Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for March 2013
28/03/2013
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has today announced the appointment of housing developers who successfully bid for a place on the Agency’s Delivery Partner Panel 2 (DPP2). This new panel replaces the HCA's existing Delivery Partner Panel (DPP1) which has been in place since January 2010 and
28/03/2013
The Reader Organisation will be opening the doors of Calderstones Mansion House to the public for the first time in nearly 40 years on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th April from 10am-3pm. The open days will be an opportunity for members of the local community and anyone interested in the development
28/03/2013
London Array has officially become the world's largest operational offshore wind farm. The site includes 141 operational turbines which are now able to generate 507 Mega Watts of energy for UK homes and businesses. Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr Clive Hart, said: "This is a fantastic achi
28/03/2013
MITIE has been awarded a four year contract valued at £7 million per annum with A2Dominion Group. The contract will involve refurbishing 500 of A2Dominion’s properties across the South of England each year, beginning 1 April 2013. MITIE will deliver specialist work such as asbestos removal and i
28/03/2013
Two unregistered gas fitters and a registered gas engineer have been jointly prosecuted for safety failings relating to illegal and dangerous gas work at two properties in Essex. Christopher Campbell, 43, of Colchester, installed a new boiler and associated pipework at a house on Lexden Road, Colch
28/03/2013
International aerospace Tooling Manufacturer Kaman is in advanced negotiations to sign up as the flagship tenant on Barnfield Construction's new 37-acre advanced engineering park in Burnley. Another prospective tenant is also being lined up to take space on the former Michelin site which is being t
28/03/2013
Work to lay new pipes to keep gas flowing to homes, businesses, shops and offices is to get underway on 2 April in several locations across the North West. National Grid, working in partnership with Balfour Beatty, will be carrying out programmes of work to replace metal gas mains with modern plast
27/03/2013
Construction firm Costain will acquire infrastructure and maintenance company May Gurney for approximately £177m in an all-share deal, the firms have announced. Each May Gurney Shareholder will receive 0.8275 new Costain Shares for every Scheme Share held, resulting in Costain Shareholders holding
27/03/2013
A private landlord has been fined for a series of safety breaches that left a Sheffield family at serious risk from a dangerous boiler fitted by an unregistered gas fitter. Sima Yaqub, of Crescent Road, Sheffield, appeared before the city's Magistrates charged with five breaches of the gas safety r
27/03/2013
Northamptonshire County Council is to work with utilities company British Gas to see how they can both bring benefits to the county. At a seminar the two organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) pledging to work collaboratively on a number of initiatives. Both the council and Briti
27/03/2013
Pupils from Sacred Heart High School in Hammersmith were recently given first-hand advice on how to carve out a career in the construction industry at an event organised by Morgan Sindall. The company is currently constructing the £26 million Pure Hammersmith student accommodation development on Sh
27/03/2013
New analysis published today highlights the extent to which the government's energy and climate change policies are tempering the impact on household energy bills of global gas prices and network costs. Although global gas prices and network costs have driven household energy bills up in recent yea
27/03/2013
A brick company, near Peterborough, faces massive disruption due to a continuous strike by 13 burners from Monday 8 April in a dispute over holidays, Unite has warned. Hanson Building Products employs about 200 workers at its site at Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire and the dispute centres on a move by
27/03/2013
A 30% increase in work over the last year, coupled with a rapidly expanding client base, has lead TMS Plant Ltd to form a strategic alliance with piling specialists Elite Sheet Piling Ltd. "This enables us to offer a powerful and competitive construction industry service, for both plant and operat
27/03/2013
Churchill Specialist Contracting Ltd is extremely pleased and proud to announce the appointment of Richard Rowson as the Managing Director of their Lightning Protection division. A requirement to install a proven and respected industry achiever such as Richard to manage and direct Churchill’s rapid
26/03/2013
Much-needed repair works are to be carried out on a historic synagogue in South Liverpool, paving the way for it to be brought back into use. The Mayoral Cabinet has approved plans for the City Council and English Heritage to invest more than £70,000 in breathing new life into Greenbank Synagogue,
26/03/2013
Caroline Flint MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has officially opened E.ON's Tween Bridge onshore wind farm. Located in Thorne, Doncaster, the 22 turbine, 44MW wind farm is capable of providing the electricity needs of around 27,000 homes a year. At the opening ceremony
