Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for December 2010
21/12/2010
Two companies from Cardiff and Surrey have been prosecuted today after a man fell to his death through a rooflight. Surrey-based Open Contracts Ltd, and Cardiff-based sub-contractor Malcolm Dunn, have today been prosecuted at Southwark Crown Court following the death of a worker. On 7 July 2007, P
21/12/2010
Manchester has been granted £1.183 million to create a supported housing scheme for young adults on the autistic spectrum. The funding will enable Great Places, working with Manchester City Council, to build 18 new units at Brookfield View, Levenshulme, with a specialist provider delivering 24-hour
21/12/2010
The beauty of Cembrit's Montleon natural slate shines through on a recently completed roofing project in the Rhonnda Valley, South Wales. A Spanish natural slate, the textured surface of the slate provides the perfect complement to stone finished facades of a newly renovated farmhouse in the Welsh
21/12/2010
E.ON, one of the UK's leading energy companies, has awarded over £6,500 to Age Concern Oadby and Wigston to fund energy efficiency improvements. Age UK Oadby and Wigston is a day centre committed to supporting older local people in later life. The Centre in Paddock Street, Wigston, serves around 6
21/12/2010
Ground has been broken on the much anticipated new housing development at Stonebridge Park in St Ann's, Nottingham. The stalled project has been unlocked thanks to a £5.6m investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), and is being delivered through a partnership approach between Nottingh
21/12/2010
Four Southampton families have received an early Christmas present, after moving into the first of 53 new council homes to be built in the city for 16 years. To celebrate the completion of the four homes in Flamborough Close Millbrook, Councillor Peter Baillie Cabinet Member for Housing handed the
21/12/2010
Prime Minister David Cameron and local schoolchildren turned on the London 2012 Olympic Stadium’s floodlights for the first time. Mayor of London Boris Johnson, London Organising Committee Chair Seb Coe, Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) Chairman John Armitt and Olympic Park workers, members of the
21/12/2010
Housing Minister Grant Shapps has announced the Government is on track to turn its commitment for greener homes into a reality, and set out the next steps to new homes being zero carbon from 2016. With over a quarter of all the UK's emissions coming from homes, there is widespread consensus that qu
20/12/2010
New planning policies, which will restrict flats and encourage more family homes in Thanet, have been given the green light. Agreed by Council, the two policies will take immediate effect and will be used to help decide future planning applications. The first policy states, unless it can be justif
20/12/2010
11,400 jobs will be lost in the construction sector over the next decade as a result of the VAT rise to 20 percent in the New Year and a further 34,000 will be lost from the UK economy as a whole by 2019. In addition, homeowners will also be more vulnerable to rogue traders who will flood the mark
20/12/2010
Viridor has acquired the north-west independent integrated recycling and waste management operator Adapt Recycling Ltd. The acquisition is in line with Viridor's parent company; Pennon Group's, stated strategy of expanding its waste management activities, particularly in the areas of recycling, w
20/12/2010
Following the completion of the land deal between ITV and Peel Group, Mace has been appointed as project and construction managers for the relocation of Coronation Street and ITV’s move to MediaCityUK in Manchester in 2012. The stand alone facility for Britain's best loved soap will be built on a
20/12/2010
The shortlist of companies who will be invited to submit financial proposals for the purchase and long-term management of the London 2012 Olympic Village has been announced. After the Games the Village will provide 2,818 new homes for east London. Triathlon Homes have already purchased 1,379 of the
20/12/2010
The National Fraud Authority (NFA) and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has published a blueprint for tackling social housing tenancy fraud, which takes up to 50,000 homes away from low income households and costs the public purse nearly £1 billion per year. Key recommendations within the r
20/12/2010
Social Development Minister, Alex Attwood MLA, has secured the site of the former Andersonstown Social Security Office for 20 new family homes. The West Belfast site has been vacant since the Social Security Office relocated to their new premises earlier this year and Alex Attwood successfully bid
20/12/2010
In the UK, homeowners have for years had problems with fixing ceramic tiles to floors constructed from timber. With the increase in the number of timber frame constructions being produced within the UK, tiling to timber poses a great problem for housing associations, local authorities, house builder
17/12/2010
Communities Minister Andrew Stunell has outlined a programme of work to improve the system of building regulation in England. Changes will look to reduce the regulatory burden on builders, making it easier and cheaper for them to comply. The programme results from an exercise that asked the industr
17/12/2010
Tottenham Court Road Station - aerial view of Eastern Ticket Hall London Underground's major £500 million redevelopment of Tottenham Court Road Tube station is about to take another major step forward, this time above ground, after TfL built a new road to enable works to continue at the work site.
