Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for May 2014
30/05/2014
Kier and the West London Mental Health Trust have celebrated the laying of the final foundation stone on a new £43m mental health facility in Ealing. Colin Lamb, managing director of Kier’s Major Projects business, joined Trust chairman Nigel McCorkhill and chief executive Steve Shrubb to lay the l
30/05/2014
Carillion’s Library of Birmingham has scooped two awards in the West Midlands Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors awards. The Library was named 'Project of the Year' after coming ahead of over 40 other schemes in the region. It also won the 'Design Through Innovation' category. The title 'Pro
30/05/2014
£23m is being invested in infrastructure in Bristol, Manchester, Great Yarmouth and Leicestershire as part of the government's 'Enterprise Zone' plans. Local Growth Minister Kris Hopkins today announced the funding, which will be used to fund road, utility line and building construction. Minister
30/05/2014
Over 27,000 people across the country have bought a new home through the government's Help to Buy scheme, according to data released by No. 10. In total, 27,861 households have been helped by the scheme, which is aimed at benefiting first-time buyers. The Help to Buy Equity Loan enables people to
30/05/2014
David Cameron has congratulated Balfour Beatty on a £1bn spend this year on contracts with SMEs across the UK. The Prime Minister visited a construction site in Westminster to mark the investment, which Balfour Beatty say could support 50,000 extra jobs in comparison to their 2013 spend with smalle
30/05/2014
Contractor Forrest has secured a four-year contract to work on the regeneration of five low-rise and 15 high-rise residential schemes across Bristol, including a mix of socially-rented and private-lease tenures. The contract has secured Forrest a place on Bristol City Council’s up to £35m external
29/05/2014
Kier has been appointed to carry out the construction and redevelopment works of the emergency department at New Cross Hospital for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. Kier was awarded the contract, valued at £30m, under the ProCure21+ framework. The development will bring all emergency services –
29/05/2014
A Cumbrian oil distributor has appeared in court for safety breaches after an employee fell from the top of a tanker. Carrs Billington Agriculture (Sales) Ltd, which trades as Wallace Oils, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident at its depot in Langwathby on
29/05/2014
Interserve has been selected to build a new £13.5m business school for the University of Wolverhampton. The international support services and construction group secured the contract in partnership with project managers and cost consultants Gardiner & Theobald and the structural and M&E consultants
29/05/2014
Work to unlock a development site that has been earmarked for Bristol's Arena project is about to start. Communities Minister and Bristol West MP Stephen Williams joined partners at the Diesel Depot site beside Temple Meads station today to mark the start of infrastructure work which will unlock th
29/05/2014
Graham Construction has teamed up with BPP University College to host an initiative for local photgraphy students. The Coopers Road, London team have announced a collaboration with BPP- Project Managers and Cost Consultants on behalf of client Peabody to invite students from the London College of C
29/05/2014
The Department for Transport is to provide £9.5m for a major regeneration of the Leeds-Bradford railway line, it has been announced. Two new stations are to be built on the rail line between Bradford and Leeds following government agreement to make almost £10m available to fund the project, Transpo
29/05/2014
Council tenants in Salford could be set to benefit from up to £75m investment in their homes, under a new deal announced by the government. Housing Minister Kris Hopkins has approved Salford City Council to transfer ownership of its social homes to Salix Homes, by writing off the council’s £65.1 mi
29/05/2014
A £10.6m road improvement project in Scotland has been completed early and on budget, it has been announced. Completion of the A77 Symington and Bogend Toll Improvements project was announced by Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown. The trunk road was scheduled for completion during summer 2014
28/05/2014
Balfour Beatty has been appointed to deliver up to £180m of infrastructure works for Heathrow Airport Limited. The company is to collaborate with Heathrow over the next three years to maintain and upgrade Terminals 1, 2 and 4, through the 'Delivery Integrator Framework Lot 1'. The move marks the f
28/05/2014
Only six per cent of housebuilders believe that the key target of 200,000 homes to be built every year is deliverable, according to Knight Frank's Housebuilding Report 'Building Momentum' The survey also flags the sector's reliance on the Help to Buy scheme as it continues to support housebuilding
28/05/2014
Nationwide says it has helped 58,100 first time buyers, grown member deposit balances by £4.9 billion and increased the number of current account openings by 18%, as the group posts its 2013/14 full year results. Key highlights include: • Gross mortgage lending was up 31% at £28.1 billion, accou
28/05/2014
Reading and Brighton are becoming the fastest growing buy-to-let hotspots in the UK, as young professionals are increasingly moving out of London, according to HSBC. Rental returns are growing at the fastest rate in the two cities, with yields now respectively 12.8% and 12.6% higher than last year
28/05/2014
VINCI Construction UK has completed the Formula E headquarters at Donington Park, Derby, the home of the Federation International De Automobile’s (FIA) new global racing series. Teams and staff for the 10 Formula E teams have already begun to move into the premises ahead of the official Test Events
28/05/2014
Interserve has won a contract to build a new £13.5m Business School for the University of Wolverhampton, in partnership with project managers and cost consultants Gardiner & Theobald and the structural and M&E consultants Arup. The new facility, due to open in August 2015, is designed by architect
28/05/2014
Carillion businesses in the Middle East have been awarded contracts worth over £400 million, it has been revealed. Carillion and its Joint Venture business, Al Futtaim Carillion, have signed, or been selected as the preferred bidder for, contracts in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saud
28/05/2014