26/03/2013
Sculptor Charlie Hague and his partner Megan Williams could see their eco-home in Glandwr, Pembrokeshire being knocked down, after failing to apply for planning permission. The couple, who built the home on land owned by his father, are at the centre of a planning battle with the Pembrokeshire Coun
26/03/2013
Hundreds of households in Redbridge, East London are set to benefit from warmer homes and lower heating bills thanks to a £10 million green energy initiative by support services provider Carillion, Redbridge Council and Scottish Power. EcoPods, an award-winning low carbon heating solution system by
26/03/2013
One year on from the launch of the UK's first ever heat strategy, the Government has today set out the next steps to ensure affordable, secure, low carbon heating plays an important role in the nation’s energy mix, now and in the years to come. The scale of the challenge is huge, with over 80 per c
26/03/2013
Natural Resources Wales, the new body that will manage, maintain, and enhance Wales' natural environment has now been granted the full range of legal powers it needs to operate. The body will officially replace Environment Agency Wales, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Forestry Commission
26/03/2013
The Construction Health & Safety Group (CHSG), has presented housing developer Lovell's London region with two major awards in recognition of its work promoting safety in the construction industry. Lovell was awarded the sought-after Beaumont Safety Trophy – which recognises the best new working me
26/03/2013
The first people to live in a redeveloped historic building have officially moved into their new home thanks in part to a £300,000 investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Couple Victor Smiles and Kathleen Young have become the first residents to move into one of North Tyneside's mos
26/03/2013
Balfour Beatty has been awarded the £17m Bishop's Court commercial scheme for Henderson Global Investors. Situated on the South side of Bishop's Square in the Spitalfields regeneration area, the works include demolition of the existing seven storey building and the construction of a new mixed retai
26/03/2013
ISG has secured a £3 million project with E.ON to construct an Operation & Maintenance facility in Grimsby, as one of the first phases of the energy provider's Humber Gateway offshore wind farm development. The wider scheme sees E.ON installing 73 turbines 8 km off the East Yorkshire coast to gene
25/03/2013
A housing association which made history by becoming the first to open its own timber-frame home factory is to launch a new construction arm – boosting house-building. Accord Group, which opened its award-winning LoCaL Homes factory more than a year ago, will now build the homes, that it already de
25/03/2013
BAM Construction has been named preferred bidder for a £10 million contract to build two primary schools in Sheffield. The UK-wide contractor, which has offices in Leeds, will build the schools in Shirecliffe and Fir Vale for Sheffield City Council. Each school will have capacity for 420 pupils ag
25/03/2013
Willmott Dixon has been appointed for a £17m contract by Liverpool City Council to deliver a new building for the Archbishop Beck School. The school is part of the Council's plan to rebuild and refurbish the schools that was put on hold when the national Building Schools for the Future programme w
25/03/2013
West Ham United are celebrating the historic announcement by Mayor of London Boris Johnson granting them the right to make the Olympic Stadium their home from the start of the 2016/17 season. As a result of the announcement, the Hammers have released new images of the innovatively transformed Stadi
25/03/2013
Investing in infrastructure and supporting Wales' construction sector will ensure Wales builds its way towards economic growth, Finance Minister Jane Hutt has said. The Minister visited the site of the new £10m Canolfan Addysg Y Bont in Llangefni, Anglesey, which is delivering a variety of communit
25/03/2013
The UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) has confirmed its first direct equity investment in offshore wind through the acquisition of a 24.95% stake in Rhyl Flats Wind Farm Limited (Rhyl Flats) from companies owned by RWE AG (RWE) for a cash consideration of £57.5m. This transaction represents a signific
25/03/2013
Supporters of a landmark community development in Bristol have celebrated its official launch. Knightstone Housing opened J3 in the Easton area with Bristol City Council, who unveiled a brand new library on the same site and provided £440,000 towards the scheme. The occasion was marked with speech
25/03/2013
Nearly one in five construction sites visited across Britain have been subject to enforcement action after failing safety checks. In a month long initiative, inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited a total of 2363 sites where refurbishment or repair work was taking place and s
25/03/2013
Steve Litt has recently been elected as the President of the Builders' Benevolent Institution, a charity founded in 1847, which assists those running small businesses, and their dependants, who fall on hard times. Steve started work in 1969 with Hinkins and Frewin Ltd., as a carpenter's apprentice.
