There were signs that the industry was slowing down prior to the referendum vote in June and the resultant economic uncertainty immediately after the referendum was bound to cause waves. According to the press, there has now been the fastest fall in activity since the dark days of 2009. Is it possible, however, at this very early stage, to anticipate the emergence of any new trends in the industry? Earlier this year, Building asked if the role of the construction manager was about to disappear or whether it was due to bounce back ("Last chance to see?", 24 June 2016, page 22), and, post-referendum, it does seem that construction management is having a resurgence of popularity with developers. Before the referendum, they were struggling on the domestic project front to make projects stack cost and risk allocation with main contracting procurement, as construction costs spiralled and the balance of power swung towards the contractor. Then came the referendum result, with developers tightening their belts and trying to increase control over efficiency, costs and the fall in construction activity.
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