17/12/2010
Two plumbers from Hertfordshire who put people at risk by illegally working on domestic gas appliances have been sentenced. Paul Fromet, of Cordell Close, Cheshunt and Michael Wright of Lodge Crescent, Waltham Cross, were asked to fit a boiler in a house in Hargrave Road, Chevington, Suffolk that w
17/12/2010
The Government must take urgent action to address a 'crisis of confidence' about fire risks on timber-framed construction sites, and to improve fire safety for people living in tall buildings in London, a new report says. The London Assembly's Planning and Housing Committee says the Government shou
17/12/2010
The building of new council houses in Leicester has also led to the creation of 13 apprenticeships for young people. The apprenticeship scheme will be marked with the launch of a training base for the young people today, 17th December. The training base is located at Wycombe Road, one of the five
17/12/2010
New facilities for staff and pupils at a Swadlincote school have been officially opened. The £113,795 refurbishment work at Newhall Junior School was opened by Councillor Mike Longden, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education. The work has improved disabled access to the school, upgr
17/12/2010
Lovell bricklaying apprentice Scott Franklin has bagged a trophy for his brickwork skills. The 21-year-old trainee is working on the major regeneration programme which the company is carrying out for Somer Community Housing Trust in Bath and Keynsham. He was picked from 30 students on his NVQ Lev
17/12/2010
New contractors have resumed work on the construction of 12 affordable homes which was halted after the collapse of Rok. Mansell Partnership Homes SW has taken over the contract to build the houses in Lawrence Weston it has been announced after agreement was reached between the company, Bristol Cit
17/12/2010
Manchester's first green roof at a secondary school arrived at St Peter’' RC High School in Gorton this week. The sedum roof is part of a £3.1 million project that will see a new block built at the Kirkmanshulme Lane school, with a 600 sq metres green roof. Part of the existing school building will
17/12/2010
A specialist consultancy, design, engineering and management services company, Arcadis UK has announced it is to begin cost management and quantity surveying services for ITV's new production facility at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, Manchester. The project includes the development of a bespoke pro
16/12/2010
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has announced that it has reached financial close for two schools schemes, the Ealing Schools programme and the Oldham Schools programme, worth £53 million each. Balfour Beatty, in partnership with Ealing Council, will deliver the new PPP Dorm
16/12/2010
Housing Minister Grant Shapps has launched a new national crackdown on tenancy cheats who unlawfully sublet their council or housing association properties and deny homes to people who really need them. At least 50,000 social homes in England are being unlawfully occupied - providing the equivalent
16/12/2010
Morgan Sindall has won a £2.5 million contract to create office space in Hemel Hempstead for Dacorum Borough Council. The firm will create two buildings at the new Maylands Business Centre in Eastman Way. The first two-storey building will create an innovation centre complete with individual offic
16/12/2010
Kier Regional has been awarded a building contract to carry out the second phase of the restoration of Barking Park, with a start expected in early January. Building works include the development of the derelict lido into a new wet play area, the construction of new accommodation for park staff - i
16/12/2010
Communications company BT has been fined £300,000 following the death of a worker who fell from a ladder while carrying out installation works. Power construction engineer David Askew, 52, from Braintree, Essex, suffered fatal head injuries after falling from a wooden ladder at London's Canonbury T
16/12/2010
Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales will 'break ground' on a landmark development in East London later this week. Sir Robin will be joined by Sir Michael Lyons and Bob Lane, who chair the English Cities Fund and London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC) respectively at the £180 million Rath
16/12/2010
North Yorkshire County Council agreed to award a contract to AmeyCespa for the management of waste in North Yorkshire and York for 25 years. The decision follows confirmation from the Government that it has approved an allocation of £65 million in PFI credits - a form of grant funding - for the co
16/12/2010
What are Key Clamps? Key Clamps (also known in the industry as ‘tube clamps’ or ‘pipe clamps’) are malleable iron castings, hot-dipped galvanised to BS EN 1461:1999, that are suited to a diverse range of tubular-based applications / constructions, appropriate for both interior and exterior environm
