Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for August 2010
31/08/2010
Morgan Sindall has been awarded a £7.1 million scheme to expand and refurbish a primary school in Wembley for Brent Council. The firm has been appointed to create a two-storey extension at Sudbury Primary School, under the Improvement and Efficiency South East (IESE) framework. Sustainable feature
31/08/2010
New research by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the gap between the number of professional workers and manual workers dying before they reach 65 has increased. The research means that the ConDems Government's plans to increase the retirement age to 66 by 2016 and then incr
31/08/2010
Tens of thousands of homeowners who bought during the housing boom face another four years of being trapped in negative equity, according to a new forecast published by the National Housing Federation. People who purchased a property in England at the peak of the market in 2007 paid an average pric
31/08/2010
Kier Western has started work on a new £25m centre which is designed to keep Bristol at the vanguard of the aviation industry for generations to come. The National Composite Centre, at the new Science Park in Emersons Green, will specialise in research and development into lightweight composite mat
31/08/2010
A Doncaster housing developer was today fined £30,000 after a worker was left paralysed from the chest down when he was crushed by a steel beam weighing more than 660 pounds. Anton Burrows, 24, from Dewsbury was working as part of a bricklaying team sub-contracted to Strata Homes Yorkshire Ltd, at
31/08/2010
Rok has signed a contract with Inter Partner Assistance - part of AXA Assistance. Rok anticipates the contract will lead to a significant increase in the volume of 365-Response claims it handles with an expected contract value of £40m over three years. Rok's 24-hour contact centre in Mansfield wil
31/08/2010
Plans for the temporary London 2012 Water Polo Arena, with a distinctive sloping roof, have been approved. The 5,000-seat venue will host Water Polo during the London 2012 Olympic Games. Its rippling roof will be made of recycled PVC cushions inflated with air that will provide extra insulation. T
31/08/2010
The Blackwall Tunnel northbound refurbishment is to be completed six months early, Transport for London (TfL) has announced. The project is now expected to be completed before the London 2012 Games. TfL has praised the engineers whose rapid progress now means those works may be able to finish six
27/08/2010
The number of properties sold in England and Wales for over £1 million has increased by 67% between May 2009 and May 2010 - from 255 to 426. Overall, property sales are also rising with the most up-to-date figures available showing that during May, the number of completed house sales in England and
27/08/2010
The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) has accepted Covanta Energy's application for a Development Consent Order to authorise a Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) at Rookery South Pit, near Stewartby in Bedfordshire. This now allows the application to move forward to the 'pre-examination' and
27/08/2010
The UK economy has been boosted further than predicted in the second quarter of 2010, aided by a strong performance by the construction sector. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revised the initial estimate of 1.1% growth to 1.2% as construction output grew by 8.5% in the second quarter. A
27/08/2010
Channel 4's Phil Spencer is urging the public to nominate their builder for the Master Builder of The Year Awards as the deadline for submissions approaches on 31 August 2010. To celebrate ten years of showcasing the very best in construction, The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is working with
27/08/2010
The international infrastructure group, Balfour Beatty, has announced that it has been appointed as preferred bidder by Hertfordshire County Council for their £80 million schools scheme in Stevenage. The scheme involves the design, construction and provision of facilities management for two mainstr
27/08/2010
More than 70 housing organisations have reached the final stages of the UK Housing Awards for their outstanding work to improve the lives of people in their communities. The UK Housing Awards, now in their fourteenth year, attracted over 250 entries. The awards recognise excellence across ten cate
27/08/2010
German market-leader in heavy-haulage trailer innovation Goldhofer and US transport specialist Berard Transportation have teamed up to provide a solution to a Herculean task: the transportation from Louisiana to Alaska of two steel oil platforms weighing 4,000 and 3,500 tonnes respectively. The pla
27/08/2010
A leading provider of tile and marble products, Armatile, has been celebrating an investment. Invest Northern Ireland is supporting the local tile manufacturer to help increase sales by £500,000 by 2012. Invest NI has offered over £39,600 towards the company's development plans which aim to enhan
26/08/2010
Liverpool City Council has given planning approval for the new Everyman theatre on Hope Street. Council Leader Cllr Joe Anderson endorsed the new design describing it as "a vital redevelopment for the City's future. The Everyman is a real gem in Liverpool's cultural life and while it will have a n
26/08/2010
A landlord has been fined for putting the lives of his tenants and others at risk by illegally fitting a gas boiler. Richard Elliot, of Pennsylvania Road, Exeter pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (1998) when he appeared before Honiton Magistrates' C
26/08/2010
South Tyneside Council is set to build 20 new eco-friendly homes in South Shields, after the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) confirmed £803,000 in funding. The £2 million project will create 20 new two-bedroom bungalows in Druridge Crescent in the Horsley Hill area. They will be designed primari
26/08/2010
Environment Agency officers have been assisting the emergency services to pump out water from properties in Herne Bay, Kent, following flooding overnight. It is believed more than 60 properties, mainly basement flats in Central Parade and Mortimer Street, were affected by flooding during heavy rain
26/08/2010
Wates Living Space is working in partnership with Raven Housing Trust to deliver a 'Retrofit for the Future' project in Surrey, funded by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB). Funded by the Government for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, the initiative is aimed at improving the eff
26/08/2010
Durable stainless steel sinktops, made to measure by GEC Anderson, have earned a place in history as part of the major facilities upgrade recently completed at the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, London. The sinktops, in domestic grade satin finish stainless steel and with integrated bow
26/08/2010
In a volatile market consulting engineers Crofton have bucked the trend and moved its London Bridge offices to larger premises to accommodate significant growth in its business over the last ten years. Steven Hale, Managing Director of Crofton commented: "Year on year turnover has been increasing.
