Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for July 2018
31/07/2018
Siemens has secured a £40 million contract to upgrade turbines on three biomass units at an electricity production plant in North Yorkshire. The three-year scheme will see one biomass unit upgraded each year as part of its planned major overhaul by Drax Power to boost efficiencies and maintenance s
31/07/2018
Kier has been chosen to deliver a £36 million redevelopment project at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London. The hospital's former pathology and residential staff quarters will be transformed to create a new cardiac unit, as well as an outpatients and minor procedures department. Construction is due
31/07/2018
Taylor Wimpey has made an exceptional provision of £30 million in its half-year results to cover the cost of replacing Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding on some of its past developments. The firm said the majority of the cost relates to one development in Scotland, which was built under p
31/07/2018
Build UK has revealed none of its major contractor members pays their supply chain invoices within an average of 30 days. Despite the organisation's members having signed up to the Construction Supply Chain Payment Charter, aimed at ensuring standard payment terms of 30 days and abolishing retentio
31/07/2018
Union Unite has slammed a decision to make more than 340 former Carillion apprentices redundant as an act of "crass stupidity". On Monday, a spokesperson for the Official Receiver confirmed 356 people, 341 of whom were apprentices, would leave the business "as their roles are no longer required".
31/07/2018
Aspin has appointed Costain's former Director of Rail, Gren Edwards, as the Group's new Chairman. With nearly 40 years' industry experience, Mr Edwards spent seven years at Costain until December of last year. Beforehand, he spent two years as Chief Executive of Volker Rail which was formed followi
31/07/2018
Morgan Sindall has started carrying out sewer connection works in Liverpool as part of the £1 billion Paddington Village development. The scheme involves developing 1.8 million sq ft of science, technology, education and health space at the eastern gateway of the city centre's Knowledge Quarter, cr
30/07/2018
New research has predicted the UK's construction industry is expected to grow in 2019 and 2020. Despite output dipping 0.6% in 2018, the Construction Products Association's (COA) Summer Forecasts is anticipating a 2.3% rise in 2019 and a 1.9% increase in 2020 thanks to house building and infrastruc
30/07/2018
More than 350 former Carillion roles have been made redundant, according to the Official Receiver. A spokesperson for the body said despite 21 jobs having been transferred to new suppliers over the past week, 356 people will be leaving the business as their roles are no longer required "but support
30/07/2018
Work on a new divisional police headquarters (HQ) for Lancashire Constabulary in Blackpool is now complete. The three-storey facility, which cost more than £20 million, has been built by Willmott Dixon on a 10,000 sq m site on the outskirts of Blackpool. The building will serve as the new HQ for t
30/07/2018
A project milestone has been reached on a £44 million school development in South Wales. Morgan Sindall has achieved the topping out stage of the Tonyrefail super school scheme and completion is on schedule for spring 2019. Features include the creation of two new buildings, along with the refurbi
30/07/2018
Thousands of solar-powered road studs have been installed along the A38 between Ripley and junction 28 of the M1 near Mansfield. More than 4,500 solar road studs have been introduced to the route as part of a £8.5 million worth of improvements to journeys along the route, which is used by more than
30/07/2018
Union Unite has hit out at the Government for failing to tackle bogus self-employment in the construction industry. A Freedom of Information request made by the union to HMRC revealed a total of 1.12 million workers were paid via the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) in 2017/18, a 4% rise when com
30/07/2018
Plans have been rejected to build 25 new flats on the site of an NHS facility for the homeless in Watford. The Meadowell Centre has been supporting rough sleepers for the last 15 years and is located on Cassio Road in West Watford. The rejected proposals included building a part five-storey and pa
30/07/2018
Industry consultancy Naismiths is targeting growth across the Northern England by appointing four new experienced surveyors. Chris Wilman, the former Head of Department at Currie & Brown, has joined the company as Director and will lead Naismiths' building surveying team in Manchester, helping the
30/07/2018
Industry consultancy Thomas & Adamson has secured a seven-figure funding boost from HSBC UK to modernise its operations. The Edinburgh-based firm will use the funding to support its modernisation, which includes new IT systems, new hardware, software, and an online document management system, along
30/07/2018
UK brick manufacturer Forterra has reported a 10.6% rise in sales in its half year results for the six months ended 30 June 2018. The company said its acquisition of pre-cast concrete business Bison in 2017 helped to boost sales, with profit before tax also rising 2.9% to £32.3 million due a good p
27/07/2018
Bouygues UK has won a £35 million contract to build a warehouse and training simulator centre for the multi-billion pound Hinkley Point C nuclear power station project in Somerset. EDF Energy has chosen the contractor to design and build the Simulator Training Centre, as well as the HHA Warehouse.
27/07/2018
Lovell has been chosen to deliver a £45 million regeneration programme the heart of South Hatfield in Hertfordshire. The scheme involves redeveloping the High View neighbourhood centre and nearby Hollyfield former garage site to deliver a mix of new shops and around 150 new homes for local people.
