Last week's London Real Estate Forum was buzzing with confidence. The venue was packed with project models for schemes that will be built and with developers brimming with confidence. Space is in short supply, so rents are rising, and London continues to grow - what's not to like? The challenge for clients has shifted from finding the tenant and the finance, to securing scarce contractor resource - with all of the implications for procurement, programme and cost highlighted in last week's Building. The problems don't just apply to the commercial sector. Last week, the Office for Rail Responsibility published its progress report on the first year of Network Rail's delivery of CP5, highlighting delayed projects and soaring costs. Even in industry sectors that can boast certainty of workload and a focus on collaborative working, there are problems associated with resourcing at all levels, through design and management, right through to the most junior apprentice.
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