16/12/2010
Jackson Green Engineering have now completed the repair, updated with new locks and drop bolts and rehanging of the main entrance gates, front and side, of St. John's Church on the Stratford Road in Sparkhill, Birmingham. They presented quite a challenge as the materials are of a different composit
16/12/2010
Crofton, the Kent-based consulting engineer, recently held a seminar in Maidstone, Kent to inform businesses of how they can comply with tough new energy performance regulations that involve harsh penalties – with fines of up to £5,000 if they are not adhered to. The new building regulation came in
16/12/2010
Scarborough-based double glazing and conservatory installer Centurion Windows Ltd has achieved the high standards required to gain accreditation into The Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS). They now are experiencing their most successful year to date and are looking to expand t
15/12/2010
The Ministry of Justice has announced that plans to build a 600 place prison in Maghull, Merseyside will not go ahead. Following the Comprehensive Spending Review announcement on 20 October and the publication of last week's consultation Green Paper on sentencing and rehabilitation, it will now loo
15/12/2010
Network Rail has announced the successful bidders for two major design contracts for the redevelopment of London Bridge station and the remodelling and resignalling of the railway infrastructure in the London Bridge area. The work at London Bridge is one of Britain's largest and complex railway pro
15/12/2010
Great Portland Estates (GPE) has agreed to surrender all seven leases held by Telewest UK at 160 Great Portland Street, W1, in return for total consideration of £30 million. The payment is equivalent to 6.3 years of the annual rent of £4.74 million per annum, with 7.5 years remaining until expiry o
15/12/2010
Work is now complete on an extension to increase the provision for pupils with special education needs (SEN) at Newall Green High School. As part of Manchester's Building Schools for the Future programme, a £870,000 new build single storey extension has been added to the Greenbrow Road school. The
15/12/2010
A roofing contractor from East London broke his back when falling through the skylight of a building extension, after safety procedures were overlooked. The worker, now 41, fell while removing tarpaulin from the one-storey roof extension at a flat in Collamore Avenue, South West London on 18 Decemb
15/12/2010
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and regeneration specialist St. Modwen have signed a development agreement which gives the green light to start work on the first phase of housing at the former RAF Locking site, near Weston-super-Mare. The agreement confirms St. Modwen as the HCA's official
15/12/2010
Plans for a new specialist high school with links to MediaCityUK have been approved as part of Salford council's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Planners gave the go ahead for the design proposals for a new building at Salford Quays which will replace the current Oasis Academy buil
15/12/2010
Lovell has been awarded three new contracts by Norwich City Council to carry out housing repairs and maintenance work. Over the next nine months, Lovell will provide the Council's housing repairs and maintenance service. In addition, the company will deliver Decent Homes kitchen and bathroom improv
15/12/2010
To Celebrate the launch of the new Premier-slide 100 Global Automatics are offering the opportunity to win an Apple iPad. Global Automatics are proud to present the new Premier-slide 100 Automatic sliding door operator for high usage Doors and Entranceways. The Premier-Slide 100 sliding door opera
15/12/2010
Since more than 40 years the name Tegometall guarantees excellent and unchanged quality for shop fittings. The same counts for storage techniques since over 20 years. Their goal is to achieve reasonably priced and high class quality products by using the latest technology and first class materials.
15/12/2010
We can now offer a complete set of Art Deco Door Furniture for your front door. Our new arrivals are a
14/12/2010
House prices slipped further in November, according to the latest RICS UK Housing Market survey. 44 per cent more chartered surveyors reported prices fell rather than rose in November, a slight improvement on October's net balance of -49 per cent. Lack of demand from buyers continues to stifle the
14/12/2010
A builder whose employees were forced to work in unsanitary conditions, with no toilet or washing facilities, in Rochdale has appeared in court. Michael Connolly, 46, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after he repeatedly ignored calls to improve conditions at the site in Littl
14/12/2010
Kier Stoke has taken on over 80 apprentices and placed them throughout its supply chain to complete apprenticeships in just two years. By July 2011, many of the youngsters, aged 18 to 24, will have completed their training and be fully qualified thanks to the scheme. As a recognised National Skil
