ago55:52

55:52

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.By The Construction Index

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171: Batteries, BNG and Buying British 51:55

9M ago51:55

51:55

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 BritishBy The Construction Index

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170: Reeves’ Big Speech and Goodbye SGB 49:59

10M ago49:59

49:59

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).…

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169: Solar panels, Licensing and Plant hire pivoting 45:01

10M ago45:01

45:01

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.By The Construction Index

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168: Happy new year (we hope) 55:37

11M ago55:37

55:37

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

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167: 2024: Year in Review 59:19

11M ago59:19

59:19

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.By The Construction Index

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166: Fast-track apprentices, HSE stats and GFRG houses 47:39

12M ago47:39

47:39

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.By The Construction Index

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165: Revolutionising Construction: The Information Management Initiative 48:21

1y ago48:21

48:21

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.By The Construction Index

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164: Labour pains: Reeves’ first budget 44:11

1y ago44:11

44:11

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.By The Construction Index

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163: 100 days of Starmer, Vistry’s glitch and Plant-hire pivot 45:30

1y ago45:30

45:30

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.By The Construction Index

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162: D-Day for LTC, Big batteries and Untypical homes 44:20

1y ago44:20

44:20

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.By The Construction Index

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161: ISG, Fox and Gipave 48:47

1y ago48:47

48:47

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.By The Construction Index

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160: The Grenfell Inquiry report 46:29

1y ago46:29

46:29

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

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159: 50 Days of Starmer, Sad Ends and Providence for Providence 49:21

1+ y ago49:21

49:21

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 HexagonBy The Construction Index

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158: M&A upswing, Picking leaders and Footbridges (Pt II) 48:49

1+ y ago48:49

48:49

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.By The Construction Index

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157: All Change, AdBlue and the Ava Bridge 48:15

1+ y ago48:15

48:15

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 catalogueBy The Construction Index

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156: Supreme Court spanner in the works, Blue hydrogen and the 6,000-tonne crane 53:40

1+ y ago53:40

53:40

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 machineBy The Construction Index

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155: Election lobbying, Red7 Marine and Chatham Docks 51:09

1+ y ago51:09

51:09

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.By The Construction Index

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154: Election fever, International trade and Forever chemicals 48:43

1+ y ago48:43

48:43

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.By The Construction Index

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153: The Construction Skills Crisis 37:52

1+ y ago37:52

37:52

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 industryBy The Construction Index

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152: The Downfall Episode: Osborne, Yousaf and Honda Swindon 56:06

1+ y ago56:06

56:06

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.…

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151: Could Truss be right? 50:53

1+ y ago50:53

50:53

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.…

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150: (Im)mobile Cranes, London Supersewer and MMC Review 51:39

1+ y ago51:39

51:39

Bishop & Taylor discuss the increasing difficulties endured by mobile crane hire companies faced with road embargos. They celebrate the completion of construction of the Thames Tideway tunnel (and hope it stops rowers vomiting). And they wonder what housing minister Lee Rowley’s MMC policy review might throw up.…

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149: Killer Materials, Dubious Contracts and National Security 51:08

1+ y ago51:08

51:08

In an unusually wide ranging episode, Bishop & Taylor cover crystalline silica, plastic pipes, the Lower Thames Crossing, the A66, the Daily Telegraph (is it really more important to national security than nuclear power?) and stress-inducing questions.By The Construction Index

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148: Budget Special 21:07

1+ y ago21:07

21:07

Bishop & Taylor are joined by Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist of the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), to discuss Jeremy Hunt’s spring 2024 budget statement.By The Construction Index

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147: Decarbonising construction machinery 31:48

1+ y ago31:48

31:48

Bishop & Taylor are joined by L Lynch Plant Hire joint managing director Merrill Lynch to discuss reducing construction’s diesel consumption.By The Construction Index

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146: Planning reforms, National Highways probe and Nuclear safety breaches 44:33

1+ y ago44:33

44:33

Bishop & Taylor explore the disconnect between attempts to remove red tape for house-builders while simultaneously burdening them with ever-greater levels of bureacracy. They also discuss news from a couple of regulatory authorities: the Office of Rail & Road is investigating the deteriorating performance of National Highways; and the Office for Nu…

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145: Anglia Square, Prefab woes and Measuring carbon 49:25

2y ago49:25

49:25

In this episode, Bishop & Taylor hear from Bob Weston about why he had to scrap his £300m Anglia Square development in Norwich. They also discuss a House of Lords report that damns government’s lack of strategy for prefab housing. And they ask whether carbon measuring rules need to be dictated by government, as proposed by a coalition of industry i…

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144: The Rudi Klein Manifesto 47:58

2y ago47:58

47:58

Bishop & Taylor are re-joined by Rudi Klein, perhaps the construction industry’s most seasoned campaigner for change. He shares his opinions on the need for industry reform and encourages listeners to take the opportunity of this year’s general election to lobby their local candidates.By The Construction Index

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143: Milne down, Neurodivergence and Rebranding Artex 41:30

2y ago41:30

41:30

Bishop & Taylor kick off 2024 mourning the demise of Stewart Milne Group. They also consider the apparent preponderence of neurodiversity within construction project management and discuss the rebranding of Artex.By The Construction Index

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142: Review of the Year 2023 1:10:45

2y ago1:10:45

1:10:45

As the end of the year approaches, Bishop & Taylor look back on some of the highs and lows on which they reported in 2023.By The Construction Index

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141: Paying the bills, Grenfell’s standing and State aid 59:02

2y ago59:02

59:02

Bishop & Taylor chew over the autumn statement and late paying clients, discuss why Grenfell Tower still stands, and question whether state aid should go to a company owned by Persimmon and Goldman Sachs.By The Construction Index