Construction Sector Health: Northern Ireland vs. Republic of Ireland (Oct 2025) Metric Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland Activity (PMI, Sep 2025) 45.2 (↓ 5% YoY) 43.7 (↓ 2.2 pts MoM, 3-yr low) Project Starts (Q3 2025) £422m (↓ 51% YoY) 1,653 homes (↑ 43% MoM) Key Projects Strabane Water, Belfast Greenway MetroLink (€12.6B), Kilshane Energy […]
Latest news on Casement Park The Casement Park redevelopment saga in West Belfast continues to be a hot topic, blending sports, politics, and community tensions. The GAA stadium, dormant since 2013, is slated for a 30,000+ capacity rebuild but faces funding issues. Plenty of drama over costs, delays, and sectarian divides. As of October 22, […]
Building a World-Class Environmental Regulator for NI — Score: 9/10 (Oct 2025) Northern Ireland needs an independent environmental regulator for a simple reason: rules only work when someone trusted enforces them fairly. Today, problems like sewage spills, illegal dumping, polluted rivers and damaged habitats can fall between departments, take too long to fix, or leave […]
Northern Ireland Audit Office Report – 21 October 2025 Audit Exposes Major Failures in Northern Ireland’s Energy Strategy Publisher: Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO)Comptroller and Auditor General: Dorinnia CarvilleSubject: Review of Northern Ireland’s Energy Strategy “Path to Net Zero Energy” (2022–2030) Summary Verdict “Significant flaws in the implementation of the Energy Strategy.Expenditure of £107 million […]
NI Planning System, worrying trends and stalled applications Graphics below setting out ascending order of Approvals amongst all Councils and Strategic Planning Division Below is a narrative summary of planning approval trends across Northern Ireland (2017–18 to 2024–25) — based on the released planning data covering the period: 🏗️ Overview Between 2017–18 and 2024–25, Northern […]
Origin and history of the Clerk of Works (CoW), Evolution to Modern Failures & Future Remedies Here’s a detailed account of the origin and history of the Clerk of Works (CoW) in the United Kingdom, tracing how the role evolved from medieval times to the modern professional post we know today: 1. Medieval Origins (13th–15th […]
The Real Cost of Neglect: A QS View on Northern Ireland’s School Estate Crisis By Quintin QS — 16 October 2025 The Northern Ireland Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has delivered one of the most damning assessments ever of how we manage public infrastructure. Its Report on Managing the Schools’ Estate reads like a case […]
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How Strangford “Almost” Got a Bridge The story reveals a consistent pattern: proposals gained momentum due to genuine transport needs and local campaigning, but were repeatedly blocked by a combination of technical challenges, cost concerns, political opposition, and later, environmental protection. Historical Timeline of Proposals & Objections 1840s-1875: Early Estate-Driven Proposals 1920s-1930s: Post-WWI Government Plans […]
Here’s a one-page summary table of the Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill (NI) 2025 — showing each major change, who it affects, and what it means in practice: 🧾 Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill (NI) 2025 — Summary of Top 15 Changes Rank Key Change / Clause Who It Affects Practical […]