London needs 50,000 new homes a year, over 80% of which must cost no more than £700 per foot, according to a new report from real estate adviser Savills. The report says an increase in the sales rates and planning applications over the past year means an average of about 35,000 new homes a year are
27/05/2014
£40m is being donated to support the construction of a new biomedical engineering centre at Imperial College London. Michael Uren and the Michael Uren Foundation made the donation to support the building of the new Michael Uren Biomedical Engineering Hub at Imperial West, the College's new 25-acre
27/05/2014
A "fresh approach" to managing feedstock supply chains is needed if the UK biomass sector is to continue to grow, while meeting new sustainability and reporting criteria introduced in April, according to Stuart Campbell, director at Savills Energy. Mr Campbell made the comments last week while addr
27/05/2014
The cost of construction disputes in the UK rose to £16.5m ($27.9m) in 2013, according to a report by ARCADIS. The company's figures show the average global cost of disputes relating to major global construction projects increased in value to about £19m ($32.1m) in 2013. According to ARCADIS, thi
27/05/2014
About 1,200 local assets across England have been protected from sell off under new powers, according to the Department for Communities and Local Government. Department Minister Stephen Williams said the list of community assets now protected in England includes: • 374 pubs • 91 parks • 37 libra
27/05/2014
The UK construction supply chain could be set to benefit from £200m through the adoption in China of British green construction standards, Business Secretary Vince Cable has said. UK construction firm Building Research Establishment (BRE) has signed an agreement with the Shenzhen Municipal Governme
27/05/2014
The number of burglars targeting garages across the UK is increasing, simply because too many homeowners are overlooking their garage security, despite the value of goods inside, according to
23/05/2014
A major milestone, the installation of the tower crane, has been achieved at one of Skanska UK's landmark commercial developments, 66 Queen Square. The newly erected tower crane at 66 Queen Square, is one of Skanska's landmark commercial development schemes in the UK. Following the completion of t
23/05/2014
Plans to comprehensively regenerate a housing estate in Hackney and build more than 3,000 new homes were approved by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. Parts of the Woodberry Down Estate, comprising 1,980 properties, date back to the 1940s and have been in need of improvement for many years. Deve
23/05/2014
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has appointed two new directors following an open internal and external recruitment process, the Agency has announced. Fiona MacGregor has been appointed as Executive Director of Programmes, replacing Richard Hill who left the Agency last year; while Naz Par
23/05/2014
Costain has launched a new Knowledge Centre, a comprehensive web-based information management system that will promote innovation and give Costain's customers the benefit of the Company's collective expertise. The new Knowledge Centre creates a community where innovation can be shared across the Gr
23/05/2014
Work has started on the University of Derby's new £10.8m sports centre at its Kedleston Road site. The new multi sports centre, which will be open to students, staff and other community organisations, has been designed and engineered to be built into the natural slope of the site, which retains the
23/05/2014
The Environment Agency is inviting people living on the Somerset Moors and Levels to another two drop-in surgeries at Aller and Stoke St Gregory. Anyone who has been affected by, or has concerns about, the recent floods is welcome to attend and share their experiences with Environment Agency office
23/05/2014
A Southwark construction company has been ordered to pay more than £126,000 in fines and costs after a worker was left paralysed from the waist down when he fell eight metres from an unguarded window space into a basement. The 38-year-old, of Beckenham, who does not want to be named, damaged his sp
23/05/2014
Work will take place on a number of roads in Boston starting on Tuesday 27 May and finishing Friday 4 July. Lincolnshire County Council will be making improvements to John Adams Way (A16), Main Ridge East, Vauxhall Road, Freiston Road, and Eastwood Road. The project will be carried out in differen
22/05/2014
Vinci Construction UK has completed the Formula E headquarters at Donington Park, Derby, the new home for the Federation International De Automobile’s (FIA) new global racing series. Teams and staff for the 10 Formula E teams have started to move into the new headquarters, offices, stores and works
22/05/2014
Carillion and its Joint Venture business, Al Futtaim Carillion, has been selected as the preferred bidder for, contracts in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that are worth in total £400 million. In Dubai, Al Futtaim Carillion has signed contracts to build two major luxury ho
22/05/2014
A £170m Welsh Government initiative to improve the condition of highways across Wales has significantly reduced the number of roads in need of urgent repair, Finance Minister Jane Hutt said. The Local Government Borrowing Initiative (LGBI) was launched in 2012–13 to fund new and necessary investmen
22/05/2014
Construction firm Seddon has warned that a lack of construction industry training and skills development poses an immediate and ongoing threat to the government’s ambitious plans to boost the availability of housing. Although Seddon has welcomed Chancellor George Osborne’s budget announcement that
22/05/2014
The UK's leading youth charity, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, has launched a new partnership with Balfour Beatty to enable many more young people take part in the DofE Award and boost their life and work prospects. The Charity has been partnering with businesses for over three years as part of its
22/05/2014
Kier Homes is celebrating the success of its landmark Connect21 development, which was highly commended at this year’s Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) East Awards. Tony Tann from awards sponsors Lovell (right) presents a certificate of High Commendation to Nick Moore and David Thomas
22/05/2014
Stanton Bonna has won three outstanding awards. The MPA British Precast Best Practice Awards 2014 were held on Thursday 1 May in Leicester. The awards showcase the exemplary work undertaken to improve health & safety, sustainability, innovation and projects. These special awards also marked the 5