27/07/2018
Enfield Council has taken over lead responsibility for the £6 billion Meridian Water project. Instead of appointing a 'Master Developer' for the scheme, the local authority has assumed control for setting strategies, working up the masterplan and deciding the optimal phasing plan for delivery. Wor
27/07/2018
VolkerHighways has won a new £7.3 million contract to carry out street lighting maintenance work for Bristol City Council. The three-year deal will begin on 01 August and will see a number of the city's street lights replaced with new, energy efficient LED lanterns, complete with a central manageme
27/07/2018
Newly appointed Housing Minister Kit Malthouse has paid a visit to the £400 million Rochester Riverside development in Medway. Working closely with joint landowners, Medway Council and Homes England, Countryside Properties has already started work to build 400 of the 1,400 homes on the scheme which
27/07/2018
Work is continuing on the £21 million Anlaby and East Ella Flood Alleviation Scheme (AEEFAS) in East Yorkshire. NM Group has entered into the final phase of the project, which is set to reduce the risk of flooding for thousands of residents and businesses in the Hull and Haltemprice areas once fini
27/07/2018
Morgan Sindall has delivered two leisure centre schemes worth over £12 million in Slough, Berkshire. The £6.5m Langley Leisure Centre and the £5.7m Salt Hill Activity Centre projects are the latest transformative municipal projects developed by Slough Urban Renewal (SUR), a joint venture between Mo
27/07/2018
Industry consultancy, Scitech Engineering, has opened a new office in Cardiff. The company, which specialises in the life sciences sector, has moved to the city as part of an expansion programme following a package of Welsh Government support. Established in 2002, Scitech provides design, engineer
27/07/2018
Construction work has started on a new office building in Newcastle as part of a £350 million urban regeneration project. The Lumen, a 108,000 sq ft eight-storey Grade A office building, is the first phase of development by Legal & General at Newcastle Helix, one of the biggest urban regeneration p
27/07/2018
Vital Energi is to begin work to install new piping for a district heating network in Leeds. Pipes will be installed on Marsh Lane to carry heat from the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF), which will provide hot water for heating in local households and businesses in east Leeds. To car
26/07/2018
A project milestone has been reached on a new multi-million pound 368-apartment scheme in Manchester. The McGoff Group has completed the concrete frame at phase one of Downtown on Woden Street. Occupancy of phase one, which comprises 160 apartments, is planned for March 2019. Construction on phase
26/07/2018
The Government has published its revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to boost the construction of better-designed and better quality homes across the country. The revised document, which follows a public consultation launched by Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this year, will bette
26/07/2018
The UK's construction products manufacturing industry is showing signs of recovery following a slow start to 2018. The Construction Products Association's (CPA) State of Trade Survey for 2018 Q2 reveals the £56 billion sector is catching up after a sluggish first three months of the year due to the
26/07/2018
Heathrow Airport has completed its nationwide tour of 65 potential sites to host a logistics hub as part of the Airport's £14 billion expansion project. Over the past six months, Heathrow representatives have visited various sites across the UK to identify the location for the future hubs, which wi
26/07/2018
Work has started on a £1.8 million water network improvement scheme near the Crown Point Retail Park in Leeds. The six-week scheme will involve installing 'smart' valves on Hunslet Lane, with a total of six to be fitted in key areas of the water pipe network in the city centre. Similar work has al
26/07/2018
A Stockport-based housing developer has been prosecuted for widespread safety failings at two construction sites in Preston and Tarporley. Sherwood Homes has been fined £76,000 with over £14,651 in costs after being found guilty of breaching Regulation 6 (2), Regulation 6(3) and two breaches of Reg
26/07/2018
Highways England has revealed plans for a road upgrade scheme on the A23 in Hooley, London. The improvements aim to address traffic congestion issues and includes; • widening the northbound A23 from Dean Lane Junction to Netherne Drive to two lanes • widening the southbound A23 from Netherne Driv
26/07/2018
Work has started on a £5.3 million primary school expansion project in Southampton. Morgan Sindall is delivering the scheme at Springwell School in Thornhill to help boost the number of special education needs (SEN) school places in the city. Features include developing a new two-storey block, inc
26/07/2018
Original Windows Ltd have completed work to restore or replicate sliding sash windows up to four metres in height during work at a Grade I-listed residential property facing Regents Park in London. The specialist firm of joiners and carpenters based in Enfield, Middlesex, which is also a member of
26/07/2018
QuickScale is the easy, simple and accurate way to take measurements from 2D drawings on your PC. The software can calculate linear and square metres, in addition to printing pdf to scale with dims. With prices ranging from £79 - £299 excluding VAT, no annual renewal is needed as your purchase is
25/07/2018
An independent HS2 Construction Commissioner has been appointed to investigate unresolved disputes and provide independent advice on how to make a complaint over the multi-billion pound infrastructure project. Sir Mark Worthington will provide independent, impartial decisions as well as advice on h
25/07/2018
Work on the first phase of a £250 million redevelopment project at Worthy Down camp in Hampshire is now complete. Skanska, in partnership with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), have provided the Defence College of Logistics, Policing and Administration with a new 154-seat lecture theat
25/07/2018
New figures have revealed a rise in workloads for construction SMEs between April and June this year. There are no sign of Brexit jitters amongst firms in the Federation of Master Builders (FMB's) latest State of Trade Survey for Q2 2018, with 41% of firms reporting higher workloads compared with 3
25/07/2018
Yorkshire Water has revealed plans to create a new £40 million energy centre that will convert human waste into electricity at Brighouse. The new facility will use anaerobic digestion to create electricity, powering Brighouse's sewage treatment plant and feeding into the national grid to power home
25/07/2018
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed it will prosecute two companies in relation to the Pembroke Refinery explosion seven years ago. Four workers were killed and another was seriously injured following an explosion and subsequent fire at the site on 02 June 2011. HSE said both Valero
25/07/2018
Plans have been approved to create a new 32-acre public park in the grounds of Springfield Hospital in Wandsworth, London. The 81-acre hospital site is being transformed to accommodate new medical facilities alongside nearly 900 new homes plus office, commercial and retail space. In a detailed pla
25/07/2018
Piling and rail infrastructure specialist Van Elle has been forced to write off close to £1 million of bad debt due to the collapse of Carillion. In its preliminary results for the year ended 30 April 2018, the geotechnical contractor revealed it booked a bad debt write-off of £956,000 following Ca
25/07/2018
Northumbrian Water has been prosecuted by the Environment Agency (EA) following three separate pollution incidents in north east England. The company has been ordered to pay more than £33,600 in fines and costs for polluting a Tyne Valley burn with untreated sewage effluent at Broomley, in addition
25/07/2018
Work on the second phase of a multi-million pound expansion programme at Etonbury Academy in Bedfordshire is now complete. Morgan Sindall delivered the £10.6m project at the Arlesey school under Central Bedfordshire Council's New School Places Programme. Features include includes six new classroom
25/07/2018
Work is continuing on a new £850,000 community care hub in Belle Vale, Liverpool. The new facility is being created at Besford House after Liverpool City Council and NHS Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) successfully bid for funding from NHS England to create the modern accommodation for
24/07/2018
Kier has been chosen to deliver a new £25 million healthcare project for Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. The contractor will deliver the Sight and Sound Centre, which will be the first dedicated medical facility for children with sight and hearing loss in the country. Features of the Grade
24/07/2018
Plans have been put on hold for a £1.4 billion expansion project at Brent Cross Shopping Centre in north London. The project, which was initially due to start on site this month, has been pushed back by developer Hammerson "due to increased market risks". In it's latest half-year results, the comp
24/07/2018
The Government has confirmed an extra £600 million cash boost for the Crossrail project. In a written statement to Parliament, Rail Minister Jo Johnson revealed the budget is being increased from £14.8 billion to £15.4 billion to ensure the project is completed on time. "As reported in the update
24/07/2018
More than 150 new homes are to be built near Lincoln in the East Midlands. Jackson Living, part of Jackson & Jackson Developments, have started work on the £30 million 'The Parklands' scheme, which will see 155 new residential properties delivered across a 46.7-acre site slightly north of Lincoln.