14/12/2010
The National Housing Federation has welcomed the Localism Bill for giving local councils and communities greater scope to shape development in their area. The Government's decision to drop the threshold for getting a new housing development approved by local people from 75% in favour of a simple ma
14/12/2010
The needs of two local communities and motorway users have been given priority in the planning of a bridge replacement scheme over the M62. May Gurney and Lafarge are working in a JV partnership (LMG) to replace the bridge on behalf of the Highways Agency. The £4.7 million scheme commenced in Augus
14/12/2010
Sisk will deliver the full design and construction of Plot One, a £47.9 million development providing a 271 apartment mixed use retail and residential development within four buildings. The overall regeneration scheme will transform the area, creating a vibrant and sustainable, mixed-use developme
14/12/2010
The life of an iconic listed university building has been extended for future generations of students - with innovative new window systems playing a key part in the restoration. Fenestration is the major component of the facade of the Arts Tower at Sheffield University, a Grade 2 listed building wh
14/12/2010
Atkins and Assystem are to form a strategic alliance to create a 50/50 nuclear engineering joint venture to provide consultancy and engineering services to the rapidly-expanding international nuclear new build market. The Nuclear Atkins Assystem Alliance will enable both companies to address deman
14/12/2010
A worker had two fingers severed when his hand was caught in the drilling machine he was operating at one of the UK's major producers of construction and mining equipment. John Watson, 55, from Wheatley Hill, County Durham, was drilling holes in steel plates at Komatsu UK Ltd Birtley, when his righ
14/12/2010
Ecomix 40 is a computerised mobile plant with hydraulic drive and automatic/manual management, design for production of concrete and for production of roadbed, also for all activity needs quality concretes, mixed-concrete and cold road working. Some important benefits of the machine are: facility o
13/12/2010
An extraordinary insight into almost a century of UK construction industry history is being made available through a new online archive of research and guidance publications. Built environment experts at BRE, which celebrates its 90th anniversary next year, have been at the forefront of UK construc
13/12/2010
Crossrail Ltd has announced its intention to award a joint venture comprising: BAM Nuttall Ltd, Ferrovial Agroman (UK) Ltd, Kier Construction Ltd. two contracts valued in the region of £500m. The contracts comprise two 6.2km tunnel drives between Royal Oak and Farringdon and a separate contract to
13/12/2010
Harlow is going 'all-artistic' with news that a market square in an Essex town is to be revamped with a performance area for music events. Harlow Council has given the go ahead for the plans to revitalise Stone Cross with modern stalls. The square will be resurfaced, benches put in and more trees
13/12/2010
The Exeter economy has received a significant boost with the news that Calendar Club have signed a lease to take Exe Box, which is Exeter’s largest distribution building as their new UK headquarters’ reports Tim Western, Partner at King Sturge’s Exeter office, who handled jointly the letting on beha
13/12/2010
Graham FM has been awarded a contract to provide statutory maintenance and minor works for the University of Hertfordshire’s estate. Under the scope of the Contract, Graham FM will also provide support and maintenance to the University’s Data Centres Critical Systems. The University of Hertfords
13/12/2010
Leyland Trade's partnership with leading British Touring Car Championship team Motorbase Performance continues to speed along in top gear after it made a healthy donation of paint to bring the exterior of the team's garage sparkling back to life. After already giving a helping hand to restore the
13/12/2010
A worker in a factory, manufacturing lids for food containers, had four fingers severed in a lid-punching machine that had been modified by her employers. Chadwicks of Bury Ltd, which produces lids for yogurt pots, ice cream cartons and other food containers, was prosecuted by Health and Safety Ex
10/12/2010
Crossrail has announced its intention to award the major tunnel contracts for Europe's largest infrastructure project. These are the most significant tunnel contracts to be awarded in the UK since the Jubilee Line Extension and Channel Tunnel Rail Link and will provide a much-needed boost to UK con
10/12/2010
A list of approved builders, who are registered as competent under a system of accreditation, will help ensure the success of Green Deal, but it won't solve the problem of consumer demand. This is the response from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) as the Green Deal legislation was announced.