22/05/2014
Arridge Garage Doors are exhibiting at the Homebuilding and Renovating show at the NEC. This year as we will be introducing products from Ryterna and Alutech featuring a range of sectional and side hinged insulated garage doors. Another exciting innovation will be the iQRemote module which turns y
21/05/2014
Graham Construction has handed over the first two underground vaults for storing low activity waste on the site of the former Dounreay nuclear power station. Cavendish Dounreay Partnership has taken possession of the two new facilities where much of the radioactive waste generated during the clean-
21/05/2014
SEGRO is continuing its speculative development programme on the Slough Trading Estate with a new standalone 60,500 sq ft warehouse facility. The speculative development forms part of SEGRO's strategy to invest in core locations where it is seeing increased customer demand for modern, well-located
21/05/2014
Contractor G F Tomlinson is celebrating after scooping two prestigious construction industry awards. G F Tomlinson has won New Build of the Year for the new Tibshelf Communiity School and Refurbishment of the Year for Chesterfield Market Place at the NFB (National Federation of Builders) Annual Awa
21/05/2014
Interserve has published 'SustainAbilities – One Year On', a report outlining the progress made and challenges encountered in the 12 months since the launch of its SustainAbilities plan. SustainAbilities, launched in March 2013, is a comprehensive, business-wide sustainability plan which sets out a
21/05/2014
Ballymore is to establish a joint venture (JV) for a major £2bn London residential development portfolio. The three schemes comprise Arrowhead Quay in Canary Wharf, Phase II of London City Island on the Leamouth Peninsula and Phase II of the hugely successful Embassy Gardens in Nine Elms. In total,
21/05/2014
Willmott Dixon has been chosen for a £19 million contract to build one of the UK's first University Training Schools. The University of Birmingham School is being built for the University of Birmingham on Weoley Park Road in Selly Oak and will accommodate 750 pupils aged between 11-16, with a furth
21/05/2014
A Suffolk building contractor has been fined after it exposed workers and homeowners to potentially fatal asbestos material during work on a garage extension at a home in Ipswich. Columbus Building Contractors Ltd was hired by the homeowners to carry out a single-storey front garage extension and a
21/05/2014
VELFAC recommend the use of a VELFAC Direct Joiner to ensure the installation of the product is performed to the highest standard. Our joiners form a vital part of our supply chain and as result, a strict selection criteria is applied in order to obtain the best services available. All joiners are
20/05/2014
London is set for an upsurge in office development with a rise in demolitions and the readying of sites for new construction, but office space is likely to remain in short supply over the next two years. The latest London Office Crane Survey by Deloitte Real Estate shows 9.2m sq ft under constructi
20/05/2014
Willmott Dixon has followed up its recent Queen's Award for Enterprise by being appointed by Middlesbrough Council to build a £18m sports village that will become an "iconic sports destination". According to Mayor Ray Mallon, the village will be a top-class venue to host sports like athletics, foo
20/05/2014
McLaughlin & Harvey have been awarded the contract for the Redevelopment of the Invergordon Service Base Phase 3. The project includes the development of the site for use as a modern functioning service base facility including: reclamation of approximately 35,000m2 of sea bed, the creation of a 60-
20/05/2014
Kier has been appointed by the University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust to deliver a programme of healthcare works valued at over £100m. Procured under the P21+ framework, the contract will run for between three and five years and will involve a wide range of work, including refurbishme
20/05/2014
More than 130 people will save money on their energy bills following a partnership between Peterborough City Council and British Gas. They have signed up to the Peterborough Energy Package which will on average save customers over £100. More than 50 people have also inquired about accessing free h
20/05/2014
R W Simon have completed the design and installation of three different types of solar shading on the newly opened retail development in Hereford. Simon's provided both horizontal and vertical solar shading to the flagship Waitrose store and a bespoke designed timber brise soleil cassettes for many
20/05/2014
Commuters endured two hours of rail misery through a forced line closure because a leading housing developer failed to advise ground workers of the presence of an underground gas main, a court has heard. An excavator struck and ruptured the pipework at a construction site in Norton Fitzwarren, near
20/05/2014
Bristan is the first UK shower and tap brand to be awarded with a UKAS accreditation to conduct Thermostatic Mixing Valve (TMV) testing. The ISO/IEC17025 accreditation will allow the UK's largest showers and taps brand to perform TMV 2 & 3 product compliance testing across all of its products for b
19/05/2014
Wates Construction has been appointed by Inception Holdings SARL to deliver the redevelopment of Bolton Market Place to create a new leisure and retail complex. Work on the scheme, which has been designed by Wren Architects, is expected to start this June following planning permission for the proje
19/05/2014
The Woodberry Down regeneration project has shown how a collaborative approach between developers, the local authority and the community can deliver the homes we need. The scheme which will deliver over 5,500 new homes is in partnership with Berkeley Homes, the London Borough of Hackney, Greater L
19/05/2014
Crossrail Tunneller Peter Bermingham, 70, who is currently working on the Crossrail project, is set to retire after five decades working underground. Peter, who was born in Croydon, began his career 50 years ago in 1964 when he worked on the construction of the Victoria line from Green Park to Oxfo
19/05/2014
Following Ofgem's conclusion of its investigation into E.ON's sales, E.ON has apologised to customers and confirmed it is working to ensure the failings of the past cannot be repeated. Between June 2010 and December 2013, Ofgem has identified that E.ON failed to have in place sufficient safeguards
19/05/2014