26/08/2010
Powersave Lighting Limited is a UK based manufacturer of
26/08/2010
Have you a problem or disputed insurance claim? Do you need free expert support with a problem insurance claim? BJP Insurance Brokers Ltd are construction insurance experts that provide a free claim support service to the construction sector. They can provide you with experienced, sympathetic, p
25/08/2010
Two UK construction companies have today been fined a total of £125,000 after a worker was seriously injured when he fell 21 metres from a hospital building under construction in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Laing O'Rourke Construction Limited and Expanded Structures Limited were prosecuted by the Health a
25/08/2010
Gatwick Airport has announced two new 'supplier framework agreements' for the provision of architectural and civil engineering services, as part of its near £1 billion capital investment programme to modernise the airport. Following full compliance with the Official Journal of the European Union (O
25/08/2010
Plans for the latest phase of the Northampton Marina has been granted planning permission by West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC). Construction of the main building is expected to start in October and will mark the final step in the quickly progressing Marina development. It will be
25/08/2010
T. Clarke, the building services group, has announced the acquisition of DG Robson Mechanical Services (DGR), a privately owned specialist Mechanical Services & Public Health contractor for a total consideration of up to £6.15 million. For the year ended 31 March 2010, DGR reported revenues of £7.7
25/08/2010
As many as half of Britain's homes could earn around £600 a year from roof top solar panels with some earning as much as £1000, according to energy supplier, British Gas. Research carried out by the company suggests that over 12 million households have roofs that could benefit from solar panel inst
25/08/2010
Derwent London has announced that the Charlotte Building in London is now fully let following the 7,400 sq ft letting to LinkedIn Europe Ltd, an Internet platform company focused on connecting the world’s business professionals. LinkedIn has taken the entire first floor on a 10-year lease at a r
25/08/2010
Premier Storage and Office Solutions provides a wide range of new and
25/08/2010
The Tudor Designer Windows website is the premier site For PVC-u Windows, Doors, Conservatories, Fascias, Soffits, Guttering And Cladding. At Tudor Design, they understand that whether you are making small or fundamental changes to the appearance of your home, it is a big decision and choosing the
25/08/2010
As fats, oils and grease from your cooking cools, it hardens and congeals. It sticks to the inside of your drainage pipes, restricting the water flow and gradually blocking the drain. Using detergents or bleach may appear to help but it is only temporary as the mixture soon reverts back to thick o
25/08/2010
Cadfan Ltd strives to deliver the best in high quality, easy to install, competitively priced products. The option 4 range of centrifugal fans has been designed to make it compact, easy to handle, install & fit. It is available in three types; SFC, BFFC & BFBL. The main advantage and design featu
24/08/2010
A Solihull building firm has been fined £1,000 after failing to take precautions against asbestos while working at a school. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the company after bosses at Greswolde Construction Ltd of Station Road, Knowle, failed to warn its employees that the substa
24/08/2010
Construction union UCATT have welcomed an initiative by Labour leadership contender Ed Miliband to cut taxes paid by companies who guarantee paying a living wage to workers. Under the plans companies who set their rates of pay at a minimum of £7.60 an hour would pay lower rates of corporation tax c
24/08/2010
An independent planning inspector has dismissed an appeal by Community Base against refusal of advertising consent. In February Brighton & Hove's Planning Committee refused consent for the 9.4 metre square advertisement on the side of the Community Base building in Queens Road on the grounds that i
24/08/2010
The first stage of landscaping work is already underway on the Athletes' Village site where an extensive wetlands park is being created. The Village will include 2,000 new trees, parks, play areas and open spaces in addition to the new homes. The Athletes' Village is located next to the Olympic Pa
24/08/2010
Arun residents and businesses will soon be able to get information and advice from planners before submitting an application. The service, for anyone wanting to improve their homes, expand their business or carry out a development, will be available from September. The flexible service will ena
24/08/2010
Lovell is working on the first housing scheme awarded by the Homes and Communities Agency’s (HCA) Delivery Partner Panel which has been set up to fast-track the development of new housing on public land. The £5.6 million development for City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council will create 45
24/08/2010
FLI Structures from the Haley Steel Group, recently won the Network Rail Partnership Award for Innovation. The company specialises in the design and manufacture of steel structures, including screw piles, steel grillages & masts. The award ceremony, held at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole, was ho
24/08/2010
The increased focus on environmental issues such as carbon emissions, energy consumption and the Governments on-going commitment to tackling climate change has introduced many changes to the retail industry. The fine balance of creating a comfortable working and shopping experience, and reducing a
23/08/2010
A Workington company has been fined £15,000 after a steel cable shot through a worker's leg, leaving him with a hole through his shin. A.C.P (Concrete) Ltd, which produces concrete panels, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident in their factory in the Derwent
23/08/2010
Councillors have given the go ahead for a £26 million community stadium at Barton. Salford City Council has formed a joint venture company with Peel to develop and deliver the stadium, the largest single investment in sport in the city for decades. It will be a centre for a range of community act
23/08/2010
Tens of thousands of social housing tenants across Manchester can expect consistent levels of service from their landlords thanks to an agreement. Some 23 leading registered providers of social housing across the city have signed up to a set of common standards guiding how they look after neighbour