22/03/2013
Halton Housing Trust has selected affordable housing developer Lovell to build a £2.8 million new affordable housing development in Runcorn, Cheshire. Lovell, the affordable housing specialist, has just started working on the year-long scheme to build 33 new homes for social rent at Linkway, Runcor
22/03/2013
St. Modwen Properties and Swansea University have signed the Development Agreement to deliver the first phase of the £450m new Science and Innovation Campus. At the same time, St. Modwen has completed the sale of income from the student accommodation to the M&G Secured Property Income Fund, advise
22/03/2013
The Acorn consortium, comprising John Laing, Laing O'Rourke and Interserve, has achieved Financial Close in the programme to build a new Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool. Acorn was announced as preferred bidder for the project in June 2012 following approval by the Department of Health a
22/03/2013
Arun District Council's Civic Suite has been given the all clear following the discovery of what was feared to be a potentially harmful asbestos based substance within the structure of the building on Tuesday 19 March. The suspect material was found during building work in the Civic Suite on Tuesda
22/03/2013
The Joint Promoters of Northstowe, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Gallagher Estates, can now progress the first phase of the new town as the Joint Development Committee approved the section 106 planning agreement in principle. Northstowe is the biggest proposed new town since Milton Key
22/03/2013
Carmarthenshire County Council's Executive Board has agreed to lease part of Hendy Park to Llanedi Community Council at a peppercorn rent so that plans to create a Multi Use Games Area at the site can move forward. As part of a bid to regenerate the park, the community council has worked with local
22/03/2013
Interserve has revealed its comprehensive, business-wide sustainability plan which lays the foundations for the Company's continued growth and sustained performance. •Further 500 apprentices to be created as part of a detailed, group-wide strategic action plan to integrate sustainability across the
22/03/2013
A building repair company has been fined for safety failings after workers were seen operating unsafely at height at a Warwick industrial estate. Bedford-based CJ Coatings Ltd had been employed to grind down and paint roof sheet edges on a commercial building in Hiron Way on the Budbrooke Industria
21/03/2013
Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust has awarded a £40m contract to Integrated Health Projects (IHP) for the construction of a mental health inpatient unit in Blackpool. The trust has announced that work will begin on The Harbour at the beginning of April, ready for the unit to be operational by sp
21/03/2013
Northampton Borough Council has chosen Lovell as one of the contractors who will carry out the next phase of Decent Homes improvements to 6,200 council homes. Lovell is already working with NBC on Phase 2 of the Decent Homes contract, which runs out in March 2014 but now has an additional four-year
21/03/2013
Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Carl Sargeant, has announced that the Welsh Government's mortgage guarantee scheme will be launched on 3 June. NewBuy Cymru will enable home buyers to access high loan-to-value mortgages and will be open to all home buyers purchasing new build houses or flats
21/03/2013
Trade unions led by construction union UCATT have achieved a major breakthrough in the campaign against blacklisting. Employers' representatives on the Construction Industry Joint Council, the industrial agreement, which covers 500,000 construction workers agreed on Wednesday to insert a new anti-b
21/03/2013
Residents are being asked to bring their energy bills into the Peterborough city centre on Monday 25 March to sign up for a scheme that has already saved hundreds of city household's money on their energy bills. The Ready to Switch Bring Your Bill day will take place between 10am and 4pm in the Cou
21/03/2013
A Barnstaple construction company has been fined for safety failings after a ground worker was seriously injured when he stumbled from an excavator and fell down a five metre bank at a construction site in Middle Marwood. The 65-year-old, who does not want to be named, suffered three fractured vert
21/03/2013
Work has started on a multi-million pound regeneration project to bring nearly 100 much needed new and affordable homes to the Forest of Dean. Partners have welcomed the start of work by Kier Partnership Homes at the former Ensor's abattoir site in Valley Road, Cinderford. This marks another landma