24/07/2018
Galliford Try has started work on a £49 million motorway junction scheme on the M49 near Bristol. The project involves creating two bridges incorporated into a single roundabout spanning the motorway with new access and exit slip roads connecting fully with both northbound and southbound traffic.
24/07/2018
Planning consultancy Turley has appointed Ben Wrighton as its new Head of Planning in London. With more than 20 years' industry experience, Mr Wrighton has worked closely with investors and developers to realise major retail, commercial and mixed-use development projects. He marks Turley's third s
24/07/2018
Morgan Sindall has started work on a £1.3 million refurbishment project at the University of Exeter. The contractor is renovating Cross Keys, part of the University's North Cloisters building on the historical St. Luke's campus. The scheme will create additional open plan space and seating, with ca
24/07/2018
Construction work has started on a new £20 million hotel project in Stoke-on-Trent. The 140-bed Hilton Garden Inn will be built by Pochin's and is the first Hilton branded hotel in Stoke. Work is now underway on the 17-month build programme and the Hilton Garden Inn is scheduled to open in late 20
24/07/2018
Irish architectural glazing specialist Alucraft has been purchased by UK-based private equity firm, Elaghmore Partners. The deal marks Elaghmore's fifth and largest acquisition made to date. As part of the acquisition, Elaghmore will provide financial backing to deliver the next phase in Alucraft
24/07/2018
Polyteck Group has won a new contract to build a £6.4 million sustainable residential development in Burnt Oak, Greater London. The project involves redeveloping a vacant former industrial estate into 24 new homes featuring a range of sustainable measures, including 100% energy efficient lighting,
23/07/2018
Up to £780 million is to be invested in major upgrade works on the East Coast Main Line railway route. The Prime Minister has confirmed the funding at a Cabinet meeting in Gateshead today, 23 July. The multi-million pound rail upgrade will get underway in 2019, with completion set for the early 2
23/07/2018
Bidders are being invited to submit applications to the Government's £400 million Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund. The multi-million pound initiative aims to boost the future roll out of electric vehicles across the UK by enabling businesses to access funding for the construction of more ch
23/07/2018
HS2 Ltd has strengthened its senior team by appointing a new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Richard Robinson joins the company as COO from AECOM, where he was Chief Executive of Civil Infrastructure in Europe, Middle East, India and Africa. He will support Chief Ex
23/07/2018
Lincoln-based engineering company Simons Group has appointed a new Logistics Director. Rob O'Brien will join the company to lead its logistics sector in September. As a former Operations Director at McLaren Construction, Mr O'Brien has a wealth of industry experience having worked on projects such
23/07/2018
More than 60 former Carillion roles have been saved, the Official Receiver has confirmed. A spokesperson for the body revealed 65 jobs have been transferred to new suppliers over the past week, while a further 15 people will be leaving the business. The news takes the total number of jobs saved to
23/07/2018
Welsh demolition contractor Cuddy Group has confirmed it has entered into administration. In a statement to the BBC, the Neath-based firm revealed it fell into trouble after 54-year-old Managing Director Mike Cuddy spent six months in hospital due to a serious illness. "During his enforced absence
23/07/2018
A property developer has been prosecuted after unsafe demolition work was carried out at a building in Oldham, Greater Manchester. Riaz Ahmad, of Dickenson Road, Manchester, has been jailed for eight months after one of his properties collapsed during demolition work. Manchester Crown Court heard
23/07/2018
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has appointed Chairs to each of the new Nation Councils in England, Scotland and Wales. The new regional councils aim to support the CITB Board's strategic leadership by providing insight into industry challenges across nations, regions and sectors an
23/07/2018
Up to £6 million is being invested to redevelop the historical Corys' buildings in Cardiff Bay. The five-storey Grade II-listed structure is being transformed into a mix of residential and retail space. Cardiff Council has secured £1m from the Town Centre Loan funding to support the Merchant Place
23/07/2018
Apollo Sprayers has created a giant leap forward in TrueHVLP™ technology with the New Atomizer 7700 series spray gun. The device delivers enhanced TrueHVLP™ performance and flawless results with any make turbine or air compressor (3HP/20G tank or larger). The gun will be unveiled officially at the
20/07/2018
Tolent Construction has been appointed to resume redevelopment work on the stalled Vaux site in Sunderland. Work on the former brewery site was halted after contractor Carillion collapsed into liquidation in January. Sunderland City Council's development partners Siglion – which is responsible for
20/07/2018
More than 90 new 'affordable' homes are to be built in Wandsworth, London. Wates Residential has won two new contracts to build 92 houses in the borough by spring 2020. The Shuttleworth Road development will see 71 homes for social rent built as part of the wider Winstanley and York Road Estates r
20/07/2018
Willmott Dixon has won £11.7 million contract to create a new learning hub for Coventry University. The contractor will renovate the former 72,000m2 BT building on Mile Lane into the standards required for education in the 21st century. Once finished, the facility will feature teaching rooms, IT s
20/07/2018
A group of councils is to launch a legal challenge against the Government's approval to build a third £14 billion runway at Heathrow Airport. The coalition of local authorities have formally notified the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, that they intend to seek a judicial review of
20/07/2018
Up to £40 million is to be invested in flood relief schemes across England. Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey confirmed the investment today, 20 July, which will see 13 flood schemes funded to help protect more than 7,000 properties, including over 5,000 homes. In the town of Weymouth, £1.2m is
20/07/2018
Nationwide Platforms is to purchase HSS Hire Group's UK Platforms division for £60.5m. The two companies have entered into a conditional agreement for the deal, which is subject to the approval of shareholders. As part of this transaction, HSS has entered into a long term strategic commercial agre
20/07/2018