10/12/2010
Morgan Sindall is giving a welcome boost to Dorset's construction industry through a project to build the new Weymouth Community Fire Station in Radipole Lane. The company is employing as many local people as possible to work on the £6.5 million scheme for Dorset Fire and Rescue. Weymouth-based bri
10/12/2010
Silver Track Training based in Haydock, St Helens has collaborated with Peel Group to launch a new Railway Engineering training site in Birkenhead for 16 – 24 year old apprentices. Forming part of Peels Wirral Waters regeneration project – the biggest in the UK - and backed by local MP's and counci
10/12/2010
Work has started in Crumpsall on the £17.5 million rebuild and refurbishment of Abraham Moss High School. The 1,200 place Crescent Road school sits within a 40 acres development including a leisure centre, theatre, library, recording studio, further education facilities and a range of local agenci
10/12/2010
Housing Minister Grant Shapps has announced further details about the new scheme that will allow housing associations to offer flexible tenancies and deliver more affordable homes. From 2011, housing associations will have an additional Affordable Rent option to offer households who need support. A
10/12/2010
Christmas has come early for Wiltshire tenants as the first council homes to be built in the county for around 30 years are handed over to their new families. The 14 new homes in Trowbridge were completed by builders Wainhomes this month, with a further 17 scheduled for completion in February next
10/12/2010
Mitsubishi Electric has received another environmental accolade for its advanced renewable heating system as Scotland's most environmentally-friendly businesses were crowned at a prestigious award ceremony at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow. The company secured the Product Award category for its
10/12/2010
Blocked gutters are the biggest cause of water ingress and flood damage to homes in the UK. The guttering on your home receives a year round flow of debris, silt, and dirt that flows off the roof during rainfall. Gutters also trap leaves blown in by the wind. It is not uncommon to see them clogged
09/12/2010
Dobbies Garden Centres has welcomed the decision by local councillors to grant permission for a new eco-friendly garden centre in Speke, Liverpool. Following finalisation of the planning process through the Government Office for the North West, Dobbies will confirm dates for construction to begin
09/12/2010
Skanska has announced it will launch operations to expand in the UK and Poland. Skanska's new business plan up to 2015 will focus on profitable growth. One of the areas with the best growth potential and in which Skanska plans to invest the most in coming years is residential development. The g
09/12/2010
Stanair has helped to find the Fundraiser of the Year in the 2010 Pride of Northamptonshire awards. The industrial door company sponsored the recent awards, organised by the Chronicle & Echo and Northants ET newspapers. 92-year-old Stanley Attley from Ringstead was picked by the company for the fu
09/12/2010
Plans to develop the former Eastfield High School playing fields, vacant since 1995, will soon become a reality. Brenley Park LLP, a joint venture between Willmott Dixon Homes and Notting Hill Housing Group, have exchanged contracts with the Homes and Communities Agency to develop the seven acre si
09/12/2010
Construction union UCATT are warning construction employers that extra checks need to be made on sites, to ensure that work can be conducted safely, during the current extreme cold weather. Employers need to undertake additional risk assessments during extreme weather in order to ensure that sites
09/12/2010
Plans for new homes, shops and mental health facilities on the Springfield Hospital site in Tooting would put too much strain on the local transport network and result in an unacceptable loss of Metropolitan Open Land, councillors have ruled. The planning application committee turned down the propo
09/12/2010
The Interserve-led consortium Environments for Learning (E4L) has reached financial close on a £63 million schools project for St Helens Council. Interserve will undertake construction work on two schools, Rainford High Technology College and De La Salle School, at a capital cost of £48 million, pa
09/12/2010
Consumer Focus has launched a new complaints league table to help consumers decide which energy supplier will give them the fewest problems or best handle any problems that arise. The new rankings are based on the most comprehensive energy complaints data available and will be published every quar
09/12/2010
Mansell has won a £10 million contract to complete works at three schools in Scarborough for North Yorkshire County Council. The contract was procured through the Public Buildings Framework. Barrowcliffe, Friarage and Hinderwell Schools will undergo transformations which will include new phased ext
08/12/2010
Two workers have died at a Merseyside chipboard factory. Police, fire crews and emergency services were called to the Sonae factory in Kirkby around 1545 GMT. The men died at the scene. A joint investigation has been launched by Merseyside Police and the Health and Safety Executive. Inquiries a
08/12/2010
Construction union UCATT have expressed extreme dismay with the performance of junior minister Ed Davey, who repeated a series of myths and factual inaccuracies, about why he no longer believed that the Gangmasters Act should be extended to the construction industry. Mr Davey made his remarks when
08/12/2010
Galliford Try, the housebuilding and construction group, has been confirmed as construction and investment partner of the Local Transformational Partnership (a consortium of Hochtief PPP Solutions, Galliford Try and Vinci) which has been appointed as the preferred bidder on the £50 million Halton Bu
