VOLOCO LLP

01/06/2026

Some projects stand out not only for their scale, but for the difference they'll make to the communities they serve.

VOLOCO was proud to support Massey Cladding Solutions by providing quantity surveying services on the Pentre Awel Life Science and Well-being Village. Helping to support the delivery of a development that will enhance wellbeing, create opportunities and drive regional growth.

A great example of how construction can help create meaningful, long-term value for communities, and a project we're pleased to have been involved with.

🔗https://www.voloco.co.uk/case-studies/pentre-awel-life-science-well-being-village/

29/05/2026

With the Commercial Payments Bill now before the House of Lords, could the end of retention clauses be in sight?

Retention clauses require 3-5% of the contract value to be withheld by the upstream party, whether it is the client or the main contractor. Half is supposed to be released on practical completion, with the other half being released at the end of the defects period, which can be as much as 3 years later for some of the larger infrastructure projects. These clauses have long posed significant challenges for contractors, including:

• Delayed payment of retention sums.
• Retentions are lost completely with upstream insolvency.
• Cash flow strains, particularly for small contractors.

Following the collapse of Carillion in 2018, several Private Members' Bills have been introduced to provide better protection to those parties subject to retention, but they have all failed to progress through to legislation. This latest bill is the result of a Government consultation on poor payment practices in 2025, but will it be the one to make it through Parliament and become law?

In the meantime, retention remains a key part of working in the UK construction industry, and it is important to keep track of who holds what so it can be chased at the appropriate times.

At VOLOCO, we know how frustrating it can be to have to fight to get paid money you are owed. Get in touch to find out more.

27/05/2026

Great to see planning approved for the return of the Fashion Museum to Bath, bringing new life to one of the city centre’s historic buildings while investing in the cultural and economic future of the area.

Projects like this demonstrate how heritage, regeneration and construction can work together to create long-term value for communities. Repurposing existing buildings not only preserves local character but also supports sustainability goals by extending the life of important assets.

With funding reportedly secured for the £24m development, the focus now turns to delivering a project that balances conservation, commercial viability and visitor experience. We know that early collaboration among the client, design, and delivery teams will be key to ensuring the project is completed successfully while managing the challenges the industry continues to face around cost, procurement, and delivery certainty.

It will be great to see how this development contributes to Bath’s wider tourism and cultural economy in the years ahead.

🔗https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/local-news/fashion-museum-return-bath-absolutely-10964733

Fashion Museum Bath

25/05/2026

For this month’s photo challenge, we focused on the small habits that shape our day-to-day. The VOLOCO Construction Consulting team works across a variety of projects and locations. While no two days look exactly the same, everyone has their own routines that help keep things running smoothly.

The theme was: “Daily Habits.”

From the first coffee of the morning and a quick stretch before starting the day, to taking time for lunch, resetting a tidy desk at the end of the day, and winding down with evening meditation, the photos highlighted the small habits that help keep us focused and ready for what’s next.

Different routines, same dedication to the work we do.

John Perry Green Denoon Walters

22/05/2026

Construction still has one of the biggest talent pools sitting just outside the fence line.

The statistic highlights the industry potentially missing out on skills, perspectives and problem-solving ability at a time when the industry is crying out for people.

Things are slowly changing across the industry with more women leading projects, running businesses, managing sites and designing than ever before, but there’s still a long way to go.

At VOLOCO, we believe the industry benefits when it reflects the wider communities it builds for.

20/05/2026

Great to see this project uniting one of the world’s most influential games with a real-world construction company.

Games like Minecraft have been helping to shape the next generation of digital construction skills. They develop spatial awareness, collaboration, problem solving, planning, resource management and digital building logic before seeing BIM software of professional 3D modelling programmes.

There are already educational initiatives that have used Minecraft to teach construction management and built environment principles to young people joining the industry.

We can see how digital confidence is now critical to be able to perform most roles in the industry and the gaming industry is helping prepare young people to deliver.