Construction work has started on three school projects worth over £33 million in Denbighshire, Wales. A new £5m school building is being developed for Ysgol Carreg Emlyn, Clocaenog, in addition to a new £5.3m building for Ysgol Llanfair. Elsewhere, a new £23m 3-16 Catholic school is being built in
20/07/2018
South African-based business Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) is to invest in Russells Construction after purchasing a stake in the contractor. WBHO, which last year bought into London concrete frame specialiss Byrne Group, has acquired a 60% holding in Russells Construction for £32.8 million, as w
20/07/2018
Liverpool City Council has pledged to further cut its carbon emissions and become the world's first climate positive city by the end of 2020. The local authority has signed a partnership deal with The Poseidon Foundation to use its integrate the company's blockchain-powered platform into its day to
20/07/2018
A former construction director has been banned for seven years after failing to declare all of his company's sales income. Martin Baker, the sole director of Cradley Heath-based C.J.M Tiling Limited, has been disqualified after HMRC identified the company had under-declared its VAT liabilities by f
19/07/2018
BAM has been selected to deliver two multi-storey car park (MSCP) schemes for Manchester Airports Group (MAG) worth around £60 million. At Manchester Airport, the company's North west team has already started work to build a new 6,500-space meet and greet MSCP at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. The firs
19/07/2018
Bowmer & Kirkland (B&K) is to begin work on a new £160 million retail designer outlet in Cannock, West Midlands. McArthurGlen has confirmed site preparation and earth works will begin this month to create a landmark 285,000 sq ft retail destination and community hub for the area. In December 2017
19/07/2018
The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has warned builders merchants face paying 20% more on EU imports if the UK crashes out of the EU without a mutually beneficial customs arrangements. With Parliament having voted this week to ban the UK from raising taxes bound for the EU unless the EU also co
19/07/2018
A new interactive map has been launched showcasing where £500 million worth of roadworks are to be carried out in Liverpool. The map outlines a 12-month rolling programme of improvements to give residents and businesses an idea on the nature of the repairs, how much they costs and how long the upgr
19/07/2018
A building firm and a contractor have been fined more than £500,000 after a worker was left paralysed when he fell over three metres at a construction site in London. Grangewood Builders and Trenchco Limited were both prosecuted after Romanian construction worker, Marcel Păduraru, lost the use
19/07/2018
Police carrying out the investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire have started holding a series of interviews under caution. With three interviews under caution having been carried out so far, the Met Police said it is considering offences including gross negligence manslaughter, corporate manslau
19/07/2018
A new report has called for the UK's construction sector to be radically transformed to embrace more off-site manufacturing (OSM). The 'Off-site Manufacturing for construction: building for change' report by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee states OSM can help to increase product
19/07/2018
A new digital taskforce is being established to boost the UK's infrastructure and help the industry better plan for the country's future construction needs. Led by the University of Cambridge's Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB), the initiative will combine the expertise of the industry, acade
19/07/2018
A new wheelchair friendly path has been developed at Cod Beck reservoir near Osmotherley in North Yorkshire. The project was carried out as part of an over £1 million investment by Yorkshire Water to improve facilities and paths at its sites. It is the latest upgrade at the beauty spot following a
19/07/2018
Chiltern Lifts has started upgrading its internal processes and systems to deliver a more efficient service for customers. The company has begun trialling for its maintenance teams in order to boost new software customers and to reduce its carbon footprint as much as possible. Chiltern said: "We'r
18/07/2018
MPs have called for a proposed ban on combustible cladding to be extended to all building types due to conflicts of interest within the construction industry. Despite welcoming plans by the Government to ban the use of combustable cladding materials on new high-rise buildings, the Housing, Communit
18/07/2018
Highways England has launched a consultation on revised plans for the £1.6 billion A303 Stonehenge upgrade scheme. Previous designs for the project have been adjusted following a consultation with the public earlier this year. The changes, which aim to further enhance the famous landscape and reco
18/07/2018
Caddick Construction has completed work on the first phase of the Mere Grange mixed-use development in St Helens, Merseyside. The £7 million industrial unit phase delivered 90,000 sq ft of space across four separate buildings ranging in size between 18,500 sq ft and 26,350 sq ft. Each unit is self-
18/07/2018
SES Engineering Services has won a new £20 million deal to deliver mechanical and electrical (M&E) works at a soft drink manufacturing and bottling plant in Rugby. The company will act as principal contractor on the plant's extension, in what is E.ON Connecting Energies' largest CHP project to be u
18/07/2018
More than 560 new homes are to be built in Cambridgeshire. Newly-created development company, This Land, has acquired 20 new sites across the county, including a mixed-use site at Soham Northern Gateway, a new residential development at land adjacent Hereward Hall and a range of sites in surroundin
18/07/2018
Work has started on a new 250-room hotel complex in Leicester. The 10-storey facility is being delivered by Charles Street Buildings Group (CSBG) as part of a wider £250 million regeneration plan. National hotel operators – Novotel Hotels and Adagio – have already signed up to operate the 252 bed
18/07/2018
Kier Infrastructure has been prosecuted after a heavy concrete block crushed a man's leg during work building two new bridges in Cardiff. The company has been fined £600,000 after pleading guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. Newport Magistrates' Court heard how Peter
18/07/2018
TFC's engineers were faced with a problem when asked by one of its leading automotive electric motor OEM's to supply a 33mm external retaining ring capable of withstanding rotational speeds in excess of 17,000 rpm. Conventional external retaining rings (circlips) are limited by centrifugal forces
17/07/2018