23/08/2010
The Basketball Arena is being readied for the 12,000 black and orange seats that will be installed in the venue. The seating structure is taking shape inside the Arena ready for the seats to be built into the venue. They have been designed to represent the colours of a basketball. The 1,000-tonne
23/08/2010
The doors to three new homes have been officially unlocked on a Gateshead estate. The Gateshead Housing Company has unveiled the four-bed terraced-houses on High Lanes estate, Heworth, marking the end of a suite of developments. The £300,000 scheme, which was made possible by support from the Home
23/08/2010
The producers of stonewool insulation, Rockwool, has welcomed the new London Housing Design Guide as a strong foundation for enhancing energy efficiency and build quality within new urban homes. However, Rockwool has urged The London Development Agency to extend the 73 new-build property standards
23/08/2010
The A. Proctor Group are pleased to announce the launch of its new range of gas resistant membranes. Mike Sweeney of the A. Proctor Group commented: "The membranes have been specifically developed to simplify the process when choosing the correct gas membrane for your site." Historically, the typ
20/08/2010
A shop fitting company has been fined after five workers were exposed to potentially deadly asbestos fibres at the Arndale Centre in Manchester. Eastern Regional Shopfitters Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after it ignored a report which stated asbestos was present in a
20/08/2010
Wates Construction has appointed Jason Knights to the newly created role of Building Services Director to spearhead the delivery of a new customer offer around building services currently being piloted in the London construction business. Previously the Operations Director at MACE, Jason wil
20/08/2010
Hillingdon Council's building programme to deliver more affordable rented housing in the borough is continuing to take shape. The project to build more homes has been awarded £8 million by central government, which will be used for 97 units of housing across Hayes, West Drayton and Yeading. Work ha
20/08/2010
BDP's Manchester Studio has been appointed by Arriva Trains Wales to masterplan a number of stations across the UK, including Swansea. The new developments will benefit over six million passengers a year. For each masterplan, BDP is tasked with designing and integrating new features and refurbishi
20/08/2010
As the Government increases its efforts to curb carbon emissions from the power generation sector, Costain is aiming to win a stake in the renewable energy market. Offshore windfarms offer the prospect of more predictable and consistent weather conditions than their onshore counterparts, together w
20/08/2010
A key £180 million regeneration scheme for the Canning Town and Custom House area has secured the final £13 million funding to enable work on the project to begin. The Rathbone Market redevelopment will be able to proceed after being given funding from the London Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
20/08/2010
Priors Reclamation is introducing sash windows which consist of two framed sections, one above the other which overlap at the dividing horizontal transom bar and slide vertically in a timber frame. The movement is controlled by weighted pulleys hidden behind the sides of the window frames. They we
20/08/2010
As part of their commitment to growth Red Rooster Industrial U.K. Limited announces the introduction of a brand new 50 tonne capacity calibration machine within their West Midlands centre. All calibration work (up to 400 tonne capacity) had previously been carried out within the main Aberdeenshire
19/08/2010
Kier Construction has been awarded a £125m tunnelling contract by the MTR Corporation in Hong Kong as part of a three-way joint venture in which Kier Construction holds a 50% share. Kaden Construction (Hong Kong) and Spanish contractor Obras Subterraneas SA (OSSA) are Kier's JV partners. The proj
19/08/2010
Mortgage lending totalled an estimated £13.6 billion in July, a 5% increase from £12.9 billion in June, however it was down 3% from £14 billion in July 2009, according to new data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The new data suggests that lending remains on track to meet our new revise
19/08/2010
AMEC, the international engineering and project management company, has been awarded a contract worth over £60 million by EDF Energy to extend a gas storage facility in Cheshire. The contract, at the Hill Top Farm facility at Warmingham, will see AMEC design, install and commission the filtration a
19/08/2010
The First Minister and Deputy First Minister has welcomed an announcement by Corus that they are to invest £185 million in their Port Talbot steelworks. The investment will increase capacity of the two blast furnaces by up to 400,000 tonnes per year. The First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones said:
19/08/2010
Kanvas, the commercial interior design specialist of Willmott Dixon Group, has transformed the interior of one of the City's most respected insurance groups. The business carried out a fast-track eight week project to give a fresh, new look to 14,000 square feet of office space for Barbican Insuran
19/08/2010
Swistherm and NHBC approved Swisrail External Wall Insulation systems from Alumasc, have created the distinctive façade of West London's NHBC award-winning Highpoint Village, helping the project to achieve a BREEAM class 1 rating. The multi-use development comprises 438 attractive residential units
19/08/2010
The international infrastructure group, Balfour Beatty, has announced that Gammon Construction, the market-leading infrastructure contractor in Hong Kong, in which Balfour Beatty has a 50% shareholding, has been awarded a £238 million rail infrastructure contract, in joint venture with Leighton Asia
19/08/2010
Hose leakage in vehicles is a problem that faces everyone in the winter months. From the cold of the morning to the heat of travelling, the hose will expand and contract so often, that leaks or 'weeping' becomes almost inevitable. Zero Clips Limited of Birmingham has an answer to this problem. CONST
19/08/2010
At Proboxx we offer products that give the quality and reliability modern day identities are in demand of. We would like to implement a new higher level of professionalism, delivering the products on time and meeting the demands of any consumer within our parameters, no matter what they specialise