08/12/2010
The main contractors behind preparatory works for the £250 million Southwater regeneration have started major work on site. From Monday, security fencing went up around parts of the site signalling the start of major works to prepare Southwater for massive investment. Telford & Wrekin Council appo
08/12/2010
May Gurney has been awarded a new AMP5 contract with Bristol Water worth up to £12 million. The Bristol Water New Lay Trunk Mains Framework runs until March 2015 and includes the installation of up to 35km of new strategic trunk mains up to 900mm in diameter. May Gurney is Bristol Water's single pa
08/12/2010
Mansell has secured the £3 million second phase of works at James Terry Court, a care home in Croydon for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution (RMBI). The contract will involve the construction of a West Wing which will provide 28 bedrooms alongside a remodelled and refurbished main building co
08/12/2010
A new affordable housing development has been opened in rural Wiltshire by the Chairman of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), Robert Napier. Mr Napier visited the homes in Cherry Orchard, Codford, which have just been built by Wiltshire Rural Housing Association and were supported by a HCA inv
08/12/2010
GQA Qualifications (GQA) is the specialist Awarding Body offering national qualifications in primarily glass and glass related occupations. It is the only national Awarding Body with over 20 years of continuous provision of national glass related qualifications for Automotive Glaziers, Glass Manuf
08/12/2010
CTB Supplies Ltd is pleased to announce the launch of their new e-commerce website, offering a comprehensive range of Fischer Fixing systems. Items listed and stocked by CTB Supplies Ltd include the complete chemical fixing system from Fischer's FTR Chemical Stud, their range of resin catridge's i
08/12/2010
We build brands PITCH&CO is a branding and graphic design company. We turn complicated briefs into simple ideas that help build successful brands. We're a full service agency based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, offering brand creation and development, advertising, direct mail, event themes, packaging
07/12/2010
The recovery in construction output experienced by the industry during much of 2010 will stall in 2011 according to the latest forecasts from the Construction Products Association (CPA). Industry output is expected to decline by 2% in 2011 compared with 2010, with a further fall anticipated in 2012
07/12/2010
Sandwell Council is set for a court battle in the new year to save its secondary schools modernisation programme from the axe. Along with five other local authorities, the council is challenging the Government's decision to halt BSF projects. A hearing is due at the Royal Courts of Justice in Lond
07/12/2010
Environment Minister, Jane Davidson, has announced an additional £800,000 to protect Welsh homes from the risk of flooding. The additional money, which will be spent in the current financial year, will help ensure that properties at locations across Wales are much better equipped to cope with the p
07/12/2010
May Gurney has been awarded the Sewerage Services East Region maintenance contract by Severn Trent Water, valued at up to £62 million from April 2011. The contract period is five years with an option to extend for a further five years. In addition there is potential for the value to increase when p
07/12/2010
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has welcomed the Government's review of construction as published in the Low Carbon Construction report by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The CIOB calls for greater transparency in carbon measurement and for building regulations
07/12/2010
A document seeing out guidance on planning for conservation and regeneration in Liverpool's World Heritage Site has landed two awards. The Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City World Heritage Site Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) won the Royal Town Planning Institute North West Award for Best Pl
07/12/2010
British Gas has announced a further expansion of its insulation business with the acquisition of ECL Contracts Ltd, a specialist external-wall insulation company, for £4 million in cash. The deal represents another major step in British Gas' ambition to build the country's leading insulation busine
07/12/2010
A Middlesex plumber who put people at risk by illegally working on domestic gas appliances has been sentenced. Tony MacTaggart, who also trades as TJM Heating and Plumbing, of Pembroke Avenue, Enfield, Middlesex, lied to homeowners about being registered with Gas Safe, the compulsory registration s
06/12/2010
Costain is actively looking at increasing its pool of tunnelling specialists as several major national contracts loom. Power and water projects form the two main sectors likely to require extensive tunnelling works in the next few years. "Tunnelling is a potentially lucrative field for Costain," s
06/12/2010
May Gurney has been identified as the preferred bidder for the highways maintenance service for Surrey County Council. The £19.5m per annum contract will provide core maintenance, surface treatment, gritting services and flood prevention across the county's 4,776km of roads from April 2011. In add
06/12/2010
Morgan Sindall is celebrating the exam successes of its latest recruits. Graduates and undergraduates on the top construction firm's training programme achieved high-scoring exam results in construction and design management and quantity surveying. John Homer, Morgan Sindall Regional Managing Dire
06/12/2010
Manchester City Council has won 'BSF scheme of the Year' at the recent Education Investor Awards. The awards, held at London's Grosvenor House Hotel, celebrate innovation and excellence in the UK's education industry. Manchester was singled out from a shortlist that included Westminster, Essex, Kn
