Construction Countdown to October 2011 - Are You Ready Yet?

In six months' time - if the Government's target date of October 2011 is met - many of the familiar provisions of Part II of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 will be swept away, when Part 8 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 is brought into force. 

Here are our top five points for you to consider before then.

1. All of your construction contracts will need to be amended if you wish them to comply with the new legislation.  The industry bodies such as SBCC, JCT and NEC will soon publish updates to their standard forms - but any bespoke schedules of amendments or bespoke contracts you may use, e.g. your own sub-contract terms and conditions, will need to be revised and updated.  Some changes to the adjudication provisions will be necessary, but the most significant changes relate to the payment arrangements, which are the subject of complex statutory provisions.