18/08/2010
A company has been fined after the hook broke off a tower crane and its four tonne load crashed 36 metres to the ground, narrowly missing a footpath. The load - which was part of a building under construction on 3 November 2007 at Hertfordshire Regional College in Turnford, near Cheshunt - came dow
18/08/2010
Work is due to begin on the £2m construction phase of a major regeneration scheme in Sutton Hill local centre. The work, part of a larger £6m project on the estate, is expected to be completed by May. Local contractor McPhillips (Wellington) Ltd was due to fence off areas of the site in Stonedale
18/08/2010
The Government's proposed approval threshold for 'Community Right to Build' schemes needs to be lowered from the current 90 per cent of local people agreeing in order to prevent minorities holding back much needed development in the countryside to enable it to thrive and prosper, says the Federat
18/08/2010
Premier league club West Ham has six weeks to finalise its plans as the bidding process for the Olympic Stadium begins. American sports and entertainment giant, AEG, who runs the former Millennium Dome site are also believed to be potential investors. The 80,000 seat stadium was due to be cut down
18/08/2010
Costain has been appointed by Lewisham Council to rebuild Deptford Green School after financial close was reached on the £28.6 million Building Schools for the Future ('BSF') project. The school is to be delivered under the Private Finance Initiative by Learning21, a consortium that includes Costa
18/08/2010
Lovell has been chosen by Spa Housing Association to build the £1.25 million first phase of a new affordable housing development in the village of Wychbold, near Droitwich in Worcestershire. With £580,000 of investment through the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the first phase of the scheme wi
18/08/2010
Patton Fit-Out has picked up a top prize for its work on a library in Shepherds Bush, London. The Ballymena company, part of the Patton Group, took the Gold Award in one of three major categories within the annual Interior Fit-Out Awards organised by the UK-wide Association of Interior Specialists
18/08/2010
Productive learning environment In classrooms and good hydration helps to reduce tiredness, irritability, and increases concentration. By providing easy access to fresh chilled water to pupils and staff throughout the school day promotes good health and wellbeing and supports the management of obes
17/08/2010
Leading support services company Carillion has been awarded a five-year extension to its existing contracts with EDF Energy Networks, worth £40 million per annum. Carillion's existing four-year contracts with EDF Energy Networks, which began in 2007, are being extended for a further five years from
17/08/2010
A construction worker from Carmarthen suffered life-changing injuries when he fell three metres from the roof of a farm building a court has heard. Gwyndaf Davies, who was 21 at the time of the incident, was helping to re-roof a building at Penwerddu Farm, Boncath on 29 April 2009. He fell through
17/08/2010
The Baird Gas Storage Project, a joint venture between Centrica Storage (CSL) and Perenco UK, has been granted onshore planning permission by North Norfolk District Council. The Bacton-based project, which will help secure future energy supplies by storing gas 86km off the North Norfolk coast, has
17/08/2010
Water is now flowing at the Lee Valley White Water Canoe Centre, the venue for the London 2012 Canoe Slalom events. The venue is on track to be completed later this year and will be the first brand new 2012 venue to be finished. Construction work on the new lake and competition courses has been c
17/08/2010
The multi-million pound regeneration of Stockbridge Village centre has been given the formal go ahead by Knowsley Council's Planning Committee. The committee agreed unanimously to approve the proposals that include the creation of a new swimming pool, state-of-the-art gym and leisure facilities, le
17/08/2010
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) is calling on housing providers and government to focus attention on developing a wider range of rented housing options that better meet demand for good quality homes. The CIH report 'Widening the rental housing market' found that help is needed in particula
17/08/2010
Moving Designs have announced they have been selected as a Hufcor Registered Distributor and will supply and install Hufcor operable and moveable walls. Innovative engineering and design combined with exceptional customer service has helped Hufcor become the world leader in internal operable walls
17/08/2010
The installation of a garden, roof or terrace deck has become an increasingly popular project for homeowners over the last 20 years. Traditionally, softwood decking has dominated the market given its ready availability at low prices. Of late, however, there has been a shift in demand towards more
17/08/2010
Everybody wants to be healthy at work and a healthier workforce leads to improved productivity and lower sickness absence. Figures from the CBI show that sickness absence cost UK employers £13.2bn. Even mild levels of dehydration adversely affect both physical and mental performance, but these eff
16/08/2010
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has announced that the Denver Transit Partners (DTP) team has reached financial close for the design, build, finance and operation (DBFO) of the Eagle P3 commuter rail project in the Denver metropolitan area of the United States for the Denver
16/08/2010
Corus is to invest £185 million into the No 4 Blast Furnace at Port Talbot steelworks. The investment will make a significant contribution to the sustainability of the steel industry in Wales. The furnace is to undergo a rebuild, starting in July 2012, which will equip it with technology to impro
16/08/2010
The underlying value of private housing construction projects starting on site fell in the three months to July after six months of sustained growth according to the latest data from industry analysts Glenigan. "Private housing had been a source of optimism as returning private sector confidence e
16/08/2010
The number of lorries travelling to and from the waste facility at Charlton Lane, Shepperton, will be almost halved if an Eco Park is created there, research has revealed Currently around 350 journeys are made by HGV each day taking waste to and from the community recycling centre. However, it's pr
