Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for April 2017
28/04/2017
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has pulled the plug on the plan for a garden bridge across the Thames. Mr Khan said he would not provide financial guarantees needed for construction work to start. In a letter to the Garden Bridge Trust he said he would not guarantee funds for the bridge's operati
28/04/2017
Reading Borough Council have given the green light to Reading Football Clubs plans to develop a £500million development. Royal Elm Park will deliver a world-class convention centre, hundreds of new homes, significant new public space, a mix of high-quality retail, leisure and hotel space, all of wh
28/04/2017
The National Home Building Council (NHBC) registered over 42,000 new homes in the UK in the first three months of 2017. 42,470 new homes were registered, an increase of 17% on the 36,351 registered 12 months ago – resulting in the highest quarter in 10 years. 31,197 homes were registered in the pr
28/04/2017
New research has revealed over 40% of people believe businesses should use clean energy from renewable energy sources. In a survey of 1,001 consumers, energy price comparison site Long Energy Savings found 33% of participants would pay more for energy from renewable sources. Phil Foster, Managing
28/04/2017
Beard Construction has strengthened its senior team by appointing Dean Averies as Director of its Oxford office in Cumnor Hill. Mr Averies, who has been the company's construction director in Oxford for the past two years, will take over from John Youle who retired last year. Having worked with th
28/04/2017
Work on an office building refurbishment in Liverpool is now complete. The scheme was carried out at No. 8 Princes Dock in Liverpool Waters, a large scale £5.5 billion development project by Peel Land & Property. The developer worked in partnership with Chapman Taylor Architects, furniture consult
27/04/2017
Plans have been approved for a £500 million mixed-use development in Reading. The Royal Elm Park scheme will be developed on a 15.5 hectare site adjacent to Reading Football Club's (FC) Madejski Stadium. Construction is planned to begin in early 2018, subject to final planning requirements. Featur
27/04/2017
Industry consultancy Gleeds has been selected to help deliver a new £55 million bakery in Lincolnshire. The company will act as cost manager and sustainability consultant for Associated British Foods' scheme, which will see a new 15,540m² food production facility built on a former British Sugar sit
27/04/2017
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff has been selected to take forward plans for the 'Halifax Station Gateway' in Calderdale. The engineering consultancy will set out a strategic programme to deliver the existing station 'masterplan' and improve connectivity for the town centre, which is undergoing a multi-m
27/04/2017
The Wales Co-operative Centre has secured nearly £150,000 from the Government to support the Co-operative Housing in Wales project. The £149,530 fund will help scale up the project, which has already helped deliver 99 homes across the country. In addition, it has helping to support the deliver of
27/04/2017
New figures have revealed a 25% cut in the number of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors since 2010. Following a Freedom of Information, union Unite states the number of frontline inspectors has fallen from 1,311 to 980. The news follows further revelations by Unite that it takes on avera
27/04/2017
New figures have revealed over 42,000 new homes were registered in the UK during the first three months of 2017, the highest figure for 10 years. The National House-Building Council's (NHBC) latest home registration data states a total of 42,470 homes were registered in Q1, a 17% rise compared with
27/04/2017
EDF Energy Renewables (EDF ER) has unveiled three new wind farms which can produce enough electricity to power nearly 60,000 homes. Two of the sites are located in Scotland, with the other in England - Pearie Law in West Lothian, Corriemoillie in the Highlands and Beck Burn near Carlisle, Cumbria.
27/04/2017
Industry consultancy Cromwell Wood Estate Company has provided an update on its various projects and developments across the UK.