21/03/2013
Professor Iain Stewart, famous for presenting television and radio programmes on geology and climate issues, was the guest speaker at the topping out ceremony for South Devon College's new Energy Centre building in Long Road, Paignton. The Centre is due to be completed by Kier Construction in the
20/03/2013
A new phase of homes has started at the Lightmoor Urban Village in Telford. Known as The Croppings, it will involve Keepmoat Homes building 105 two, three and four bedroom homes. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has invested £1.6m to kickstart the building works, in partnership with Bournvill
20/03/2013
Planning consent was given for construction of the first new nuclear power station in the UK since 1995, in a boost to the move to a low carbon energy mix. The planned multi-billion pound project at Hinkley Point, Somerset – to be operated by NNB Generation - will generate enough low carbon electri
20/03/2013
Willmott Dixon has been appointed by the London Borough of Camden to modernise two hostels worth a combined £8 million. The company is already working with Camden to create the UK's largest Passivhaus residential project and will extend its role for the borough by remodelling and improving two exis
20/03/2013
VINCI Facilities has won a ten year contract with Peabody, one of London's oldest and largest housing associations. The partnering contract will deliver Peabody's £150m Quality Homes programme across the organisation's estates portfolio. The programme includes installation and refurbishment, commu
20/03/2013
The British Property Federation (BPF) has urged the Chancellor to use the Budget to boost the housing market and reform a business rate regime that favours internet retailers over the high street while sucking over a £1bn out of UK businesses in empty rates. Additionally it has also urged Osborne t
20/03/2013
Work has commenced at Persimmon Homes' latest development in Saffron Walden which will provide 93 three and four bedroom houses just minutes from the characterful town centre. The Tudor Park development, located on Ashdon Road, will provide much needed homes in the area including starter homes and
19/03/2013
Interserve is to redevelop the Charter Academy in Portsmouth on behalf of the academy sponsors, ARK Schools. The Academy specialises in teaching mathematics and performing arts to pupils up to 18 years and is to be remodelled through an £8 million refurbishment and new build programme of works. The
19/03/2013
On the eve of the budget, Construction Union UCATT has labelled the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) as not fit for purpose. When CIS was revised in 2007 it became the responsibility of the employer to correctly register workers under the scheme. Employers were told that they would be fined if th
19/03/2013
The new Camden Council public building at Pancras Square, King's Cross has won an esteemed 'green' award. The building, which is being built by Kier Construction and has already achieved a BREEAM sustainable design rating of Outstanding, picked up first place in the Other Buildings category of the
19/03/2013
One of the Midlands' longest established plant hirers has invested in a fleet of new top specification JCB backhoe loaders as part of its pledge to provide the best customer service in the business. Hood Plant Hire was founded in Staffordshire in 1971 by Martin Hood with one backhoe loader. From a
19/03/2013
A2Dominion has formed two innovative joint venture companies (JVs) to provide responsive repairs and void works valued at more than £150m over the next 10 years to the Group's 34,000 properties across London and the South East. In a forward-thinking approach to delivering repairs, the Group has app
19/03/2013
Cabinet has been asked to approve a strategic partnership between British Gas and Peterborough City Council which will see the organisations embark on a project worth between £5m and £20m to tackle fuel poverty in the city. British Gas has chosen Peterborough to be its partner of choice on this lan
19/03/2013
Norwich is set to get 1,000 new homes and deliver a crucial part of Bowthorpe, which has been 40 years in the making. This comes as an application to develop land at Bowthorpe, known as Three Score, has been approved by Norwich City Council's planning applications committee. Working in partnership
19/03/2013