McLaughlin & Harvey (McL&H) has been appointed to deliver a £50 million redevelopment project for Liverpool Football Club. The Northern Irish contractor will redevelop Liverpool FC's Academy site in Kirkby, combining first team and Academy football training operations and facilities into one traini
17/07/2018
Graham Construction has been appointed to build a new £90 million link road scheme in Cheshire East. The 5.5km Congleton Link Road project will link the A536 Macclesfield Road to the north with the A534 Sandbach Road to the west, significantly improving travel between Macclesfield, Congleton and th
17/07/2018
Elizabeth Peace has been named as the Chair of the shadow Sponsor Board, which will oversee the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster. She will join four other industry figures and Members of Parliament from both Houses in making up the Board, which will own the budget, business case
17/07/2018
Contractors JBA Bentley are to begin work on a £1 million culvert repair project in Earby, Lancashire. The 13-week scheme will help reduce the risk of flooding to 91 homes and 17 businesses by making Victoria Clough culvert structurally sound. Work will begin on Monday, 23 July. A new culvert will
17/07/2018
More than £400,000 is being invested by the Welsh Government to refurbish the historical Llechwen Hall near Pontypridd. Tourism Minister Lord Elis-Thomas has announced funding from the Micro & Small Business Fund will be used upgrade the historical building, with features including expanding the be
17/07/2018
A new report has revealed hundreds of thousands of new jobs and homes could be created in London if the Government increased its national infrastructure spending. The 'Mind the Gap: Funding and Financing City Investments in the 21st Century' report, prepared by Greenwood Strategic Advisors, suggest
17/07/2018
New figures have revealed almost nine out of 10 councils are breaching payment rules concerning the construction industry's supply chain. A freedom of information request by the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) and the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) reveals that despite re
17/07/2018
Nearly 100 new 'affordable' homes have been built in Liverpool. A total of 99 houses have been developed in Welsh Streets by Plus Dane Housing in partnership with Liverpool City Council and Homes England. The units are part of a £17.4 million programme to remodel 127 properties and create modern,
17/07/2018
A company has been prosecuted for allowing employees to carry out work at unsafe heights in Cardiff. Survey Roofing Group Ltd of Kingfisher House, Billericay, Essex, has been fined £36,666 with over £28,856 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Section 6(3) and 10(2) of the Work at Height Reg
17/07/2018
MPs are set to debate plans by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) to relocate its in Bircham Newton head office in Norfolk to an unidentified site in Peterborough. The Westminster Hall debate was initiated by North West Norfolk MP Sir Henry Bellingham and will take place later today, 1
16/07/2018
A team of planning experts has been chosen to draw up plans for a £2 billion regeneration scheme in Liverpool. The council has selected a consortium of three companies to independently develop a Spatial Regeneration Framework (SRF) for the 56-acre Knowledge Quarter Gateway development; • GVA HOW P
16/07/2018
More than 1,000 former Carillion employees have transferred to new suppliers in the past week, according to the Official Receiver. A spokesperson for the body confirmed the roles had been safeguarded, with a total of 13,430 jobs now saved since the industry services firm's collapse in January. The
16/07/2018
A new £500 million fund has been launched to help public buildings and small businesses become more energy efficient. The Mayor's Energy Efficiency Fund (MEEF) is the UK's largest ever dedicated investment fund for urban energy efficiency measures. The initiative has been created by Mayor for Lond
16/07/2018
Wates Living Space has won a new multi-million pound contract to help bring homes back into use on behalf of housing association, bpha. The three-year deal, which is valued at £1.4m annually with the potential for a two-year extension, will see Wates bring approximately 70 void properties back into
16/07/2018
Up to 50 new homes are to be built on the outskirts of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset. The £15 million Keepers Gate scheme will be developed by Lovell on land at Wentwood Drive. As part of the scheme, Lovell will create a number of training opportunities through the development including apprentice
16/07/2018
Planning consultancy Turley has extended its reach in the east of England by purchasing Cambridge-based planning and heritage specialist, Beacon Planning. The deal will help Turley maximise opportunities across the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge growth corridor and the wider East of England. Estab
16/07/2018
A company has been prosecuted after two workers were seriously injured when they fell from height during refurbishment work at a hospital in Otley, West Yorkshire. PJ Livesey Living Space (North) Ltd of Ashburton Park, Trafford Park, Manchester, has been fined £56,000 with over £7,262 in costs afte
16/07/2018
Mansfield-based company, Xtreme Electrical Contractors, has launched its new website – www.xtreme-electrical.co.uk. The business, which specialises in electrical shopfitting and industrial installations, provides competitively priced electrical services in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
13/07/2018
More than 630 new homes are to be built at Wembley Park in London. Wates has won a £161.5 million with Quintain to build 633 new homes at the site, including 347 build to rent and 286 'affordable' homes. The contract for twin plots E01 and E02 marks the largest ever deal awarded to Wates on a sing
13/07/2018
More than 300 new apartments are to be built in Birmingham. Galliford Try has been appointed to deliver the £43 million 'Axium' residential development at Windmill Hill in partnership with developer Court Collaboration and Top Capital Group. A total of 304 luxury apartments will be developed acros
13/07/2018
Pochin's has been chosen to build a new care village development in Birkdale, Southport. The four-storey development will be developed on Oxford Road for care provider Belong and accommodate over 100 people once completed by the end of 2019. Features will include 30 one and two-bedroom independent
13/07/2018
A consultation has been launched on cutting carbon emissions and maximizing the opportunities a low carbon economy will present in Wales. The consultation will focus on key areas including agriculture, industry, power, transport and waste, to help reach the proposed target of reducing emissions by
13/07/2018