Willmott Dixon has been confirmed as the main contractor on the £45m redevelopment of benenden hospital in Cranbrook, Kent. benenden hospital is a flagship independent hospital that provides healthcare to thousands of people each year and Willmott Dixon will deliver its master plan to transform the
19/05/2014
Two road improvement projects that carry thousands of Surrey commuters a day are in the running for prestigious awards. The cream of the engineering industry has shortlisted both Surrey County Council's building of the new Walton Bridge and its £100m Operation Horizon roads overhaul among regional
19/05/2014
Costain has reached another significant milestone in its school building programme in Lewisham, with the topping out ceremony at Sydenham School. The girls' secondary school is Costain's final build in the south London borough's 10-year Building Schools for the Future programme. Local VIPs includ
19/05/2014
A Blackburn landlord has been fined after she ignored repeated warnings about arranging an annual gas safety check at a property with five gas appliances. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council made numerous attempts to contact Samera Hussain between October
16/05/2014
Residents whose properties were demolished as part of a re-development programme have returned home to newly built houses. Fortis Living took the decision to knock down the concrete 1950s flats in Woodbury Close in Hartlebury and replace them with 28 new homes, built by Lovell, for affordable ren
16/05/2014
Wates Construction has been awarded a £41m contract to build Development Securities' 12 Hammersmith Grove, the second and final phase of its office-led regeneration development in West London. Work on the new 218,500 sq ft 11-storey building is set to begin immediately and will include speculative
16/05/2014
In challenging times for public finances, the Welsh Government will make the best use of all available resources to invest in new infrastructure, including housing, Finance Minister Jane Hutt has told a housing conference. Speaking about the innovative ways that had been found to finance new housin
16/05/2014
Omega Warrington is set to provide more facilities for growing businesses in the North West, following the consent of outline planning for 2.1m sq ft of logistics and manufacturing space at 'Zone 7' of the 232-ha mixed-use project owned by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). 'Zone 7', a 150-acr
16/05/2014
A 50/50 joint venture between St. Modwen Properties and VINCI, has submitted its planning application for the regeneration of the 57 acre New Covent Garden Market site in Nine Elms, London with its partner, Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA). This landmark, multi-phased project is the largest pr
16/05/2014
Regeneration schemes totalling £1.5bn are being planned for Liverpool, it was announced today. A range of innovative initiatives are in the pipeline for the city, which will bring 12,000 construction jobs and 4,000 permanent jobs, as well as safeguarding a further 3,000, according to the Liverpool
16/05/2014
E.ON has agreed to pay £12m to vulnerable customers, after Ofgem's investigation found it had broken energy sales rules. E.ON has also committed to compensating any customer that it mis-sold to, including automatic payments to some vulnerable customers. The agreed redress package reflects the ha
16/05/2014
British Land has announced that TK Maxx has signed for a 20,000 sq ft unit at the 130,000 sq ft Green Lanes Shopping Centre in Barnstaple. TK Maxx will move to the town for the first time into a purpose-built, two-storey extension at the shopping centre on a 15 year lease. The store will carry the
16/05/2014
Jason Marshall, of Hodgkinson Road, Kirby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court to waste offences. Waste site on Wigwam Lane, Huckall The six charges relate to the mismanagement of a site on Wigwam Lane, Hucknall and the unlawful storage of waste in the back
16/05/2014
Certification progress in China and across Asia is under the spotlight at the second Annual PEFC UK Stakeholder Day later this year. A panel of leading speakers from a range of sectors will share their experiences about Asian trade, market development and importantly how UK business can benefit fr
15/05/2014
NG Bailey and US partner, Elutions, have signed a five-year, multi-million pound deal with Morrisons, to roll-out Rare Energy, an innovative offering that delivers guaranteed cost savings through operational optimisation, including significant reductions in energy usage. Following the successful ro
15/05/2014
Derbyshire County Council has successfully won Government cash to build a new station and car park in the town, sited between Coronation Road and Millership Way, which is earmarked to open in December. Work to prepare the site, in advance of construction, is now set to start at the beginning of Jun
15/05/2014
Balfour Beatty has commenced work to deliver a £19 million infrastructure scheme for Norfolk County Council beside the A47, which will bring new jobs and investment to Norwich. The scheme includes the construction of a roundabout, a triple span road bridge, eastbound and westbound slip-roads on to
15/05/2014
A £1.4 billion programme to transform schools across Wales, creating a learning environment that will inspire and motivate, has been launched by First Minister, Carwyn Jones and Education Minister, Huw Lewis. The Welsh Government's 21st Century Schools programme is a commitment to invest in buildin
15/05/2014
Kier has been named preferred bidder for two new long-term contracts with Anglian Water under its AMP6 programme, with a combined total value of up to £130m. Both contracts start in 2015 and are expected to run for 15 years. The company has been chosen to deliver Anglian Water's AMP6 Integrated Met
15/05/2014
Willmott Dixon has been appointed by Wycombe District Council to create a new landmark sports and leisure centre in High Wycombe. Designed by AFLS+P architects, the 10,750 m² rectangular Wycombe Sports Centre will be clad in copper and aluminium panels that have four different finishes to give it a
15/05/2014
The owner and developer of a construction site in Raynes Park has appeared in court after a sharp-eyed safety inspector twice spotted dangerous work at height from the carriage of a passing train. A closer inspection of the site on Coombes Lane confirmed work was taking place on and around the roof
15/05/2014
Construction union UCATT is demanding that the Government takes immediate action after an international employment agency, which operates in the UK, was discovered to be blacklisting workers who joined a trade union. The company Atlanco Rimec has an office in Northampton. A programme to be shown on