16/08/2010
South Bristol Skills Academy has been commissioned by City of Bristol College to drive up educational standards and provide employment opportunities in South Bristol. Lafarge Plasterboard, has worked with main contractors Cowlin Construction and drylining subcontractors GHT plastering to deliver t
16/08/2010
Bovis Lend Lease has been honoured with the Excellence in Health and Safety award at the Master Builders Association of Victoria (MBAV) 2010 National Excellence in Building and Construction Awards for its work on the new Royal Children's Hospital (RCH). The 17th Annual MBAV 2010 National Excellence
16/08/2010
Gentoo, with the help of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), has officially opened a multi-million pound development in the heart of Sunderland city centre. Around 82 older residents began the move into their new homes, saying goodbye to the outdated Hahnemann Court in the Southwick area to tak
16/08/2010
A new report by leading planning and development bodies is calling for greater training in development economics for planners and others involved in the planning process. The need for planners and allied professionals to expand their understanding of the factors influencing development viability
16/08/2010
Five students from Stewards School on Parnall Road have taken part in an innovative work experience scheme launched by Kier Harlow to give budding company directors and construction experts of the future a 360-degree view of business life. The KIP gave the schoolchildren, aged between 14 and 15, a
13/08/2010
Mansell has been awarded a £2.25 million contract to build a new visitor centre and a glass-fronted gallery at Fort Nelson, Fareham, Hampshire for The Royal Armouries with Greenwood Projects Ltd as Project Managers. The project will see the Victorian Fort refurbished into a modern visitor attractio
13/08/2010
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has issued a reminder to struggling homeowners to seek help early to have a better chance of staying in their homes. His call came as new research shows that the number of home owners who have given up their home due to financial difficulties has been much higher
13/08/2010
The design team behind the Bristol waterfront development Temple Quay 2 are set to breathe new life in to the heart of a historic Stoke-on-Trent town. URBED, which has played a successful role in major regeneration projects across the country, has been chosen to lead the Stoke Town masterplan. The
13/08/2010
More than 17,000 tenants and leaseholders are set to have their say on plans to bring Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Homes back under council control. The plan could save hundreds of thousands of pounds a year for frontline housing services. The governing board of H&F Homes, which manages the council'
13/08/2010
Repair work has started on a landmark building on Ramsgate seafront in Thanet. It follows discussions between Thanet District Council and the Rank Organisation. The work is being carried out by Rank to the Royal Victoria Pavilion on Harbour Parade. Rank, as the tenants, have responsibility to keep
13/08/2010
The British Safety Council has reported that the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) intend to set up a registration scheme for safety consultants by January 2011. This will be a voluntary scheme which will create a register of consultants accredited to provide employers with competent advice. The sch
13/08/2010
A £3 million project is now underway to design a supply chain solution to improve the energy efficiency of the vast majority of the 26 million UK homes which will still be in use by 2050. The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), a public private partnership tasked with developing 'mass- scale' tec
13/08/2010
Perry Common Library in Birmingham will re-open to the public on August 23 at following major improvement work to the building. A £665,000 investment has enabled improvements to the Grade II listed library including the replacement of all skylights, high level windows and roof coverings to ensure t
13/08/2010
The Art Deco Casement Stays and Casement Fasteners are now available to order from in unlacquered brass, polished nickel and polished chrome. Priors Reclamation are delighted with the look and quality, they are heavyweight and chunky. The Casement Fastener can be supplied with a mortise or hook p
12/08/2010
The number of properties repossessed by mortgage lenders has continued to fall according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The number of mortgages behind with payments has also dropped, and at the end of June there were 178,200 loans with arrears equivalent to 2.5% or more of their mortgage
12/08/2010
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson and London Councils have put forward plans for sweeping changes which could see London boroughs taking greater control of their housing budgets, as part of a proposed devolution package from Whitehall to London. Together the Mayor and London Councils have released
12/08/2010
An enterprising NI company that defied travel chaos during the ash crisis has won a major UK construction sector award in a competition organised on behalf of the supermarket, Asda. The workmanship of the Mid-Ulster electrical company was put firmly under the spotlight following the recent Asda Bri
12/08/2010
Environment Minister Jane Davidson is reminding planners and developers that from next month all planning applications for new homes in Wales will be expected to comply with increased environmental standards. As set out in a policy statement on planning for sustainable buildings last year, all plan
12/08/2010
The perils of playing on building sites were highlighted to children and their parents at a special health and safety event organised by Lovell in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire. The company, working in partnership with First Wessex Housing Association, is carrying out a major housing regeneration sche
12/08/2010
From 1 January 2011 the HSE will no longer accept the British Standard, BS5973:1993, as the standard for the design of tube & fitting scaffolds, which has been replaced by the British/European standard, BS EN12811-1:2003. The reason for the change in the HSE's opinion on the standard to be used is
12/08/2010
Extra money from the Government for Councils in England to build new homes is a welcome boost and now it is up to local authorities to deliver the housing needed to tackle the UK's chronic housing shortage, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Responding to the announcement that the Govern