26/04/2017
Heathrow Airport's £16 billion expansion programme will to make Britain "lead the pack" in global construction, according to its Chief Executive Officer John Holland-Kaye. The Airport has started inviting communities across Britain to put forward why their area should host one of four new off-site
26/04/2017
Mott MacDonald has been selected to help deliver a £5 million restoration project in Wales. The company will act as project manager on the renovation of the Grade I-listed Hay Castle in Hay-on-Wye. The scheme is being carried out on behalf of Hay Castle Trust Ltd and aims to transform the derelict
26/04/2017
Laing O'Rourke has revealed Sir John Parker is to become the company's new Chairman later this year. Sir John will take up the position after stepping down as Chairman of multinational mining company, Anglo American. Laing O'Rourke's Chief Executive Officer, Ray O'Rourke, said: "Sir John has built
26/04/2017
Preparation works are underway for the North Sea Link Interconnector project. Both Graham Construction and North Sea Link Interconnector have held a start-up meeting to prepare for a converter station to be built in Blyth. The meeting took place ahead of construction on the North Sea Link Intercon
26/04/2017
A new £500,000 bridge is to officially open in leeds. The 23-metre structure, which will link the Trans Pennine Trail with Temple Newsam, will officially opened on Thursday, 27 April. The new Skelton Bridge provides a walking and cycling route across the Lower Aire Valley. Registered cycling chari
26/04/2017
Work has started on a new £4.2 million school extension project in Calderdale. The scheme is being carried out at Todmorden High School and will see a new two-storey building developed with space for 16 classrooms. Further works include stripping and re-roofing the majority of the flat roofs in th
26/04/2017
Grosvenor Group has reported a slight dip in revenue profit as the luxury property market slows down in London. In its annual results, the property developer recorded a total return of 8% in 2016 (2015; 9%), with revenue profit down from £83.3 million in 2015 to £79.2m in 2016. Following six succe
26/04/2017
A construction company has been fined after an employee was killed during work to install drainage boxes at a primary school in West Sussex. Hague Construction Limited of Sir Thomas Longley Road, Rochester, Kent pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974
26/04/2017
Network Rail is to begin a railway bridge reconstruction project in Tameside. The company will start rebuilding the structure next to Ashton-under-Lyne station from Saturday, 13 May. The 16-week project is scheduled for completion in September. In advance of the main work, a temporary work site wi
26/04/2017
West Midlands-based Telling Architectural has secured new finance worth £1 million with specialist bank, Aldermore. With a company turnover of £5m in 2016 and forecasts predicting this to double by 2018, the new funding will allow the firm to meet its projected targets. Mike Wood, Managing Directo
25/04/2017
Willmott Dixon has won a £23.7 million contract to deliver a new building at the Harwell Science Campus in Oxfordshire. The contractor has been selected by the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to deliver the Harwell Facilities Building. The facility will provide specialist support sp
25/04/2017
More than 200 new homes are to be built near Chorley, Lancashire. Lovell has signed a partnership deal with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to deliver the £53 million development at Clayton-le-Woods, on land purchased from the HCA. A total of 220 high-quality homes will be created (198 home
25/04/2017
Industry consultancy Faithful+Gould has been selected to lead a combined schools and leisure complex project in Ponteland, Northumberland. The scheme is part of a £57 million investment by Northumberland County Council into education and leisure. Faithful+Gould will act as technical adviser to the
25/04/2017
Laing O'Rourke is to deliver significant carbon savings on a substation extension project in Wimbledon. The scheme is being carried out for National Grid and is on track to deliver £3 million in savings as well as a 23% carbon reduction. Modifications have been made to the substation design, makin
25/04/2017
Work has started on a new multi-million pound waste gasification plant in the West Midlands. The SynTech Energy Centre is being built on the site of a former steel fabrication and waste recycling facility in Portway Road, Wednesbury. Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) is investing £5m into the ne
25/04/2017
A steel fabrication company has been prosecuted after a sub-contractor was killed during work to deliver the Frances Crick Institute building in London. CMF Ltd of Central Way, Feltham, Middlesex has pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It has been fi
25/04/2017
Vivid Housing Association (HA) has unveiled plans to build at least 1,200 new homes a year. The organisation is newly-formed, having been created out of a merger between First Wessex and Sentinel. With a portfolio of around 30,000 homes mostly in Hampshire, Vivid has now stated its intention to bu
25/04/2017
Bovis Homes' new Chief Executive, Greg Fitzgerald, has purchased £1.24 million worth of shares in the company. Mr Fitzgerald, the former boss of Galliford Try, was announced as the new Chief Executive of Bovis Homes last month. Having bought 134,369 shares at a price of 926p each, the move is seen
25/04/2017
A major milestone has been reached on a £6.8 million school expansion project in Barnet. Morgan Sindall is delivering a new two-storey building at Oak Lodge School, a special academy for students aged 11-19 with a range of learning difficulties. The company has now held to ceremony to mark the com
25/04/2017
Work has been completed on a railway station improvement project in Bath. The scheme at Bath Spa station was carried out by Network Rail. Works included widening both platforms, reducing the stepping distance from the train to the platform edge and addressing the curvature of the platforms. Michae
24/04/2017