Mechanical Building Service Consulting Engineers are facing increased pressure from local planning departments to comply with the EU Directive 2008/50/EC (the CAFE Directive) European Union Air Quality and Clean Air for Europe 2008. In 2012, AAC Eurovent responded to demands for a high quality and
15/03/2013
Work is getting underway on a new bridge which will link Penrhyndeudraeth and Talsarnau in Gwynedd, Wales, the Daily Post has said. The £19.5 project will see the old Pont Briwet bridge replaced with a new structure. It is funded with over £9m from the European Regional Development Fund. Talking
15/03/2013
Sunderland College is set to develop its sports and arts facilities with BAM's help. BAM Construction has been appointed for an £11 million project to improve sports and arts facilities at Sunderland College. The company will demolish several buildings at the college’s Bede Campus and build a new
15/03/2013
West London Free School is set to expand after plans to redevelop its current site were granted, establishing a new primary school in Hammersmith. The plans to redevelop a site on Cambridge Grove with several ground floor and first floor extensions, and a brand new two-storey classroom block, were
15/03/2013
In a new move to secure London's future energy supply and boost investment and growth in London's low carbon economy, the Mayor Boris Johnson is bidding to enable the capital’s small electricity producers to sell power to the market at a better rate. The Mayor, who has a target to produce 25 per ce
15/03/2013
Local authority controlled firm Scape has been shortlisted for one of the construction industry's most prestigious awards schemes. The organisation has reached the final few in the acclaimed 2013 Building Awards in the Integrated Supply Chain Category and is eagerly awaiting the outcome at an upcom
15/03/2013
Homeowners in three Barnsley wards have until the end of March to sign up for energy saving work under the Green Deal Pioneer Places Scheme. Homeowners in the Central, Old Town and Kingstone wards of Barnsley are reminded they have just over two weeks to sign up for home energy efficiency measures,
15/03/2013
A partnership between Birmingham City Council and Carillion Services that has created 24 new jobs in its first seven weeks, has opened a contact centre in the city. Based in Smallbrook Queensway, the centre operated by Birmingham Energy Savers, has pledged to create and sustain up to 340 more posts
15/03/2013
The Government is right to recognise that employers need more say when it comes to the content of apprenticeship qualifications, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Commenting on the Government's response to the Richard Review of apprenticeships, Brian Berry, the Chief Executive
15/03/2013
A new art and sports facility is to be built at Sunderland College in a deal worth £11m. UK-based firm BAM Construct is believed to be the chosen contractor, according to Construction News. The build will see several buildings at the College's Bede Campus demolished before a new sports centre and
15/03/2013
To help raise money for Comic Relief, HSS Hire has done the Red Nose Day Gangnam Shake (a mixture of Gangnam and the Harlem Shake). HSSers (including our Directors and senior managers) have been brilliantly - and hilariously - strutting their stuff. Please watch and laugh - and then dig deep and d
15/03/2013
Pioneering microbiological research by leading LST radiator specialists, Contour Casings, is beginning to shed light on the levels of potentially harmful bacteria that could be present inside radiator guards located in a healthcare environment. In a comparative study at an NHS Trust Hospital in the
14/03/2013
The consortium behind a £230m regeneration scheme of Barry Waterfront say the project could be delayed by up to 12 months. According to the BBC, the delay is due to technical issues. In July 2011, the Vale of Glamorgan council approved a development plan for homes, cafés, a hotel and a new link
14/03/2013
Nottingham Council and UK Regeneration (UKR) have signed a deal for the development of 200 homes to be built on the former Sandfield school site. The deal, unveiled at MIPIM, the international property and development exhibition in Cannes, was agreed in principle by the two parties in 2012. It i
14/03/2013
A Southampton engineering firm has been fined after an employee seriously injured his foot on a poorly-guarded aluminium casting machine. Paul Thornton, 52, from Southampton, had to have a toe on his right foot amputated as a result of the incident at WH Rowe Limited, on Bond Street, on 9 May 2012.