12/08/2010
Goldhofer has launched a new flatbed semi-trailer for transporting wind power plant blades up to 62 metres long. The new Goldhofer SPZ-P 3AAA is the first trailer to be designed to carry turbine blades still in their shipping frames, and has the capacity to extend from 20 to 62 metres. Its deep ex
11/08/2010
Building firm Rok has announced there have been "serious failings in the financial control of the Plumbing, Heating and Electrical (PHE) business" following an independent review. The firm has also suspended Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ashley Martin with immediate effect and his duties will be pa
11/08/2010
A London building company and one of its directors from Wembley have been fined a total of £15,000 after leaving two customers at risk of death or serious illness from exposure to carbon monoxide fumes. Between 3 September and 8 December 2009, Rushi Construction (UK) Limited, owned by Vikas Patel,
11/08/2010
The international infrastructure group, Balfour Beatty, has announced it has signed the £460 million construction contract to deliver the second phase of a satellite building to support Heathrow Airport's new Terminal 2 – T2B for BAA. Balfour Beatty will combine its design, construction, ground eng
11/08/2010
A £4 million scheme to reinforce electricity supplies to thousands of customers between Brimsdown and South Mimms in North London is now underway. EDF Energy Networks is refurbishing 17km of overhead lines during the next couple of months, as well as re-painting all the pylons which support the lin
11/08/2010
Almost 65,000 people with disabilities, including those with profound physical disabilities and mental health problems, are at risk of losing their homes because of a government decision to cut support for mortgage interest payments for vulnerable people. The National Housing Federation says 64,000
11/08/2010
Work is well underway on the school and community centre that will be at the heart of the new Barking Riverside development. The Rivergate Centre will feature a primary school, health facilities, place of worship and units for social enterprise, all centred around an attractive public square. A sma
11/08/2010
Housebuilder CALA Homes (Midlands) has started the initial groundworks for a new residential development in a Worcestershire village. Birmingham-based CALA Homes (Midlands) is building 26 three-, four- and five-bedroom houses on a development site off Tewkesbury Road in the village of Eckington, be
11/08/2010
The National Construction College (NCC) is urging scaffold inspectors who qualified before May 2007 to retrain or risk losing their right to inspect, following new guidance from the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC), which includes the introduction of a new inspection course. Und
10/08/2010
Work will begin this week at Greenwich Park to make it ready to host the Olympic Equestrian competition in 2012. The work will be carried out by sub-contractors working on behalf of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), in association with The Royal Parks. It has been approved by the loca
10/08/2010
Strategic Team Group (STG) has been awarded the contract for construction to begin on Swansea High Street station. STG will carry out part of the work to create a larger concourse and renovate the station front, as well as add a brand new entrance and refurbish the platform canopies. The Deputy Fi
10/08/2010
Interserve has been named as one of the eight companies to be awarded a place on Buying Solutions’ second generation facilities management (FM) framework agreement. The other seven winners are: Carillion; EC Harris Solutions; Europa Facilities Services; Mitie; ISS Facility Services; Skanska and N
10/08/2010
The Tods Murray Capital Projects team, led by Partner Ian McPake, advised the private sector contractor Connect Roads Coventry Limited, a Balfour Beatty-owned SPV, on Coventry City Council’s PFI street lighting project, which reached financial close this week. With the deal secured, Connect Roads w
10/08/2010
Property values are on the way down with house prices falling, according to the latest research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). The survey found that eight per cent of surveyors reported a fall, rather than a rise in house prices - the lowest reading since last July. The
10/08/2010
Andy Holt is not the only major re-signing Northampton Town have made this summer - Jewson have also pledged their backing to the club! Just like the popular defender, Jewson have put pen to paper to continue their presence at Sixfields, by becoming an official club partner and sponsoring the Jewso
10/08/2010
The encapsulation of an asbestos roof at a major pharmaceutical company in Brentwood, Essex, is standing the test of time thanks to Scotchkote liquid roof coating from 3M, the diversified technology company. Romford-based HBS Ltd, the construction and refurbishment specialist and a nominated applic
09/08/2010
Lovell has been chosen to carry out a £5 million regeneration scheme to redevelop run-down shops in Great Cornard, Suffolk, with new homes, shops and flats. The redevelopment is being led by Babergh District Council in partnership with Flagship Housing Group and Lovell. The scheme has received £1.6
09/08/2010
The new retailer, costume and fashion jeweller, Aura Fashion, and the café bistro, TDF, a new venture, have been secured for Marble Place Shopping Centre by property consultants King Sturge, acting for the landlord Wigmore Retail Ltd, London. Aura Fashion, which has taken the 1,800 ft² Unit 16 at a
09/08/2010
When architects Penoyre & Prasad were designing the roof of the new £18.5 million Wren Academy in Finchley, north London for the Wren Academy Trust, they were looking to specify a highly engineered system backed by first-class customer service. As a result, both the low-angle atrium roof and the l
09/08/2010
A Yorkshire company which specialises in asbestos surveying, removal and reinstatements, has taken on two local apprentices as the company continues to expand. Global Environmental, which has offices in Doncaster and Goole, has recruited Alex Green, 18 and Rebecca Anderson, 17, to apprenticeships
09/08/2010
The award-winning consumer home show, Grand Designs Live, has launched a new initiative entitled ‘Midlands Green Heroes’, a search to identify the very best eco innovations, home products and green building designs from the Midlands, to be unveiled at Grand Designs Live Birmingham from the 8th – 10t