06/12/2010
The UK's energy regulator and energy firms were accused of costing some of their poorest customers hundreds of pounds in higher fuel bills after it emerged they had spent just a fraction of the money set aside, in a £350m scheme to insulate tens of thousands of homes in deprived communities. The Go
06/12/2010
A Birmingham-based university has been fined, along with a security systems firm, after two workers were exposed to dangerous asbestos fibres while fitting CCTV cameras. The worker and a 17-year-old trainee were installing the cameras in the reception area at Aston University's Recreation Centre on
06/12/2010
The results of the 2009/10 accident survey carried out by the National Specialist Contractors’ Council (NSCC) highlight the commitment of its members to health and safety in the workplace after NSCC recorded lower fatal and major injury rates than the industry as a whole. In the biggest NSCC Accide
06/12/2010
Chris Marten Architectural Services have been established for over 20 years working on a variety of interesting projects from the leisure, domestic and education sectors. The firm prides itself in achieving a high level of service gaining approval for Planning & Building Regulations for its clients
06/12/2010
Designed for light commercial applications this centrifugal roof fan is ideal for bathroom/toilet extract or stuffy or stale air removal in small premises. The compact design is available in two sizes designed for single phase electrical supply. The fans are manufactured in sheet steel with epoxy
06/12/2010
PVC product guarantees are in the news with a senior executive at a Cork-based firm that employs 200 staff throughout Europe revealing details of a 30-year, transferable assurance on many of its roofline, cladding and rainwater products. Aidan Harte, the Managing Director of Freefoam Plastics, is b
03/12/2010
Multi million pound plans to create an iconic arts and innovation centre in the heart of Bangor has received a major funding boost from the Welsh Assembly Government, creating over 100 jobs and safeguarding many hundreds more in the local economy. The Pontio development will receive £27.5 million t
03/12/2010
A laminate flooring firm has been sentenced after a worker at its Merseyside factory suffered severe injuries to his left hand. Christopher Sillitoe now has difficulty dressing himself, and using a knife and fork, after his hand came into contact with a large circular saw at Universal Mouldings Ltd
03/12/2010
Lovell is set to deliver a £5.8 million development of 41 energy-efficient affordable homes in Heston, Hounslow, west London, for the London Borough of Hounslow and Hounslow Homes. Lovell will build a four-storey building housing a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and maisonettes on t
03/12/2010
A YouGov survey commissioned by the New Homes Marketing Board (NHMB) has revealed that more than eight in ten people (81 per cent) believe Britain needs more housing for sale and rent, especially affordable homes for first-time buyers. But it also shows that far fewer people – just 50 per cent – w
03/12/2010
Kier Moss has been Highly Commended at the Constructing Excellence National Awards for its extensive partnership working with Gloucestershire County Council on the Coleford Community and Enterprise Centre. After triumphing at the Constructing Excellence South West Awards in the Integrative and Coll
03/12/2010
PVC product guarantees are in the news with a senior executive at a Cork-based firm that employs 200 staff throughout Europe revealing details of a 30-year, transferable assurance on many of its roofline, cladding and rainwater products. Aidan Harte, the Managing Director of Freefoam Plastics, is b
03/12/2010
Jackson & Gocher Hire Centre, an Award Winning Company, has expanded to become a specialist provider of Eco Products. The line up includes Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Air and Ground Source Heat Pumps and Rain Water Harvesting equipment. This range of products complements the hire of specialist equipm
03/12/2010
Phocas is the world leader in simple, ready to use
03/12/2010
J Peiser Wainwright has been instructed to sell Westbury House, a former nursing home with planning permission for 10 residential flats. The 0.22 acre site occupies a central location in the seaside resort of Swanage on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. Offers in excess of £1.2 million are sought,
03/12/2010
Canary Wharf Group PLC, instructed J Peiser Wainwright to provide advice on the acquisition and site assembly of property at Heron Quays, London E14 in 2001. Following the initial acquisition of the freehold interest from Carillion in 2002, J Peiser Wainwright negotiated terms to acquire the major
03/12/2010
We build brands PITCH&CO is a branding and graphic design company. We turn complicated briefs into simple ideas that help build successful brands. We're a full service agency based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, offering brand creation and development, advertising, direct mail, event themes, packaging
02/12/2010
EDF Energy has submitted a planning application to West Somerset Council in which it proposes to start preliminary works in association with the company's plans to construct two new nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point. The Council's planning team is currently checking that EDF Energy has submitted al
02/12/2010
A new book from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) will help housing organisations understand the current and future needs of their customers and how to target their resources more effectively. The book, 'Housing and the Customer', argues that a more customer-based approach can help organisat
02/12/2010