15/05/2014
Exeter-based Acorn Ecology Ltd has announced it is to expand, with two new branch offices opening in Bristol and Surrey this month. Steph Attwood MSc DIC BSc (Hons) MCIEEM will be heading up Acorn Ecology's Bristol branch, bringing eight years' experience in ecological consultancy and the public
15/05/2014
The recent studies suggesting a link between mould in damp properties and an increased risk of Parkinson's Disease to those that dwell within them has led to a surge in the amount of mould removal jobs requested of contractors. Make sure you are fully equipped to deal with these new work opportuni
14/05/2014
Willmott Dixon has been appointed for a £3.5m contract to deliver a permanent 700 seat grandstand for Greene King IPA Championship side Moseley Rugby Club. It's a statement of ambition for the club that play just one tier below the Aviva Premiership, the highest level in England, and has just had i
14/05/2014
Richard Rogers of leading international architecture practice Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners joined Laing O'Rourke and Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust to officially mark progress on the new £160 million Cancer Centre at Guy's Hospital, London. Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners was chosen alo
14/05/2014
Heathrow has announced an improved plan to expand the UK's hub airport that will create more than 100,000 new UK jobs and at least £100bn of UK economic benefits by connecting all of the UK to global growth. The figures are part of Heathrow's revised expansion plans that will be submitted tomorrow
14/05/2014
Balfour Beatty's completed project, Sixty London at 60 Holborn Viaduct, has won the 'Best Large Commercial Building' category at the London region Local Authority and Building Control (LABC) Building Excellence Awards. Nominated by the City of London Building Control, the award recognises building
14/05/2014
A £7m programme to upgrade the ageing railway infrastructure around Colchester station will create more reliable train services for the growing number of passengers using the line. The improvements will take place at weekends from 17 May 2014 to 6 July 2014 to ensure the least disruption for passen
14/05/2014
Construction union UCATT has welcomed the announcement made by Rachel Reeves the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary that the next Labour Government will act to provide fresh assistance to victims of asbestos. Speaking at a UCATT conference Ms Reeves said that the next Labour Government will: "Be en
14/05/2014
Professional Concrete Pumping has been awarded a two year sole supplier contract for Skanska which will include work on the £191 million M1 junction 19 improvement project. It will supply all mobile and static concrete pumps for the project which is due to open to traffic in the autumn of 2016. Pr
14/05/2014
A Sunderland construction firm has been fined after a worker was seriously injured when he fell three metres through a fragile roof light landing on the floor below. The 29-year-old, from Ryhope, who does not want to be named, was part of a team of workers employed by Brims Construction Ltd to carr
14/05/2014
Development Securities has announced that it has agreed to acquire Cathedral Group Limited together with certain other entities forming part of its related business, a privately owned Greater London and South East of England specialist mixed-use regeneration developer, for an initial consideration o
14/05/2014
Costain has appointed David McManus as Non-Executive Director with immediate effect. David is currently Non-Executive Director at the Hess Corporation, FlexLNG, Rockhopper Exploration plc and Caza Oil & Gas Inc. He was formerly a Non-Executive Director of Cape plc. He has also held a number of exe
14/05/2014
Apt have launched the Pointmaster range of Bricklayers tools. The POINTMASTER will form precise mortar "JOINTING" as the works proceed, governed by the wheels running on the face of the bricks, giving a consistent trowel action and pressure that helps create consistent mortar colouring of even mort
13/05/2014
Balfour Beatty has completed the concrete pours for a feeder line box which will provide a route for freight as part of Network Rail's £45 million Reading Viaduct project to relieve rail traffic congestion in the area. The box, which will allow freight lines from Southampton to run beneath the east
13/05/2014
Contractor G F Tomlinson has begun restoration work at an historic bridge in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, which was built to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Midlands-based G F Tomlinson is working with Derbyshire Dales District Council to deliver the £210,000 project, which will see Jubilee
13/05/2014
The line between Crewe and Chester will be closed this week to allow Network Rail to carry out essential drainage improvement work. The tracks on either side of the Christleton Tunnel, on the outskirts of Chester, regularly flood during wet weather causing delays to services and disruption to passe
13/05/2014
Partners gathered to witness the start of the final phase of Rowner's regeneration in Gosport. Rowner's Precinct area was in the top 20% most deprived in England and was generally regarded as one of the worst estates in South-East England. The Precinct has been featured on BBC’s 'Panorama' and was
13/05/2014
McLaren Construction and Derwent London held a topping out ceremony at the Queens site on Bishops Bridge Road, which is currently being developed in to high end residential apartments and retail space. The scheme, home of the former Queens Cinema, is situated on the corner of Bishop’s Bridge Road a
13/05/2014
A Dutch building firm has been fined after an apprentice fractured his skull falling more than six metres from a scaffold during construction of the new West Bromwich Leisure Centre. Sandwell Magistrates' Court heard that the 19-year-old worker, who has asked not to be named, was working for Pellik
13/05/2014
UTC Aerospace Systems, formerly Goodrich, has taken a new 10-year lease comprising 25,652 sq ft within the FORE 1 offices Solihull, the most high profile office development in the M42 corridor. The letting represents the largest transaction for office space in Solihull and the M42 corridor for two
13/05/2014
Work to widen the northbound carriageway of the M6 around junction 32 at the interchange with the M55 began yesterday, Monday 12 May. In the first phase of traffic management for the work, there are daytime hard shoulder closures and overnight lane closures on the M6 and M55 around the interchange.