09/08/2010
Jewson, the UK's leading sustainable builders merchant is the chosen national distributor of WISA-Twin plywood, the new premium, sustainable multi-purpose plywood product on the market manufactured by UPM. WISA-Twin has a softwood spruce core and a hardwood birch face and can be used as a direct r
09/08/2010
Szerelmey, the stonework and restoration specialist, has recently been awarded flooring and ceiling contracts worth £1.3 million at New Court, London. Internally, Szerelmey is installing an Italian Travertine stone floor using its new, specialist raised flooring system. It is also installing a comp
06/08/2010
A man who potentially put lives at risk by fitting a replacement gas fire in a domestic property despite not being a member of CORGI has faced the courts. Michael Huggins, of Warmley, Bristol pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations when he appeared before
06/08/2010
Manchester company Laing O'Rourke has been appointed to refurbish the city's Town Hall Complex. The Hulme-based firm has been awarded the construction contract for the transformation of the Town Hall Extension, Central Library and St Peter's Square - which is worth around £90 million. At the heart
06/08/2010
A fast-growing Northern Ireland estate agent has hit out at the Stormont administration for its failure to fully protect the public from unlicensed Estate Agents/Property Managers. Sonia Millar, of CSM Estate Agents in south Belfast said: "I am disappointed that the Government has not legislated fo
06/08/2010
A construction union has slammed news that the Department of Health ignored a key recommendation made by the influential NHS Pay Review Body, making its campaign for pay justice for its members more problematic. A top UCATT member branded this as "contempt for building craftworkers" after having un
06/08/2010
Morgan Sindall has reached a milestone in the construction of a new extension at Blandford School by successfully installing photovoltaic panels which will help to provide the energy-efficient building with electricity. The company, which is creating the £6 million facility at the school in Milldow
06/08/2010
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), in partnership with the Design Council, began the process of creating the Olympic and Paralympic Torches for the London 2012 Torch Relays. They have invited top product and industrial design, engineering and manufact
06/08/2010
Synergy Wastewater Products are delighted to offer the Matrix Range of Sewage Treatment Plants. These excellent plants have been tested and approved to EN12566-3:2005 they also have the coveted CE Marking status, so can be installed with total confidence. The plant process design is the well pro
06/08/2010
ISIS Specialist Solar Systems can offer users savings on their electricity bill of £300 a year for 25 years completely free. Home owners with a clear south-facing roof that is unshaded may be eligible for ISIS Specialist Solar Systems offer free solar power. ISIS Specialist Solar Systems will inst
05/08/2010
Everton Football Club has announced plans for a retail and administration development adjacent to the Goodison Park stadium. Chief Executive Robert Elstone is confident that planning permission will be awarded for the new building, which will sit within the Goodison Park footprint. The project coul
05/08/2010
The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) has received its first formal applications from Western Power Distribution and from Covanta Rookery South for development consent. Western Power distribution has applied for a 132,000 volt overhead electricity line to connect Maesgwyn wind farm in Banwen
05/08/2010
A proposal to build a huge road-rail freight interchange in Kent have been refused by the Government. The decision, made by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, has delighted many campaigners who have been protesting to stop the building of the Kent International Gateway (KIG). Developer Axa Real E
05/08/2010
Three preferred bidders, Balfour Beatty Capital Ltd, Macquarie Capital Group Ltd and Transmission Capital Partners, have been selected to own and operate the first £700 million worth of transmission links to seven offshore wind farms following a tender process run by energy regulator Ofgem. This
05/08/2010
Leaders of Sandwell Council are set for crunch talks with Education Secretary Michael Gove to save the borough's schools' modernisation programme from the axe. Council Leader Darren Cooper and Chief Executive Allison Fraser will be leading a delegation with Mr Gove in London to put the case for Bu
05/08/2010
A Staffordshire company has been fined £8,000 after one of its workers fell more than two metres from a scaffold tower, fracturing one vertebra, crushing another and leaving him immobilised for more than six weeks. Barry Derbyshire, 61, from Cheadle, Staffordshire, was carrying out routine maintena
05/08/2010
The Chartered Institute of Housing has called on the government to avoid reforms of social housing that will turn it into a tenure of last resort. CIH, the professional body for people working in housing has actively been speaking to politicians from across the political parties about housing refor
05/08/2010
An air conditioning and refrigeration specialist, Cold Control, was recently awarded the contract to work alongside a major building contractor and a leading consultancy company on a large refurbishment contract at a prestigious London office development. Cold Control was selected to replace the ex
04/08/2010
The redevelopment of Bond Street Tube station, a key element of the London Tube upgrade, moved a step closer as Transport for London (TfL) announced that it intends to award the contract for the redevelopment of the station to Costain Laing O'Rourke JV. The contract is worth £300 million and main c
04/08/2010
A regeneration scheme which will transform the economic fortunes of Birkenhead and Wallasey, Wirral Waters, has been given the go ahead by Wirral Council's Planning Committee. The largest planning application in the UK, Wirral Waters is an 18 million sq ft regeneration scheme set to transform the e
04/08/2010
Failure to reach a finance deal with a top UK bank has led to the City of Edinburgh Council withdrawing from the proposed £300m Caltongate development. It has become clear that the protracted negotiations between the Lloyds Banking Group and potential developers were unlikely to be successful. How