New figures have revealed SME construction workloads rose during the first quarter of 2017. In its latest State of Trade Survey, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) state overall workloads went up by 9% for the 16th quarter running, with increases also seen in the proportion of firms reporting
24/04/2017
Skanska has won a £7.5 million contract to build a new Integrated Critical Care Unit (ICCU) in the West Midlands. The new 18-bed ICCU is being delivered at Walsall Manor Hospital and work is to begin on site in May 2017. The unit will bring together the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) and High Depend
24/04/2017
Two roofing contractors have been prosecuted for carrying out unsafe work at height during a roof replacement project in Oldham. MKM Fabrications of Meek Street, Royton, Oldham pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates' Court to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc A
24/04/2017
Interserve has been selected to deliver a new £36.5 million secondary school in South Wales. The company is underway with work to design and build the new Caldicot School in Monmouthshire, with official completion scheduled for June 2018. The new 13,076 sq m facility is part of the council's 21st
24/04/2017
Willmott Dixon has appointed Andrew Hurcomb as its new regional operations director in Yorkshire. Having spent 28 years working with Galliford Try, Mr Hurcomb will support Willmott Dixon's current projects in Yorkshire and will be based at its office in Morley, Leeds. The company is currently carr
24/04/2017
Work on a new public realm project in Kidderminster is now complete. The scheme involved creating two new public squares as well as re-surfacing pedestrianised retail streets in the town centre. Designed by IBI Group, the 'Exchange Place' square has been transformed from a vehicle dominated highwa
24/04/2017
Bovis Homes has appointed James Dunne as its new Managing Director (MD) for the Thames Valley region. Having spent over 10 years working for Barratt and David Wilson Homes as Operations Director, Mr Dunne will be responsible for overseeing the company's growth in the region. Bovis Homes' launched
24/04/2017
The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has confirmed Lord Andrew Adonis as its permanent Chair. In addition, the NIC has unveiled Sir John Armitt as its Deputy Chair along four new Commissioners; Dame Kate Barker, Professor David Fisk, Andy Green and Julia Prescot. Following period as interi
24/04/2017
The Welsh Government has provided over £200,000 in funding support towards two traditional North Wales Inns refurbishment projects. The Tourism Investment Support Scheme allocated £72,000 for the refurbishment of Plas yn Dre in Bala, while a further £140,000 was provided to redevelop the Erskine Ar
24/04/2017
Work on a £395,000 footbridge upgrade project is now complete. The structure at Llanfairpwll station, which is over 100-years-old, was removed earlier this year to undergo repair works. The specialist refurbishment works and repairs were carried out at the Centregreat Rail workshop in Cardiff. Eng
21/04/2017
Canadian engineering group SNC-Lavalin has agreed to purchase rival British firm WS Atkins for £2.1 billion. The deal will create a multi-billion dollar global professional services and project management company with 53,000 employees. SNC-Lavalin values the company at 2080 pence per share, a 35%
21/04/2017
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has appointed Balfour Beatty to carry out an overhead electricity line refurbishment project across Southern England. The contractor will design and refurbish five 132kV overhead lines in the region to replace parts of the network which are coming t
21/04/2017
HGV drivers working for Cemex UK are threatening to take industrial action in a dispute over cuts to their pay. A total of 74 drivers, based at four depots in Rugby, Warwickshire, Tilbury, Essex, Barton-on-Humber, north Lincolnshire and Newport in South Wales, have started voting in a ballot after
21/04/2017
The UK Government has pledged to commit more than £173 million towards public transport improvements in Leeds. The Department for Transport (DfT) has expressed its support for an integrated £173.5m package of improvements, with funding secured following a decision not to proceed with the New Genera
21/04/2017
New figures have revealed planning permissions were granted for over 293,000 new homes in Great Britain in 2016. In its new report, the Home Builders Federation (HBF) said the total 293,127 figure is a "strong indicator" of future growth in the country's housing supply. Overall, the number of unit
21/04/2017
Sellafield has unveiled a new procurement model which will see four construction partners delivering major projects at the nuclear site over the next 20 years. The company will use the Programme and Project Partners (PPP) model to select four-long term partners to will deliver a complex portfolio o
21/04/2017
New figures have revealed more than 150,000 manufacturing and construction jobs are supported by Scotland's trade with the rest of the UK. Research from the Fraser of Allander Institute show that overall, half a million Scottish jobs depend on the UK domestic market. In addition, over 175,000 jobs
21/04/2017
A new £600,000 programme has been unveiled to help fund new on-site training assessors across Great Britain. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) initiative has been created after small and micro-sized construction firms highlighted an increasing need for on-site training assessors. The
20/04/2017
A row has erupted over bonus payments to 700 construction workers building the £18 billion Hinkley Point nuclear power station in Somerset. It is understood the BYLOR consortium, made up of the French company Bouygues TP and Laing O'Rourke, have failed to pay the bonus rate in line with a previousl
20/04/2017
Plans have been approved to build more than 200 new student bedrooms at Balliol College in Oxford. Designed by Niall McLaughlin Architects, the scheme forms part of the Master's Field Project which will see 10 new buildings built in an area between the Master's Field, Jowett Walk and St Cross Road,
20/04/2017
Interserve has started work on a £41.4 million contract to build three new schools in Leeds. The new Springwell Special Academy Leeds facilities will be split across three sites in north, east and south Leeds. Pupils aged between 11 and 16 with social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH) wil