13/05/2014
A major study was undertaken by a member of BVST, the Austrian shading association, to calculate the CO2 footprint for external venetian blinds. This particular sun protection device is popular in central Europe mainly because of its flexibility in controlling the energy and entry of light dependi
13/05/2014
Ambet Yuson General Secretary of the global construction union Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) received a standing ovation on the first day of UCATT conference on Monday when he spoke about the migrant labour abuses in Qatar. In his speech Mr Yuson said that: "FIFA and Qatar deserve a
13/05/2014
This winter has been one of the wettest on record, with nearly every area of the UK being issued with flood warnings at some point. The heavy rain has created a myriad of structural problems requiring expert repair; Twistfix products continue to facilitate this essential repair work. A flood-damaged
12/05/2014
Work is underway on the community-led redevelopment of a 19thcentury former school to provide 11 affordable homes for local people. Homes for Wells received £410,000 investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) towards the Polka Road development, along with gaining registered provider sta
12/05/2014
Eric Wright Construction has completed an £8.2m multi-phase refurbishment project to transform Unity Academy in Blackpool. Located on Warbreck Hill Road, the Academy provides high-quality teaching and learning for children aged four to 16, covering all curriculum subjects. With the key aim being t
12/05/2014
SPIE, the independent European leader in electrical and mechanical engineering and HVAC services, energy and communication systems, has announced that its Building Services division has been awarded the second phase of the Terminal Transformation project at Stansted Airport. The project will see
12/05/2014
Liverpool City Council's Cabinet is to decide whether the local authority can use its powers of compulsory purchase to unlock the next phase of the Anfield Project housing masterplan. Approved in principle in October 2103, the council is seeking to use its compulsory purchase powers to acquire 23 p
12/05/2014
Construction work to create a brand new £22m mixed-use scheme at Oxford Street has reached a significant milestone this week as developer, Dukelease Properties, joined Wates Construction to celebrate the development's 'topping out'. Traditionally held to bring luck to a new building when it has rea
12/05/2014
Costain has announced the appointment of David McManus as Non-Executive Director with effect from 12 May 2014. David is currently Non-Executive Director at the Hess Corporation, FlexLNG, Rockhopper Exploration plc and Caza Oil & Gas Inc. He was formerly a Non-Executive Director of Cape plc. He has
12/05/2014
Kingston University is planning to replace the existing Town House building on our Penrhyn Road campus with a new £55million landmark building which will: transform the learning experience; and help engage with the local community. As part of the project, the frontage will be landscaped to Penrhyn
12/05/2014
Demolition teams have moved in on outdated council homes at Woolpit and Stowmarket, Suffolk, which are set to make way for much-needed brand-new modern homes for affordable rent. Representatives from Mid Suffolk and Babergh District Councils, Orbit Homes and affordable housing developer Lovell atte
12/05/2014
A Joint Venture between Carillion and Amey (67:33) has been awarded the National Prime Housing contract that is estimated by MoD to be worth in the order of £625 million over the initial five-year contract period, which can be extended by a further five years subject to approval. Under this contrac
12/05/2014
First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, and Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Ken Skates, were in Coleg Sir Gâr as the search to find some of Wales' most talented construction apprentices and trainees reached its conclusion. SkillBuild is the largest multi-trade competition in the country f
09/05/2014
A major community regeneration project in Surrey has taken another step forward after plans were submitted for permission. Flats, shops, a library and community centre and a supermarket are among the proposals for the Portland Drive area of Merstham. In December, Surrey County Council approved a p
09/05/2014
SPIE, the independent European leader in electrical and mechanical engineering and HVAC services, energy and communication systems, has announced that Steve Gibbs has been appointed as the new Managing Director of SPIE's Facilities Services business, effective immediately. With over 25 years’ exper
09/05/2014
Hull City Council has redeveloped a former care home into 18 flats. Salinger House, in Bransholme, Hull was a former adult services learning disability care home and became redundant in 2012. The Council has worked in partnership with NPS Humber and KWL to develop the former care home into 18 fla
09/05/2014
Work has started on site for the new head office of housing group Thirteen at Muse Developments' £100 million Northshore scheme in Stockton on Tees. The new 43,000 sq ft building will be located next to the iconic Infinity Bridge and will accommodate more than 400 employees. Representatives from Mu
09/05/2014
Contracts worth £28 million are set to be awarded for the construction of three new schools in Liverpool as part of Mayor Joe Anderson’s Schools Investment Programme. A report to the Cabinet on Friday 16th May is recommending that new homes for Northway Primary School in Childwall and New Park Prim
09/05/2014
Rydon has secured a contract with Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) to upgrade the 24-storey 1970s Grenfell Tower, as part of a £57m neighbourhood regeneration. Located in the Lancaster West Estate in North Kensington, the £10m project will deliver a number of improvements
09/05/2014
New NHBC figures have revealed sustained growth and consolidation in the UK housing industry for the start of 2014, with encouraging growth in London and the rest of the UK. In total, 33,816 new homes were registered in the UK during Q1 2014, compared to 31,739 for the corresponding period a year a
09/05/2014