🔗https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2026/05/13/glencar-revealed-as-builder-of-50m-minecraft-world/

Contractor confirmed on latest attraction at Chessington World of Adventures

18/05/2026

VOLOCO supports diverse construction projects across multiple sectors, scales, and disciplines. Here are some of this month’s highlights:

▪️ Alongside supporting McLaren Construction on the new Cardiff Arena project, Ben Webb has continued delivering support to our Retained Services clients.
▪️ Basement slab and walls poured at Hertford College, where Richard Perry is providing QS support to Beard Construction.
▪️ In Cambridge, Adrian Green is progressing the pre-construction phase of the Fernleigh Farm development.
▪️ We’re also pleased to welcome ABS Elbrow as a new client, with Richard Denoon delivering bid support, subcontract and tender reviews, alongside wider QS services.

Bteam • Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust • Littlewood Group • Porcek Contracts • RED Construction Group • Wyatt & Sons Fencing Ltd • YTL Construction

At VOLOCO Construction Consulting, we provide bespoke, flexible, and responsive support services for contractors, subcontractors, and developers across Quantity Surveying, Design Management, and Bid Management.

If you’d like to discuss how we can support your business, feel free to get in touch.

Find out more: www.voloco.co.uk

15/05/2026

This is a sobering statistic and highlights that, in this high-risk industry, although a great deal has been done to protect workers, more still needs to be done.

While major projects receive most media attention, UK construction fatalities are disproportionately concentrated among small firms, refurbishment work, domestic projects and self-employed trades, where formal safety controls are often weaker.

Why? Most likely a combination of:
• culture: centred around “we’ve always done it this way”
• competence: with training often less comprehensive or consistent
• commercial pressure: to simply “get the job done”

It’s important to note this is not because small firms care less. Many SME contractors are highly skilled, professional and conscientious. The reality is that smaller businesses often operate with:
• less margin for error
• fewer resources
• less formal structure
• greater day-to-day pressure

Preventing construction fatalities is not solely the responsibility of managers or safety professionals. Everyone involved in a project has a responsibility to challenge unsafe practices and protect both themselves and others.

Unsafe practice ignored today can become tomorrow’s fatality.

At VOLOCO, we have worked, and continue to work, with construction businesses of all sizes, from Tier 1 contractors to specialist trades and small general builders. Good and bad practice is not isolated to any one part of the industry. Collectively, we need to ensure safety is never compromised for programme or profit.

Everyone deserves to get home safely at the end of the working day.

13/05/2026

The construction industry has faced a roller-coaster ride with inflation in recent years. The resilience of many has carried them through but others, sadly, have not been able to survive. As inflationary pressure mounts again, clients, contractors and the wider supply chain are being challenged once more.

The transportation, fuel and material price pressures ripple quickly through projects impacting viability, procurement strategy and delivery confidence. This reinforces how important open collaboration is across the whole project team, with early commercial involvement and realistic budgeting needed. Concentrating on lowest cost will often lead to greater issues for the project in the long run.

At VOLOCO, we’re seeing more organisations recognising the value of robust cost planning, risk management and clear communication to help projects navigate uncertain conditions more effectively.

The key question now is how does the industry maintain momentum on housing, infrastructure and investment while creating enough resilience to absorb these ongoing cost shocks?

🔗https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2026/05/07/construction-buyers-report-rampant-cost-inflation/

Input costs rise at fastest rate for nearly four years

11/05/2026

Behind every major technology project is a huge amount of construction expertise that rarely gets seen.

VOLOCO was proud to provide quantity surveying services to Oakland Construction on the Isambard-AI supercomputer project in Bristol.

Highly technical projects like this demand careful commercial management, collaboration and adaptability from everyone involved and this was no exception.

A great project to have contributed to alongside a strong wider team.

https://www.voloco.co.uk/case-studies/isambard-ai/