20/04/2017
The UK Government has confirmed the sale of the UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) to Macquarie Group. Under the deal, the GIB will become the primary vehicle for Macquarie's renewable energy investment in the UK and Europe. The Group has committed to target £3 billion of new green infrastructure inve
20/04/2017
Leeds City Council has managed to secure funding to redevelop Headingley Carnegie Stadium. A private investor will provide up to £35 million to fund the phased-scheme, which will see the cricket ground increase capacity from 17,000 to 20,000. Rugby league team Leeds Rhinos have also pledged £5m tow
20/04/2017
A major milestone has been reached on the £25 million Hackney Wick station refurbishment in London. The 2,000 tonne concrete pedestrian subway was driven into place over the Easter weekend, which will allow passengers to get to their trains more quickly and easily once the station opens in early 20
20/04/2017
A joint venture between Willmott Dixon and Scape Group has delivered a new primary school in Sandwell. The Sunesis JV built the new Sacred Heart Primary School to meet the growing demand for school places in the area. The 15-classroom building, which will be able to offer 420 primary places and 52
20/04/2017
Corporate Risk Systems has a programme of donating a MOD FULL HOUSE Training package to a deserving delegate at all the remaining British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS) Events in 2017. The first deserving delegate, Kimberley Edmunds-Jones, was put forward by the charity Armed Forces Bikers. Sh
19/04/2017
Plans have been approved for a new 583-bed student accommodation scheme in Coventry. The 20-storey development will be built on a cleared derelict site on Friar's Road and St Patrick's Road. Completion is scheduled in time for the 2019/2020 academic year. Designed by DAY Architectural, the scheme
19/04/2017
The Construction Products Association (CPA) is predicting construction output to reach 2.3% by 2019. The organisation's latest Spring forecast expects output to hit 1.3% this year, before dipping slightly dip to 1.2% in 2018. However, while the figures are an improvement on previous post-Brexit fi
19/04/2017
An investigation has been launched into the cause of a fire at a hotel under construction in Ealing, London. Fire crews were called to the scene on Uxbridge Road at 11.30am on Tuesday, 18 April. London Fire Brigade said the whole roof of the eight-storey building was alight, as well as part of the
19/04/2017
Royal BAM Group has revealed it will appoint Paul Sheffield to the company's supervisory board later this year. Mr Sheffield is set to be nominated for a position on the board at an extraordinary general meeting on 24 August 2017. The Group said the nomination is being made due to a vacancy arisin
19/04/2017
Plans have been approved to develop a new community football stadium in Warwickshire. Earlier this month, Councillors granted consent to purchase land off Europa Way to develop the new 5,000 capacity stadium for Leamington Football Club (FC). As well as the approval, the local authority will under
19/04/2017
Bouygues UK has secured three new contracts worth over £15 million in Birmingham. The deals were won through the Constructing West Midlands framework and will see projects delivered for the University of Birmingham and the city council. The first contract involves delivering the £10m Centenary Squ
19/04/2017
Work on a new £16.5 million office redevelopment project in Reading is now complete. The scheme was carried out at the former Kings House building by Graham Construction on behalf of Boultbee Brooks Real Estate (BBRE). The new seven-storey White Building contains over 93,000 sq ft of Grade A offic
19/04/2017
Bovis Homes has strengthened its senior team by selecting Steve Jones as Managing Director (MD) of its Southern region. Having spent more than 30 years at various house building companies such as Crest Nicholson, St James Homes and Bellway, Mr Jones recently worked as regional MD for Churchill Reti
19/04/2017
A new £10 million fund has been unveiled to help restore peatlands across England. The grant initiative, which opens in May, will help wildlife trusts and charities fund projects that restore upland and lowland peatlands to their natural state, increasing their capacity to prevent carbon entering t
19/04/2017
JP Concrete and Toro Shelters have completed the design and construction of a new building that increases salt availability for Central Bedfordshire's roads by 20%. The 5,000 tonne Salt Barn was delivered on time and within budget for main contractor Morgan Sindall. The lightweight yet robust buil
13/04/2017
AECOM has been selected as the design and technical consultant on the £1.4 billion A303 Stonehenge scheme. The company, in partnership with Mouchel and Mace, will be Highways England's Technical Partner for the Amesbury to Berwick Down project, which includes proposals for a tunnel near Stonehenge.
13/04/2017
Willmott Dixon has won a £7 million contract to build a new food hub in Liverpool. The 65,000 sq ft facility will be developed off Edge Lane in Old Swan, Gillmoss. Completion is scheduled for November. The new fruit, vegetable and flower market will include parking, a café and public toilets, repl
13/04/2017
Newly released drone footage has revealed the progress being made on the £600 million Mersey Gateway Bridge project. Construction on the new six-lane toll bridge is continuing, with completion on schedule for later this year. The footage, which was captured last month, follow the route of the new
13/04/2017
Work is to begin on a £100 million repair and waterproofing on the M5 motorway in the West Midlands. The concrete repair and waterproofing scheme will be carried out on the Oldbury viaduct as part of a major government investment. Work will take place between junctions 1 - 2 of the motorway and is
13/04/2017
Lovell has strengthened its senior team with a new appointment. The housing developer has selected Stuart James as area procurement manager for South Wales and the South West of England. With 26 years' experience in the construction industry, Mr James will play an integral role in supporting the d