Construction students from Bradford College have been given a taste of life on a live building site this week, joining contractor, Wates Construction, on the site of a new leisure centre in Yorkshire. The workshop saw eight students, currently studying courses in bricklaying and the Btec Extended D
09/05/2014
A Battersea building firm has been fined for failing to highlight the known presence of asbestos insulating board (AIB) at a Berkshire warehouse – exposing a foreman and others to potential harm when it was ripped out during refurbishment work. Redwood Contractors Ltd was in possession of a detaile
09/05/2014
News of the launch of the Government's new Green Deal Improvement Fund (GDIF) has sparked excitement in all aspects of the Green Deal industry. Stroma Certification is particularly delighted for our installer members who can anticipate a drip feed of funding into the industry and knock-on benefits o
08/05/2014
The Royal United Hospital (RUH) has unveiled new plans for a £110m transformation over the next five years. Central to this is the new Estate Strategy, which will see old buildings demolished, paving the way for the construction of a new Cancer Centre, pharmacy building and integrated therapies uni
08/05/2014
The Colne Barrier, which reduces the risk of tidal flooding to more than 2,000 homes and businesses in the Wivenhoe and Colchester areas, will get some important maintenance during May and June this year. Stuart Barbrook, Environment Agency Project Manager said: "The Colne Barrier is an important p
08/05/2014
Work to maintain high levels of flood protection to residents in Bedford will begin next week, Monday 12th May, in Cardington. Environment Agency contractors will be on site at the Cardington Canoe Slalom Sluice Gate and Channel for around 5 weeks to inspect the sluice gate and carry out any necess
08/05/2014
Resurfacing works are to be carried out by Barnsley Council on the A628 Manchester Road between the river Don bridge and St Saviour's church. The works start on Saturday, 10th May, and will be completed within two weeks. The works consist of carriageway and footway resurfacing and will be carried o
08/05/2014
The Graham team at Brooklands Road in St. Helens are making steady progress with next stage of the project underway. In order to alleviate flooding to the 40 properties identified as at risk in the Brooklands Road area of Eccelston, a 20m diameter storm water detention tank with a storage capacity
08/05/2014
Morgan Sindall has installed the first of 15 curved steel ribs for the ultra-modern new roof at Manchester Victoria Station. The project is part of a £44 million investment by Network Rail to create a modern station environment while retaining the building’s Grade II listed features. Over the last
08/05/2014
GMB Union is questioning the National Grid on an investigation into allegations of fraud and corruption on the West Midland Gas Mains Replacement Contracts. The reports the union has are of a major investigation into allegations of wads of cash changing hands, holidays being paid for and work carri
08/05/2014
The application for the Navitus Bay Wind Park application has been accepted for examination. The application for the proposed offshore wind farm was submitted on 10 April 2014 and the decision to accept the application to proceed has been made in accordance with section 55 of the Planning Act 2008
08/05/2014
A Southampton worker suffered life-changing injuries after he plunged five metres through a hole in a church roof in South East London while it was being repaired, a court has been told. Father of three Allen Smith, 58, of Southampton, sustained a collapsed lung, smashed pelvis and head injuries in
08/05/2014
Planners have given the go-ahead to Northamptonshire County Council's plans to transform derelict land in the heart of Northampton into a new headquarters and office building saving tax payers millions of pounds and generating a massive cash injection to the town centre. Councillors on Northampton
07/05/2014
ISG has secured its largest hotel project to date in Dubai, winning a circa £21 million project to comprehensively refurbish all 393 rooms in the iconic Kempinski Mall of the Emirates Hotel. The scheme encompasses upgrading guest rooms, suites and ski chalets, meeting rooms, gym and spa facilities
07/05/2014
Plans to build a new £25m biomedical engineering facility at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, have been announced. The latest project in the £250m long-term development of the site will add facilities to develop and test new medical devices in partnership with their users. This u
07/05/2014
CEMEX Paving Solutions recently took delivery of a new RAPIDMIX400CW, the high volume mobile continuous mixing plant manufactured by County Armagh based Rapid International Limited. The plant was sold in partnership with leading machinery dealers DUO plc. The new RAPIDMIX400CW extends the capabil
07/05/2014
Construction work started today, 7th May, on the Mersey Gateway Project. The Merseylink Consortium is starting work by building access roads across the sensitive saltmarsh environments on both sides of the river. They are doing this so construction teams can reach and work in the estuary to build
07/05/2014
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has announced that its deputy chief executive and director of operations Jeff James is to leave the organisation to take up the role of chief executive at The National Archives. CIH chief executive Grainia Long said: "Jeff joined CIH from The National Archiv
07/05/2014
DTE is proud to announce its status as one of the exhibitors at this year's up and coming Safety and Health Expo, in London, in June of this year. The business growth over the last 18 months has been phenomenal and seen the different divisions of DTE flourish, both independently and as a common e
07/05/2014
Natural crop-based building materials, such as hemp and straw, are of 'growing' interest for the construction of new homes in the UK, a new report by the NHBC Foundation has found. But the report also advises that there are risks associated with using such materials and highlights that at the curre
07/05/2014
More than 20 students from Stamford College are getting skills and experience as part of SKDC's Glen Crescent housing project. Four new council properties are being built on the Stamford site to include three two bedroom homes and a bungalow. Work is being carried out by Robert Woodhead Limited.