Costain has become the first major UK construction/engineering company to launch an 'app' for the Apple iPad. The innovative move will allow the Group to showcase its technical capabilities and offer an outlet for its views on major issues affecting the construction/engineering sector. The launch
02/12/2010
Thames Water today called on its 13.8 million customers to help it fight leakage this winter by reporting burst or leaking water pipes when they spot them. Britain's biggest water and sewerage company said bursts on its ageing 20,000-mile network of pipes had doubled since the current freezing weat
02/12/2010
Skanska has been assigned to construct Brent Civic Centre in the Greater London Area. The contract amount is around £85 million. The new Brent Civic Centre will be a nine-story building comprising approximately 40,000 square meters. The building, which will boast a strong environmental profile w
02/12/2010
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, announces today that it has reached financial close for the £55 million Derby City Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The Derby City BSF Partnership project involves the delivery of a capital investment programme for schools in D
02/12/2010
Steve Kirk, managing director of Lovell Respond, has raised over £2,500 for Macmillan Cancer Support through a 350-mile sponsored coast-to-coast cycle ride. Steve and son Curtis, 18, spent a week tackling the marathon journey from Whitehaven in Cumbria to Tynemouth in the north east - and back agai
02/12/2010
Kair Heat Recovery Ventilators provide a continuous air change, replacing stale moisture-laden air with fresh, warmed air from outside. Kair Heat Recovery Ventilators control condensation problems in small flats up to large houses and are an integral part of the Kair 'Hybrid' Heat Recovery Systems
02/12/2010
The UK's fastest-growing property services provider, Apollo has signed up as principle sponsor of nationwide sustainability initiative, SHIFT. The only organisation to provide a comprehensive environmental benchmark for affordable housing providers, Sustainable Homes Index For Tomorrow (SHIFT) coun
02/12/2010
The powerful blast from a bomb can cause immeasurable destruction. It would seem that windows shattering would be the least of it, but a single square foot of glass can produce up to 200 deadly, razor-sharp fragments. Flying glass shards are what many times causes severe injury, and even death. Na
01/12/2010
The Crossrail project reached a major milestone as the procurement process to purchase new trains got underway. The capital cost of new Crossrail rolling stock and depot facilities is in the region of £1 billion. A new fleet of 60 trains will deliver Crossrail services, boost London's rail capaci
01/12/2010
A cash boost of £6 million for new affordable homes was recently secured for Cambridgeshire from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The money was made available through the National Affordable Housing Programme. The cash will help deliver approximately 154 new homes for people on the housing
01/12/2010
The announcement by the Department for Work and Pensions that measures to reduce Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates will be delayed for nine months to January 2012 for existing claimants has been welcomed by the Chartered Institute for Housing (CIH). The CIH believes it demonstrates the government
01/12/2010
Plans are about to be submitted to build a state-of-the-art sports arena for the City of Worcester. The Worcester Arena, being developed by the University of Worcester, will increase sport participation from grass roots to elite level across the region and make a real difference to people’s lives.
01/12/2010
Top ten housebuilder, Galliford Try Homes has beaten off stiff competition to win three highly prestigious 2010 'Building for Life' awards, deemed the national standard for design excellence, safer neighbourhoods and best practice in the housebuilding industry. Fifty-five developments in the countr
01/12/2010
Falling supply of new property to the rental market coupled with increased demand led to a rise in rents in the three months to the end of October, says the latest RICS Residential Lettings Survey. 39 per cent more surveyors reported seeing an increase in rents over the three month period, than a f
01/12/2010
A brand new fully accessible boat house that can be used by disabled children and young people is to be built at Ghyll Head Outdoor Education Centre, in Windermere. The new boathouse is being delivered courtesy of contractors who are part of Manchester City Council's Corporate Services Construction
01/12/2010
Communities Minister Andrew Stunell has urged all homeowners, landlords and tenants to go online and use a new tool that compares the different measures they can use to save energy, and crucially save money too. Anyone looking to make their home more environmentally friendly can go to the new Energ
01/12/2010
Green Air Monitoring Ltd provides audits of indoor air quality based on sample measurements taken over a full day. The information is presented in graphical form so that trends over the logged period can be easily interpreted. The benefits of their services to any organisation include: One: A co
01/12/2010
When Morghew Park Estates needed a new grain store to support its agricultural operations near Rolvenden, in Kent, they instructed Quercus Consulting to undertake a flood risk assessment. Following a topographical survey it was clear that the proposed construction would reduce the storage capacity
01/12/2010
Stroma Certification's FSAP (Full SAP 2009) software version 1.1 has been reapproved on the 18th October by BRE on behalf of Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Communities and Local Government (CLG). This is due to incorporation of the Building Regulation Checklist report function th