Interserve has won a £35 million facilities management (FM) services deal with the Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. The five-year contract will see Interserve provide patient catering, cleaning, security, front of house, waste management, energy management, portering an
13/07/2018
Outline planning permission has been secured the for University of Bristol's new £300 million Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus. The campus, which aims to welcome its first students in 2021/22, will be built on a seven-acre site next to Bristol Temple Meads railway station Once finished, it will pr
13/07/2018
A roofing contractor has been prosecuted after a worker was seriously injured when he fell through a fragile roof during work in Scunthorpe. Broadley Roofing Limited of Hebden Road, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, has been fined £53,000 with over £2,465 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching b
13/07/2018
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has appointed Sir Terry Morgan as the new Chairman of HS2. Sir Terry will join the company from Crossrail, where he has been the Chair since 2009. As a former Chief Executive of Tube Lines, he has also held leading roles at BAE Systems, Rover Group and the Charte
11/07/2018
Vinci has been appointed to deliver a new £75 million shopping centre redevelopment project in Manchester. The contractor will transform intu Trafford Centre's Barton Square area by creating a new glass-domed roof and a fully redesigned interior. Work is due to start later this year with completion
11/07/2018
Interserve has won a £15 million contract to redevelop the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust. The facility will be extended and remodelled to provide new Intensive Care Unit & High Dependency Unit suites, Special Care Baby Unit, improved parent accommodation and
11/07/2018
JB Riney & Co has won a new contract worth over £70 million to deliver major and minor highway maintenance works for Bromley Council. The eight-year deal will see the civil engineering firm deliver planned footway and road resurfacing, public realm improvements, traffic schemes, street lighting and
11/07/2018
Offsite construction specialist Caledonian has secured first place on a £300 million modular framework for the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). The company and its partner architects HLM have been appointed to first place on the ESFA Batch C Modular Framework, which involves delivering p
11/07/2018
Plans have been submitted to build a new £26 million 1,650-space car park on Kings Dock in Liverpool. The new nine-floor scheme at Monarch's Quay will replace the previous 1,400-space car park which was destroyed by a fire on New Year's Eve. Subject to planning approval, the new car park will be b
11/07/2018
ITS, one of the largest independent professional tool suppliers in the UK, are pleased to announce the arrival of their latest catalogue online. The catalogue features over 1,000 new products for the construction sector and many offers are available across the company's range. In addition, the c
10/07/2018
Nearly 200 new apartments are to be built overlooking the historic Chatham Docks in London. Forrest has been appointed as main contractor to deliver the £57 million X1 Chatham Waters scheme, a 199-luxury apartment project which forms part of a wider £650m masterplan by Peel Land and Property. Desi
10/07/2018
The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has called upon Ministers to accelerate the uptake of low-carbon and renewable sources. In its first ever National Infrastructure Assessment, the NIC said its analysis shows previous assumptions that it is expensive to switch to greener sources for the c
10/07/2018
New figures have revealed construction output in the UK fell by 1.7% in May. The latest Office of National Statistics data states the sector continued to struggle in the three-month on three-month series, marking the third consecutive quarter of decline. The fall was driven predominantly by a decr
10/07/2018
FM Conway has won a £130 million deal to deliver highways improvements and maintenance works for Croydon Council. The seven-year contract, which has an option to extend by up to three years, will begin in October. As part of the deal, apprenticeship and work placements for Croydon residents will b
10/07/2018
NI contractor McLaughlin & Harvey has started work on a £25 million expansion and redevelopment programme at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, The two-year Critical Care scheme will nearly double capacity in adult intensive care and allow for treatment of up to 2,000 patients every year a
10/07/2018
More than 1,100 new homes are to be built in Manchester and Glasgow after Maslow Capital completed a record-breaking £100 million of new facilities across four deals in June. The specialist real estate financier will fund a total of four schemes, which will see the deliver of over 1,100 new residen
10/07/2018
Kier Group has won two three-year extensions on two highways maintenance contracts worth £750 million. The Areas 3 and 9 contracts provide routine highway maintenance services, repairs to defects, emergency incident response services and severe weather services on the Highways England road network.
10/07/2018
BAM Construction has been appointed to carry out pre-construction services for a new £19 million sixth form college in Bradford. The five-storey New College Bradford facility is being built on Nelson Street and is scheduled to open in September next year. Under a pre-construction services agreemen
10/07/2018
A construction director has been jailed after two brothers were killed following an explosion at an industrial park in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. Simon Thomerson, the sole owner and director of Clearview Design and Construction Ltd, has been sentenced to eight months in prison after brothers Ardian
10/07/2018
TFC's familiar and popular Smalley Spirolox Retaining Rings can also be manufactured with a unique self-locking feature that make them ideal for applications where high rotational speeds are involved or, where the effects of vibration, rapid acceleration or impact loading is problematic. Self-locki
09/07/2018
MPs have hit out at the Government for prioritising cost over quality when it comes to procuring projects and services. A new report by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee released following the collapse of Carillion slammed the Government's overriding priority for outsou
09/07/2018
New research has revealed how the industry must step up its efforts in responding to the skills challenge posed by Brexit. The Construction Industry Training Board's new Green Paper - Research into Migration in the UK Construction and Built Environment Sector – has found that less than a third of e