07/05/2014
London Borough of Lambeth has completed an agreement with Muse Developments to undertake the development of a new town hall complex comprising some 14,000 sq m of new and improved accommodation in the heart of Brixton, which will incorporate the 100 year old town hall with its distinctive clock towe
07/05/2014
Laing O'Rourke has committed its full support to the government’s ‘Your Life’ national campaign, launched at the Science Museum in London, that is aimed at encouraging greater participation by women and girls in science, technology, engineering and maths. Amongst a range of pledges, Laing O'Rourke
06/05/2014
The transformation of a city centre dual carriageway in Peterborough into a pedestrian and cyclist friendly tree-lined boulevard will begin at the end of this month. Once completed, the new Bourges Boulevard will have a widened central reserve with around 30 lime trees, each up to 10 metres tall. I
06/05/2014
Carpentry, bricklaying and plumbing are just some of the skills a group of local young people have learnt over the past two weeks on one of Islington's biggest construction projects. The 'Get Into Construction' programme, run by The Prince's Trust, saw 12 unemployed young people, aged 18-25, gain t
06/05/2014
Hassocks station's new lifts have been formally opened, marking the culmination of a two-year project to improve facilities for the travelling public. More than £3m has been spent on the station over that period, delivering a new station building last summer and full step-free accessibility this ye
06/05/2014
The Department of Energy and Climate Change's (DECC's) latest offshore oil and gas licensing round, which closed for applications on Friday 25 April, has received a strong response with 173 applications from industry for around 370 blocks. Energy Minister Michael Fallon said: "It's 50 years since N
06/05/2014
The government's new £525 million Builders Finance Fund will improve access to finance for some small house builders but the minimum threshold of 15 units will exclude many small and micro-house builders, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said:
06/05/2014
Crossrail's train tunnels are three quarters complete following the breakthrough of Victoria, one of the project's huge boring machines, into Whitechapel station. The 150 metre long machine is named after Queen Victoria and began her journey at Limmo Peninsula in east London at the end of 2012. She
06/05/2014
A BAM-built library and customer service centre has opened in east London as the team continues the scheme. BAM Construction's London team worked with architects Rick Mather to create the three-storey campus for Newham Council. Newham mayor Sir Robin Wales officially opened the building in February
06/05/2014
The pedestrian swing bridge over the lock gates at Sutton Harbour in Plymouth is to be closed from Tuesday 20th May for six weeks to allow for the replacement of an essential bearing. The bridge operates independently of the harbour's lock gates so access for vessels will be unaffected. An alternat
06/05/2014
Work has started on a major new rail sector contract, the first track section of the new Crossrail route that will be commissioned. The 16.4-mile section, from Stratford, east London, to Shenfield, near Brentwood in Essex, forms the North East Infrastructure and Stations project which will form one
06/05/2014
CES Hire has announced the addition of the Mixit 25 to its hire fleet. The firm has been supplying larger forced action mixers to the construction industry for a number of years, however since it has been receiving numerous enquires about smaller mixers it has decided to add the 32 litre bucket mi
02/05/2014
Kier Construction has been appointed to build the new £5m Wythenshawe bus and tram interchange. The contract was awarded following a competitive tendering process via the North West Construction Hub (NWCH) framework. Designed by Aedas Architects, the new interchange is being delivered by Transport
02/05/2014
Hillingdon Council is set to help residents tackle rising energy bills after it scooped £3m from a pioneering project. The council is one of just 24 councils in the country to get the funding from the government's Green Deal Communities Scheme, which aims to make homes warmer and more efficient at
02/05/2014
Anglian Water has named its first capital delivery partners in supply chain deals that will be worth between £6 and £9bn over 15 years, and support upwards of 10,000 jobs across the region. Balfour Beatty, Barhale, Grontmij, MMB (a joint venture of Mott MacDonald and JN Bentley), MWH and Skanska ar
02/05/2014
England faces a deepening housing crisis if the next government doesn't commit to a radical programme of house building, a KPMG and Shelter report has warned. The landmark report outlines how the 2015 government could turn the tide on the nation's housing shortage within a single parliament. As a c
02/05/2014
The Right Honourable David Cameron MP, the Prime Minister, has visited the Oxfordshire County Council Highways site in Long Wittenham. There he saw a pothole being filled by the council's contractor Skanska and learnt more about the scale of the pothole problem in Oxfordshire from the county counci
02/05/2014
A major step has been taken towards a new nuclear power station at Moorside, West Cumbria, that will create at least £10bn worth of investment and thousands of jobs. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has agreed key commercial terms with Toshiba and its partner GDF Suez to extend a land op
02/05/2014
An Essex gas installer has been given a suspended prison sentence and 150 hours of unpaid community work for carrying out illegal and dangerous gas work at a home in Colchester. William Saint, 75, from Chelmsford, was hired to install a gas fired boiler to heat a swimming pool at a home on Hall Cut
02/05/2014
Lovell has achieved the rare distinction of an Investors in People Gold Award. The Midlands, South Wales and Southern region of the company learned of the Award at the completion of a rigorous assessment procedure overseen by Investors in People (IiP) assessors. Lovell has its regional offices i
01/05/2014
Willmott Dixon has been appointed by the University of West London for a £27 million contact to deliver the second phase of its Future Campus project. Procured through Scape, it will see Willmott Dixon redevelop the university's St Mary's road site in Ealing and follows the completion of phase one
01/05/2014
McMullen Facades, part of the Lakesmere Group, has been awarded a contract worth circa £6.5m by St. George PLC to create the full vertical facade for The Pinnacle, the latest stage of London's successful high-rise residential development Battersea Reach. The contract follows the company's earlier
01/05/2014
An 18-month extension project has been completed at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Sections of the building have been operational since late-March, following a hand-over by main contractor Integrated Health Projects; a joint venture between VINCI Construction UK and Sir Robert McAlpine. Located
01/05/2014
The Lovell construction team at The Beeches Village development has scooped a Silver National Considerate Constructors Scheme award for the flagship housing development taking shape on the site of the former Caerphilly District Miners' Hospital. The Considerate Constructors Scheme inspector praised
01/05/2014
Kier Partnership Homes has started work on hundreds of new properties, which are being built across Walsall as part of a £42m project to combat a shortage of affordable homes. The Kier team has moved on to sites in Somerfield Road, Bloxwich, Pennine Way, Short Heath, Wessex Close, Brownhills and Ha
01/05/2014
Balfour Beatty is providing 10 construction students in Beverley with an opportunity to get into the construction industry during a project to build the town's new £22m Southern Relief Road. The company has worked closely with East Riding College to develop and deliver an on-site training programme
01/05/2014
Liz Peace has announced that, after 12 years as Chief Executive of the British Property Federation, she will be shortly retiring from the Federation in order to spend more time with her charitable and non-executive interests. Liz, who has held the post of Chief Executive since January 2002, said: "
01/05/2014
One of Europe's leading manufacturers of personal protective equipment has been prosecuted and fined after a worker's hand was crushed when it became trapped in an unsafe machine at their factory in Oxfordshire. The 47-year-old employee, from Witney, had just started her shift on 11 January 2013 at