13/04/2017
Britcon has won a £1.6 million contract to expand a bio-acrylamide production facility in Bradford. The project will be carried out at the BASF Group's COMAH site. Britcon's structural steelwork division is manufacturing and installing the steel framework for a new building dedicated to the product
13/04/2017
Planning consent has been granted for a new commercial centre to be built in Yorkshire. Up to 1.45 million sq ft of manufacturing and distribution space will be developed on a 151-acre site near the M62 motorway. The development is being led by Harworth Group, who took control of the former Kellin
13/04/2017
A company has been fined after a worker was left paralysed by a pipe when it fell into a trench he was working in. Forefront Utilities Limited, of Stephenson Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, were found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £200,000
13/04/2017
A new report has revealed the UK Government could power around 600,000 homes per year via onshore wind projects without the use of a subsidy. The study, produced by industry experts Baringa Partners, stated the UK could deliver 1GW of new onshore wind capacity at no additional cost to consumers ove
13/04/2017
Picking up a load may seem like a simple manoeuvre, yet if not done properly, damage to the goods or worse still personal injury can occur. If your company has a requirement to deal with heavy items, taking shortcuts could expose you to a large amount of risk. In extreme cases a badly executed lift
12/04/2017
Carillion has been selected to deliver a £75 million student accommodation project for the University of Manchester. The contractor will build phase one of the new Fallowfield Student Residences project. Construction is scheduled to begin in August. Features include developing 1,122 Cluster-Flat S
12/04/2017
Wates Living Space has won a new £14 million contract to carry out improvements for thousands of homes in Tamworth. The two-year deal, with an option to extend for a third, is worth £7m per annum and will see refurbishments carried out to 4,200 properties in the town. Works include responsive repai
12/04/2017
Plans have been unveiled for the preferred route of the new Lower Thames Crossing scheme. Option 'C' has been selected for the scheme, which involves developing a new link between the A2 and the M25. Nearly 47,000 consultation respondents choose the option as the best solution, with 4.5 million H
12/04/2017
The UK Government has granted approval to build 131 new free schools across the country. The Department for Education's decision means more than 69,000 pupil places will be created in the future. Highlights include; • Stone Lodge Academy - a new secondary school for 11- to 19-year-olds in Dartfor
12/04/2017
Morgan Sindall has been selected by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) to build two new schools in Wolverhampton. The contractor will design and develop the schools in a £14 million campus on the site of the former Tarmac headquarters at Millfields Road. The first project involves creating a new £
12/04/2017
A man has been prosecuted after he illegally stored waste at a site in Tyne and Wear. John James Armstrong, 52, of Park Lane, Winlaton Mill, pleaded guilty to one offence of operating a waste site without a permit at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Friday, 07 April. He was fined £1,000, order
12/04/2017
Work has started on a £6.8 million coastal flood alleviation scheme in Lincolnshire. The flagship Lincshore scheme involves dredging sand from the seabed and pumping it onto the beach, replacing levels lost to the sea during the winter. Around 350,000m3 of sand will be dredged from designated area
12/04/2017
ScottishPower Renewables has awarded two major contracts to support the construction of the £2.5 billion East Anglia ONE offshore windfarm. Subsea power cables supplier JDR has won a deal to supply 155km of intra-array cables for the project, while Tata Steel's Hartlepool SAW Mill has been chose to
12/04/2017
Countryside Properties has appointed Richard Fagg as Land and New Business Director of its Partnerships business. Mr Fragg joins the company from Linkcity, where he was Deputy Managing Director specialising in defining, assessing and implementing strategic initiatives at Linkcity, formerly Bouygues
12/04/2017
Two companies have been fined for asbestos safety failings during a basement conversion project in Manchester. Hatters Taverns Limited of 50 Newton Street Manchester pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(3) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and was fined £10,000. In addition, sister c
11/04/2017
Residential developer L&Q has formed a new partnership with London Mayor Sadiq Khan to build 20,000 new homes across the city. A total of £8 billion will be invested in new housing across the capital, with 60% (12,000) homes to be made 'affordable'. The agreement is the first of its kind under the
11/04/2017
Work on two new Lidl concept stores in Newark and Mablethorpe is now complete. Britcon has delivered the projects as part of Lidl's £1.5 billion expansion programme across the UK. In Newark, the former Esso petrol station and Co-operative Food site on London Road, Balderton has been redeveloped in
11/04/2017
FM Conway has been selected to deliver five highways services contracts across Kensington and Chelsea. The infrastructure services company will carry out a range of highway, traffic management and public realm improvement schemes over the next five years across 188km of streets. Features include h
11/04/2017
A joint venture (JV) between CH2M and VolkerStevin has started carrying out upgrades at Morecambe Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) in Lancashire. C2V+ is undertaking improvements at the facility as part of United Utilities' (UU) £70 million upgrade programme in the Morecambe Bay catchment. The up
11/04/2017
A major milestone has been reached on a £1.7 million residential scheme in Devon. Morgan Sindall is currently building two apartment blocks, along with a 26-space car parking area, and a bike/bin store, for a local investor in Exeter. The project involves developing Block A, a three-storey buildin
11/04/2017