09/07/2018
New figures have revealed how the UK's infrastructure output has increased by £6.4 billion over the last 20 years. Research from Scape Group has highlighted that despite record investment in infrastructure, the industry supply chain has not seen an equivalent increase in activity. The Essential In
09/07/2018
A new £6 million flood alleviation scheme has been officially opened in St Asaph, Wales. The project aims to reduce the risk of flooding from the River Elwy to 293 homes and 121 businesses including schools, retirement homes, sheltered accommodation, the local library, doctor's surgery and fire sta
09/07/2018
Work has started on a £2.5 million expansion project at Vickers Oils' operating site in Clarence Road, Leeds. Britcon is delivering the scheme, which will see a new 5,500 sq ft two-storey riverside building developed at the site to contain a first-floor laboratory with roof plant area and ground fl
09/07/2018
Staff at the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) are to take strike action in a dispute over pay. Union Unite said its members will begin taking three days of industrial action from Tuesday, 10 July until Thursday, 12 July. According to Unite, HCA staff have suffered years of pay freezes and below
09/07/2018
A civil engineering firm has been prosecuted after pleading guilty to illegally dumping waste on land used as a newt habitat in Herefordshire. John Jones Civil Engineering & Groundworks has been fined £50,000 with £50,000 in costs after charges were brought by the Environment Agency under the Envir
09/07/2018
Kit Malthouse has been appointed as the new Housing Minister after Dominic Raab stepped down to take over the role of Brexit secretary. Mr Raab is replacing David Davis as Brexit secretary, who resigned in protest over how Prime Minister Theresa May plans to deal with the EU post-Brexit. Johnny Ca
06/07/2018
Aggregate Industries has won a four-year £500 million contract to deliver pavement solutions for Highways England. The deal will see the company deliver asphalt and cement bound works on five of the six Major Regional Lots under the new Category Management Framework on Highways England's Regional I
06/07/2018
M&G Real Estate has struck an £82.7 million deal to fund more than 180 new build to rent homes in Colindale, North London The agreement with Redrow Homes will see M&G acquire 186 homes within the £1.2 billion Colindale Gardens development. The 48-acre project, which is being created by Redrow on t
06/07/2018
Morgan Sindall has been selected to deliver a £14.2 million primary school expansion project in London. A new school building will be developed for Tufnell Park Primary School to allow the school to double its capacity from 315 pupils to 630 pupils by 2025. Features of the building will include a
06/07/2018
Work on a four-year canal restoration project at Studley Grange Landfill in Wiltshire is now complete. Biffa, the UK's leading national recycling and waste management provider, carried out the scheme by working closely alongside Wilts & Berks Canal Trust. The disused canal corridor has been renova
06/07/2018
Construction work is to begin on £500 million worth of smart motorway schemes in North West England. Contractors will begin four projects over the next 18 months, which will see over 100 miles of extra lanes developed across the region's motorways. Work will start on a three-mile stretch of the M6
06/07/2018
Construction work has started on the second phase of a £32 million flood alleviation project near Birmingham. The scheme for Perry Barr and Witton will reduce the risk for 1,400 properties currently at risk of flooding from the River Tame, including 950 homes. The project forms part of the Environ
06/07/2018
Bowmer and Kirkland (B&K) has started work on a £15 million redevelopment project in Brentwood, Essex The contractor is transforming the office and depot site of formwork and scaffolding specialist, PERI Ltd,. B&K will develop new facilities for PERI's 80 employees, with features including a new t
06/07/2018
The collective movement for solving issues surrounding work related ill health continues to gain momentum, highlighted in the HSE Help GB Work Well Scheme calling for "greater awareness of the harm, costs and preventability of the issue" which should "drive collective action to improve health outcom
05/07/2018
A new multi-million pound Construction Sector Deal has been launched to boost innovation and productivity within the sector. The joint government-industry initiative, worth £420 million, was announced by Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark in a speech to the Northern Powerhouse Summit in Newca
05/07/2018
Morgan Sindall has been chosen to deliver an £18 million expansion project for the University of Birmingham's business school. The contractor will build a new four-storey, 34,000 sq ft building connected to the Grade II-listed University House on Edgbaston Park Road. The two-part extension will co
05/07/2018
More than 3,000 new homes are to be built in West Sussex. Homes England, the Government's housing delivery agency, has worked alongside Mid Sussex District Council and the main landowners/promoters to acquire the 176-hectare site in Burgess Hill. For more than 10 years, the site has been identifie
05/07/2018
A project milestone has been reached on work to build a new UK Government hub in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town. The seven-storey facility at New Waverley has reached its 'topping out' stage. Once finished, the scheme will comprise two interlinked office buildings providing almost 200,000 sq. ft
05/07/2018
Revised plans have been unveiled for a £1.6 billion A303 road upgrade scheme near Stonehenge. Following a consultation earlier this year, Highways England has adjusted its proposals to improve the route between Amesbury and Berwick Down, which includes building a new 1.8-mile tunnel, a free-flowing
05/07/2018
Keltbray has announced the launch of its new Distribution & Transmission business. The division will provide construction, maintenance and repair of electricity overhead lines from low voltage to 275kV for utility clients. The business, which will be headquartered in Crewe, has been established af
05/07/2018
The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, is to launch a new initiative for developers and landowners to undergo a voluntarily police check as they submit plans for future developments. The scheme, which will launch this Autumn, will complement Liverpool City Council's own Due Diligence process and see
05/07/2018
Redrow has strengthened its planning team by appointing Kevin Parker as its new Group Master Planning Director. Mr Parker joins the UK housebuilder from independent planning and design consultancy Barton Wilmore, where he worked within the company's Urban Design team as Director for over 10 years.