04/08/2010
The National Housing Federation has expressed great concern following the Government's announcement to end life time tenures for social homes. Housing Minister Grant Shapps introduced a new 'freedom pass' to move from home to work to be closer to family, and also pledged a new National Affordable
04/08/2010
The owners of a derelict former pub have been ordered to pay more than £4,000 for allowing the building to fall into a dilapidated condition. Nadia Homes, owners of the former Bricklayer'' Arms in Moston, pleaded guilty to not complying with a legal notice during a hearing at Manchester Magistrates
04/08/2010
Manchester based Northwards Housing has extended its relationship with leading repairs and maintenance provider Morrison for an additional two years and eight months. The contract, which is delivered for Northwards Housing by Manchester Working Limited, Morrison's joint venture with Manchester City
04/08/2010
Willmott Dixon Group's repair and maintenance specialist Willmott Dixon Partnerships has won a five and a half year contract worth £58 million with possible extensions from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to provide responsive repairs to nearly 12,000 homes and properties. The company will w
04/08/2010
Priors Reclamation is introducing the Beehive door knob, which has been around at least since the Regency era when the ridges on door knobs were simple and elegant. They sometimes appeared as a double or triple ring around the edge of the door knob. Our Reeded door handle is a copy of a Regency or
03/08/2010
Lovell has been chosen to carry out a £5 million regeneration scheme to redevelop run-down shops in Great Cornard, Suffolk, with new homes, shops and flats. The redevelopment is being led by Babergh District Council in partnership with Flagship Housing Group and Lovell. The scheme has received £1.6
03/08/2010
Developments that will deliver more than 500 affordable homes for the capital have received a boost by the London Mayor Boris Johnson and the London Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Investment for 16 housing and regeneration schemes has been approved by the HCA London Board, chaired by the Mayor
03/08/2010
A Pontypool building firm carried out unlicensed asbestos removal despite being warned materials they were handling contained the potentially dangerous substance. During a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution at Caerphilly Magistrates' Court heard Ron Couch Building Contractors Ltd, were r
03/08/2010
The NHS will save over £200 million in procurement costs as its new Procure21+ framework kicks in. The framework will help upgrade hospitals more quickly and simplify the process for NHS Trusts when procuring a construction company to carry out hospital refurbishments or new builds. Six companies
03/08/2010
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has supported calls from the Chancellor and the Treasury Select Committee for the banks to increase support for small businesses as news emerges that Britain's five biggest banks are back in profit. Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs at the FMB said: "
03/08/2010
One of the UK's leading providers of equipment rental and support services, Speedy, has announced the winner of its inaugural Product Innovation Award. Towerlight's VT-1 Eco lighting tower won the accolade of Product Innovation of the Year for 2010. Speedy's judges were impressed by Towerlight’s V
03/08/2010
Intolocks are proud to announce a new on-line website dedicated to the locksmith and tool industry. The new website allows traders to go on-line and select items by using a quick and efficient menu making it user friendly, intolocks have established themselves as one of the UK's leading Lock and To
03/08/2010
See Socomec UPS at this year's M&E –The Building services event at London Olympia on 6th & 7th October, stand C113. After last year's success for Socomec UPS at the Building Services event, they return again this year. Socomec UPS are known for their highly efficient, TÜV SÜD approved 96% effici
02/08/2010
The housing site at the SnOasis development in Great Blakenham, Suffolk has received a boost of £5.485m from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The cash injection will signal the start of the SnOasis development; specifically unlocking 121 homes which will be delivered jointly by Orbit Homes a
02/08/2010
St. Modwen and Persimmon have announced that they have entered into a joint venture initially to develop 2,000 homes on seven sites owned by St. Modwen. It is expected that the development across 120 acres of land will take up to five years to complete and will have an end value of over £300m. Furt
02/08/2010
Hyndburn Homes Repairs, one of the biggest direct works organisations in the area has entered into a partnership with Jewson Builders Merchant to operate a stores depot at its Altham headquarters. David Cross, Operations Manager for Hyndburn Homes Repairs said: "Jewson has successfully tendered to
02/08/2010
The commercial interior design specialist of Willmott Dixon Group, Kanvas, has helped Telstra International relocate to new London headquarters. A division of Telstra Corporation Limited, Australia's leading and largest telecommunications and information-services company, Telstra International has
02/08/2010
Atkins has announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire PBSJ for £178 million. PBSJ is employee owned and one of America's leading providers of engineering, planning, architecture, construction, environmental and programme management services, headquartered in Florida
02/08/2010
An award winning Wrexham construction company has won a major £6.1million contract to build a new school and playing fields in Connah's Quay. Read Construction Holdings Ltd won the contract from Flintshire County Council to facilitate the amalgamation of Custom House Junior School and Dee Road Infa
02/08/2010
The government has set out ambitious plans to reform the welfare system, including measures which could significantly change the way it approaches housing benefits. Richard Capie, Director of Policy and Practice at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: "CIH has long called for reform of s
02/08/2010
Construction union UCATT have reacted with anger after it emerged that the Government intends to exclude unions from work on speeding up compensation payments to mesothelioma victims and their families. On February 25th 2010 the then Justice Secretary Jack Straw promised to establish a working grou