Keepmoat has delivered 112 new homes in Sudbury, Suffolk. The Weadow's Meadow scheme was unveiled last month by MP for South Suffolk, James Cartlidge. Features include a mix of two, three, four and five bedroom homes along with one and two bedroom apartments. In addition, a new open green area pro
11/04/2017
Work on a new £6 million office building is complete in Bolton. The new five-storey development was built by Robertson North West and forms part of the Bolton Central development. It is the latest development in the town centre following the £48m transport interchange, the revamp of Newport Street
11/04/2017
Up to £2 million is to be spent this year on repairing potholes in Rochdale. The council has approved plans to double its pothole repair fund from £1m, bringing the total spend on the region's highways over the year to £4.2m. A further £2.2m capital investment programme will help pay for major res
11/04/2017
An electrician has been prosecuted after an apprentice worker fell through a ceiling during work to install wiring. Soheil Alipour of Selly Oak, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Work at Height Regulations 9(2) 2005. He was given 120 hours unpaid Community work and ordered to pay over £1,152
11/04/2017
A study by Loughborough University has highlighted the issue of overheating of domestic buildings and confirms many of the conclusions of the Solar Shading Impact report by the National Energy Foundation. The report finds that building regulations have sought to reduce heat loss in cold weather, ho
10/04/2017
Select Property Group has appointed John Sisk & Son to help deliver its £247 million Affinity Living scheme in Manchester. The project will see 677 new private rented sector (PRS) apartments built across two buildings at Circle Square. Other features include 1,500 sq m of amenity space, such as sh
10/04/2017
The cost of a proposed new pedestrian bridge over the River Thames has spiralled from £60 million to over £200m, according to an independent review. London Mayor Sadiq Khan commissioned Dame Margaret Hodge MP to undertake a review of the Garden Bridge project in October last year. Plans for the sc
10/04/2017
High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd has launched a new competition for developers and architects to submit design proposals for four new stations on the multi-billion pound project. The successful companies will work alongside HS2 Ltd to develop and refine plans for three new stations at Birmingham Curzon Str
10/04/2017
Concerns have been raised over the competency of workers carrying out mechanical engineering work at the Ferrybridge power station in Yorkshire. Union Unite has submitted a formal complaint to the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) National Joint Council over the c
10/04/2017
Over 1,000 new homes are set to be built in Rochester, Kent. UK developer Countryside has teamed up with the Hyde Group to sign a £400 million development agreement with Medway Council and The Homes and Community Agency (HCA) to deliver the Rochester Riverside scheme. The 1,300-home regeneration p
10/04/2017
Plans have been approved for a new £14 million student accommodation development in Leeds. Crosslane Student Developments has secured conditional planning consent to build a 117-bed facility on Woodhouse Square in the north west of the city centre. Features will include 117 en-suite, self-containe
10/04/2017
SES Engineering Services has been selected to carry out mechanical and electrical (M&E) works on a new build project in Canary Wharf, London. The company will deliver shell and core mechanical services across 27 floors of the One Bank Street banking and office building, as well as associated underg
10/04/2017
A Carillion Joint Venture (JV) has secured a new contract worth over £200 million from the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The JV will carry out the HESTIA South East and London Region Multi Activity Contract, which will involves facilities management services, including catering, retail and leisure, an
10/04/2017
Rudridge has started work to refurbish Badshot Lea Football Club's new grounds in Farnham. The civil engineering contractor is renovating the site in Westfield Lane to create a permanent base for the club. Work is scheduled for completion in time for the 2018/19 season. Features of the Westfield L
10/04/2017
Work on a bridge reconstruction project in Wiltshire is now complete. The A3102 road in Royal Wootton Bassett will reopen next week following the Bath Road bridge being rebuilt as part of a major electrification programme. The scheme has created the additional space needed for the overhead lines t
07/04/2017
Bouygues UK has been appointed to deliver a 238 new apartments at MediaCityUK in Manchester. The £35 million Lightbox scheme will be built over 19 storeys and construction is scheduled to begin in April. Designed by AHR, the luxury residential apartment project will feature high specification cont
07/04/2017
New figures have revealed construction output in the UK fell by 1.7% between January and February. The Office of National Statistics publication revealed despite output increasing 1.5% on a three-month by three-month basis, output fell over the month due to downward pressures from infrastructure wo
07/04/2017
Clugston Construction has been appointed to build a new £252 million Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) near Bristol. The facility will be built on an industrial site in Avonmouth on behalf of waste management company Viridor. Construction is to begin this summer. The ERF will transform 320,000 tonnes
07/04/2017
RG Group has been selected to deliver a £53.2 million retail and leisure regeneration scheme in Dover. Kier have already completed enabling works on the 157,000 sq ft St James scheme. However, after failing to agree build costs, the company backed out of the project. The scheme is being funded by
07/04/2017
Countryside has been appointed to build over 380 new homes in southeast London. The company will deliver 384 apartments across eight blocks in Bromley town centre. Designed by Stitch Architects, the Churchill Gardens scheme will be built adjacent to the existing Church House Gardens. The multi-s
07/04/2017