04/07/2018
BAM has been selected to build a new £24 million secondary satellite school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. The St Michael's Catholic School's Aylesbury Campus will accommodate just over 1,000 pupils and the new buildings will be ready for occupation in summer next year. An original concept design
04/07/2018
Willmott Dixon has been appointed to build a new £7.7 million retail park scheme in Doncaster. The Herten Triangle development will comprise of five restaurants and three drive-through units in the town, featuring a host of retailers including Costa, TGI Fridays, Taco Bell, Burger King and Dunkin D
04/07/2018
More than £70 million is being invested in new construction works, upgrades and refurbishments across the University of Huddersfield's campus. The University's department of Estates and Facilities is overseeing a host of small to large schemes under the £71m programme, including a £30m project bein
04/07/2018
Legal & General (L&G) has purchased a major Build To Rent (BTR) site in Woolwich, south-east London. The Macbean site, which has been acquired by co-investors Legal & General Capital and PGGM, marks L&G's largest BTR site to date and the company's third such scheme in London. Subject to planning a
04/07/2018
Union Unite is taking legal action on behalf of a group of former Carillion workers who were dismissed without consultation following the industry firm's collapse in January. The 80-strong team were employed by Carillion's group company, Planned Maintenance Engineering Limited, on a contract at Gov
04/07/2018
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has started hunting for its new new head office site in Peterborough. The move is part of the organisation's 'Vision 2020' programme which aims to radically change the way CITB operates. Establishing a single head office will see CITB move from one l
04/07/2018
Kier is to be sentenced for safety failings after a seven-tonne concrete block fell and crushed a workers leg during work in South Wales. Newport Magistrates' Court heard how Peter Walker, 42, was working at the Maerdy Bridge site to replace two bridges on 15 August 2016. On the day of the acciden
04/07/2018
Procurement specialist Fusion21 has launched its Reactive Repairs & Maintenance and Empty Buildings Refurbishment & Security frameworks. Both frameworks operate nationally and have a combined worth of up to £300 million over a four-year period. Each programme is specifically designed to support ho
04/07/2018
Britcon has completed work to build a new £3 million furniture store in Halifax, West Yorkshire. The 30,000 sq ft Russell Dean-branded Stokers store replaces the previous 18,000 sq ft outlet, which was badly damaged during severe flooding on Boxing Day in 2015. Managing Director, Jonathan Stoker,
04/07/2018
If you're looking to upgrade your CPCS red card to a CPCS blue card this summer then BAM Construction Training have you covered. The Wokingham based CPCS training and test centre recently announced an NVQ special that gives you the opportunity to get up to 20% off the initial price of an NVQ and 50
03/07/2018
The UK's construction output growth hit a seven-month high in June thanks to a boost in both residential and commercial work. The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) posted 53.1 in June, up from 52.5 in May and above the 50.0 no-change value for the
03/07/2018
Graham has won a £113 million contract to deliver a new student accommodation scheme for the University of York. The 1,400-bed facility is being developed as part of the University's 'Campus Masterplan' and work is scheduled to begin in 2019. As main contractor, Graham will complete the first phas
03/07/2018
Bristol City Council has pledged to help protect the rights and conditions of construction workers by signing a Unite Construction Charter. The Charter commits the local authority to working with the union to ensure the highest standards in respect of direct employment status, health & safety, stan
03/07/2018
BAM Construction has strengthened its senior team by appointing two new Regional Directors. Rod Stiles will oversee the company's division in London, while David Ellis will lead Bam's Midlands division and has also been appointed to the senior management team of BAM Construct UK. Prior to this app
03/07/2018
More than £160 million is being made available by the UK Government to boost community-led 'affordable' housing across England. The new Community Housing Fund, launched by Housing Minister James Brokenshire on Monday, aims to support the delivery of new 'affordable' homes up to 31 March 2020. The
03/07/2018
Redrow has expanded its presence in Oxfordshire by opening a new office in the Thames Valley region. The UK housebuilder's decision comes as the company continues to experience growth in outer London and the Home Counties, as well as strong strategic land pull-through in the Thames Valley region.
03/07/2018
A scaffolder has been sentenced for carrying out unsafe work at a site in Chartham, Kent. Mr Steven David Connolly of Greenacres, Lower Kingswood, Surrey, was prosecuted after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) watched him using unsafe working practices when erecting scaffolding at the site on 19
03/07/2018
CPCS recently announced that anyone with the retired A17D Telehandler (inc 360 slew) category who make any amendments to their card after 28th August will be downgraded to A17C Telehandler (exc 360 Slew), unless they complete the CPCS A77 Telehandler 360 Slew (A89) Transitional Assessment. You can r
02/07/2018
Specialist regeneration developer U+I has been appointed to a £3.5 billion residential-led mixed-use urban quarter project in Cambridge. The company will act as masterplanner and promoter for the 120-acre project, which will see at least 5,200 homes and one million sq ft of office space developed o
02/07/2018
The opening of the new £165 million Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire has been delayed after combustible materials were discovered within the building's cladding. The Cambridge Biomedical Campus facility was scheduled to be handed over by Skanska to Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Tr
02/07/2018
Plans have been submitted to create a new mixed-use scheme in Nottingham. The 40-acre former Boots Island site will be transformed to bring new homes, grade A office space, creative market space, a five-star hotel, retail units, a ‘linear' park and community space as well as new student accommodati
02/07/2018
More than 2,400 former Carillion roles have been made redundant since the firm's collapse. A spokesperson for the Official Receiver (OR) confirmed today, 02 July, that despite a further 14 employees being transferred to new suppliers, 28 staff members will be leaving the business, taking the number
02/07/2018
A former builder from Hampshire has been jailed for over two years after he falsely claimed more than £750,000 in VAT repayments to pay for his gambling and living expenses Peter Howes, 58, of Waterlooville, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to the fraudule
02/07/2018
Colas has announced Carl Fergusson is to become its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr Fergusson will take over from Lee Rushbrooke, who is stepping down in September following seven years in charge. Mr Fergusson has spent 30 years at Colas and recently led an 18-month strategic review of the c
02/07/2018
Work on a £65,000 flood defence scheme in Northumberland is now complete. The new flood embankment was built by Breheny Civil Engineering at Tyne Green in Hexham. The structure has been designed to protect against a flood event similar to that experienced by Tyne Green residents during Storm Desmo
02/07/2018
Breedon has revealed it has completed its asset swap deal with Tarmac Group. In December, a deal was announced between the two construction materials groups for Breedon to take ownership of four aggregates quarries from Tarmac. However, the Competition and Markets Authority raised concerns over t
02/07/2018
Graham Heath Construction (GHC) welcomed their first apprentices back in 2017, one of whom is Alex Critchley – their Apprentice Draughtsman. His role at Graham Heath Construction has been more than valuable on the Inaugural Apprentice Programme and will offer him all the support and career progressi
02/07/2018
Welltherm (UK) has helped deliver an extensive premises upgrade project for Water Treatment Works. The specification called for 23No. electrical convection heating with a total connected Load of 23.95KW. Welltherm offered alternative of 37No. Infrared heating panels fitted in the ceiling grid. The