Plans have been revealed for a new £3 million motorway junction improvement scheme in Merseyside. The upgrades will be carried out at Switch Island, where the M57, M58 and 3 A roads all join together. The junction is seen as an accident blackspot, following 49 collisions in the past two years. The
07/04/2017
Equipment rental specialist Vp has acquired Jackson Mechanical Services (JMS M&E) for £3.6 million The deal will see the M&E equipment rental and sales activity company become integrated into Hire Station, Vp's specialist tool hire business. JMS M&E rental activity operates out of locations in Har
07/04/2017
An unregistered plumber has been prosecuted for carrying out unsafe gas work at two properties in Devon. Stephen Barton of Park Road, Dawlish pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998 and breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Wo
07/04/2017
BAM Construction has strengthened its senior team by appointing Ian Fleming as regional director for its North West division. Having worked with the company for 17 years, Mr Fleming was previously one of BAM's construction directors. With a client list including Systems, Unilever, Aintree Hospital
07/04/2017
The Classic Barn Company have unveiled their latest film showcasing their oak framed barns. In the video, you can see the craftsmanship and attention to detail deployed throughout their oak frame designs. As an established, family-run business, The Classic Barn Company's oak frames are carefully i
06/04/2017
BAM Construction has been selected to help deliver a new £50 million development at Cardiff University. The company has been named as preferred bidder to carry out pre-construction services for the Centre for Student Life scheme. The facility will act as a central hub for student support services,
06/04/2017
Bouygues UK has been selected to deliver over 100 new homes in Wolverhampton. The contractor will build 150 new homes across three derelict sites in Low Hill. Construction is expected to begin towards the end of this year. The schemes form part of the council's target to build 13,40 new homes acro
06/04/2017
A competition has been launched for councils to bid for a share of a £490 million roads improvement funding pot. The money is to be used to tackle congestion and provide upgrades to local roads to improve journey times. Bids are being encouraged for a wide variety of schemes to be carried out betw
06/04/2017
Work on the new £335 million Royal Liverpool University Hospital has been delayed by nearly one year, it has been revealed. In a response to a written question from West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper, Health Minister Philip Dunne revealed a number of problems encountered by contractor Carillion meant
06/04/2017
Work on a £30 million research project which trialled and monitored various smart technologies and interventions across the Thames Valley region is now complete. The six-year New Thames Valley Vision (NTVV) scheme was led by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks' (SSEN). It explored a number
06/04/2017
Costain's joint venture (JV) with Galliford Try has won a £96 million deal to turn a section of the M1 into a Smart Motorway. The scheme will see 12km of the route upgraded between junctions 23a and 25 in the East Midlands. Bob Gibbon, Director of Galliford Try's Highways business unit, said: "Con
06/04/2017
Concerns have been raised over future investment in the Moorside nuclear power station scheme after French company Engie backed out of the project. The energy firm was part of the NuGen consortium, a joint venture involving Toshiba, which owns the Westinghouse Electric Company which is due to suppl
06/04/2017
A new concrete sleeper manufacturing facility is to be built in Bescot, Walsall. Network Rail has identified a site in Sandwell to build the new factory, which will produce up to 600,000 sleepers per year once built. The facility, which will secure up to 100 jobs, will account for 60% of Britain's
06/04/2017
Costain has scooped a new £6 million contract to plan refurbishment works on a vital transport link in London. The company will work alongside Transport for London (TfL) to undertake investigation works to plan the project on the A40 Westway dual carriageway and the Marylebone flyover. A total of
06/04/2017
Work is to begin on a new £22 million hospital in Birmingham. The new Circle Health Hospital will be built by Simons Construction and completion is scheduled by the end of 2018, with the aim to start treating patients from early 2019. The facility will form part of the Edgbaston Medical Quarter an
05/04/2017
Four contractors have secured a place on Scape Group's £7 billion National Construction framework. The new programme will see Willmott Dixon, Robertson, Wates and Lendlease appointed as lead contractors supported by over 70,000 SMEs in the supply chain network. The framework will help deliver a wi
05/04/2017
New figures have revealed the UK construction sector experienced a slight slowdown in growth during March. The seasonally adjusted Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dropped from 52.5 in February to 52.2 in March, the joint-slowest upturn in output since the current period
05/04/2017
Willmott Dixon has started work on an £80 million residential and educational development in Paddington. The Dudley House scheme will combine a residential tower featuring 197 new homes with a new home for Marylebone Boys' School. The school's intake will start at 480 pupils, eventually rising to 8
05/04/2017
Galliford Try has confirmed it is no longer considering a merger proposal with Bovis Homes. In a statement today, 05 April, the company revealed it was pulling out of talks as "it is not possible to secure the support of the Board of Bovis on terms that represent the best interests of Galliford Try
05/04/2017
Work on a £2.4 million sea defence repair project in Devon is now complete. The sea wall in Torcross has been repaired by the Bam Nuttall and Mott MacDonald (BMM) joint venture (JV) after it was damaged by storms in February 2016. The scheme was carried out on behalf of the Environment Agency (EA)
05/04/2017
New figures have revealed property supply in the UK has risen for the third month in a row. According to the latest Property Supply Index from HouseSimple.com, property listings across the country were up 3.7% in March compared with February. Property listings surged by more than three quarters (7
05/04/2017
Two contractors have been prosecuted after a man was electrocuted by an overhead powerline in Basingstoke. BAM Construction Limited, of Breakspear Way, Hemel Hempstead, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. It was fined £260,000 with over £9,415 in c
05/04/2017
Plans have been approved to expand an innovation centre in Fareham. The £7 million project at Fareham Innovation Centre will be carried out by Morgan Sindall. Completion is scheduled for spring 2018. The proposed three-storey facility will provide 3,400 sq m of new floor space, 33 flexible offices
04/04/2017
Plans have been submitted to build a new £21 million residential tower in Liverpool. The proposed Plaza 1821 scheme will feature 105 new apartments in the heart of the £5.5 billion Liverpool Waters regeneration scheme. As well as the one- and two-bedroom units, a ground floor retail or amenity off
04/04/2017
SES Engineering Services has been awarded an £18 million contract to help deliver a new food and health research laboratory in Norwich. The company will provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services as part of the £75m Quadram Institute scheme being delivered by Wates Construction at N
04/04/2017
Galliford Try Partnerships has been selected to deliver hundreds of new homes in London. The regeneration specialist's South East business has signed two contracts worth a combined £155 million. At the Royal Docks, Partnerships South East will build the £128m phase two of the Great Eastern Quays d
04/04/2017
REL Electrical has been selected to help deliver a £7.7 million town hall refurbishment project in St Albans. The company has won a £1.1m contract from Willmot Dixon to carry out mechanical and electrical (M&E) works as part of a project to turn the Grade II listed town hall into a museum and art g
04/04/2017
Plans have been approved to build nearly 1,000 new homes in Leeds. Keepmoat and Strata have secured consent to develop a total of 971 new homes across eight brownfield sites in Seacroft, Halton Moor and Osmondthorpe. The phased programme will be delivered over the next 10 years and forms part of t
04/04/2017
An electricity supplier has been prosecuted after a maintenance worker was killed when he fell six metres from a power line in Preston. Electricity North West Limited of 304 Bridgewater Place, Birchwood Park, Warrington was found guilty of breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations
04/04/2017
Up to £290 million worth of contracts have been made available for renewable energy developers to bid for. A second Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction has been launched today, 04 April, in order to support the growth of clean energy in Britain. The contracts represent the first part of the Gov
04/04/2017
Amazon has launched a new service to meet the procurement needs of businesses in the UK. Amazon Business combines a number of features for customers to see how their business is spending, such as Free One-Day Delivery on orders of £30 or more, VAT-exclusive pricing, VAT invoicing and Amazon Busines
03/04/2017
A major milestone has been reached on a £120 million student accommodation scheme in Sussex. Balfour Beatty and the University of Sussex have achieved financial close on the East Slope Residences project, which involves developing a new student beds facility on the University's campus. Features in
03/04/2017
A new £106 million road improvement project has been officially opened in Coventry. The scheme at Tollbar End was delivered by Galliford Try on behalf of Highways England. The development involved creating free-flowing traffic to reduce the volume of traffic using the Tollbar End roundabout by pro
03/04/2017
Work on a £30 million office project in Birmingham is now complete. Following practical completion, Morgan Sindall has now handed over 55 Colmore Row to developer IM Properties (IMP). The 160,000 sq ft Grade A space is located behind the building's Grade II listed Victorian façade. Set over six st
03/04/2017
New research has revealed almost 70,000 new rented homes have been completed, are under construction, or are currently in planning across the UK. Data published by the British Property Federation (BPF) shows that in London, there are 6,262 Build to Rent homes under construction. However, in other r
03/04/2017
Housing and Planning Minister, Gavin Barwell, has announced local authorities are to gain new measures to speed up development of brownfield sites. Councils will receive new tools to ramp up development of derelict and underused land, helping to unlock sites for thousands of new houses. Local auth
03/04/2017
O'Brien Contractors has been appointed to help deliver a multi-million pound development for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). The company will work alongside Lovell Partnerships to carry out work on the new Service Family Accommodation scheme in the Salisbury Plain area. The project
03/04/2017
Concerns have been raised over plans by Network Rail to scrap 1,000 safety-critical track renewal jobs. Union RMT has written to the company demanding the planned cuts be halted as Britain's raiways risk sinking into "further chaos". The organisation claims if the cuts proceed, crucial track repla
03/04/2017
A new £40 million fund has been unveiled to help boost economic growth for coastal communities. Announcing the funding today, 03 April, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said over 30 projects will benefit from the cash boost, which aims to create new jobs, attract tourists and increase economic gro
03/04/2017
Two companies have been prosecuted after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into unsafe asbestos work in Surrey. Bourne Valley Construction Services Ltd (BVCS) of Salisbury, Wiltshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13 (2) of the Construction (Design & Management) Reg
03/04/2017
Ongoing budgetary pressures and a lack of familiarity by local authorities (LAs) and housing associations (HAs) about the strict regulations that govern the maintenance of smoke ventilation systems, has given rise to a worrying trend that will leave them exposed to prosecution for non-compliance unl