14/03/2013
First time buyers can now apply for a cheaper mortgage deal, with as little as a 5% deposit, following the launch of a £2m Derbyshire County Council support scheme. County Council Leader Andrew Lewer has officially launched the Local Lend a Hand in Derbyshire scheme at the Matlock branch of partner
14/03/2013
Record numbers of applicants are hoping to join EDF Energy's prestigious four-year apprenticeship programme, which includes two years training at a Royal Naval base and two at a nuclear power station. More than 2000 youngsters from across the country have applied for this year’s 52 places on the ED
14/03/2013
Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK has appointed a new Director for Market Development to ensure Balfour Beatty remains at the 'forefront of the UK infrastructure market'. Gordon Brockington joins the Executive Leadership Team of Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK, with executive respon
14/03/2013
Developers of renewable electricity projects will be able to apply for support to enable them to commission and build projects more quickly. The Government's Final Investment Decision Enabling programme is designed to help developers of low carbon electricity projects make final investment decision
14/03/2013
Willmott Dixon will further strengthen its track-record for building high-quality care homes after being appointed by Housing 21 for a £4.7m contract to provide 21 one-bedroom and 17 two-bedroom flats. The scheme, called Leacroft, is located in Common Lane, Harpenden, and is being developed by Hous
14/03/2013
Costain is involved in a major project in Liverpool's Docklands as it seeks to ensure that the city's efficient treatment of waste water continues uninterrupted into the future. As part of a consortium with Galliford Try and Atkins it is now well into a £200 million contract for United Utilities (U
14/03/2013
Kier Partnership Homes has started work on a new £11.4m housing development on the former Ensor's abattoir site on Valley Road, Cinderford. Kier is now on site building 92 environmentally sustainable homes for Forest of Dean District Council, Cinderford Town Council and the Homes and Communities Ag
13/03/2013
The Mayor, Boris Johnson, has unveiled plans to create the UK's largest 'floating village' as part of his on-going drive to transform London's Royal Docks bringing, jobs, commercial space and homes back to the capital’s waterways. Launching an international competition to find developers and Lond
13/03/2013
Bristol Rovers' bid for a mixed-use development at their current stadium, has been approved by the government, according to the BBC. The plan includes a 21,700-seat stadium, a supporter's bar, a club shop, hospitality suites, a gym and retail facilities. Earlier this year, Bristol City Council b
13/03/2013
Three schools in Hillingdon have received the green light by the council's planning committee to commence work as part of the Hillingdon School Expansion Plan to help ensure every child in the borough has a school place. Planning applications have been approved for Heathrow Primary School, West Dra
13/03/2013
The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Group is to unveil plans for its new conference centre, Resorts World Birmingham, at International Confex 2013, according to Conference News. The £150m complex is based at the NEC in Birmingham. NEC Group said the Resorts World Birmingham would be the first of
13/03/2013
A proposed 28-turbine wind power development at Brechfa Forest West, Carmarthenshire has been given the go-ahead by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Developer RWE Npower expects the project to power the equivalent of up to 39,700 homes and to support up to 150 jobs during its constructi
13/03/2013
Miller Construction is extending an invitation to subcontractors and suppliers based in the Caithness and Sutherland area to a Meet the Buyer event to find out more about future opportunities for local businesses in the area. As a Tier 1 contractor with hub North Scotland Limited, Miller Constructi
13/03/2013
Costain has played a major role in creating the first nationally-accredited environmental training programme for construction site workers. The Company, together with Skanska and Wates Group plus support from CITB-Construction Skills, has been instrumental in setting up the Site Environmental Aware
13/03/2013
Kier Partnership Homes has started work on a new £11.4m housing development on the former Ensor’s abattoir site on Valley Road, Cinderford. Kier is now on site building 92 environmentally sustainable homes for Forest of Dean District Council, Cinderford Town Council and the Homes and Communities Ag
13/03/2013
A ceremony has taken place at BBG Academy to celebrate the progress made in the construction of the £5m extension to the facility on Bradford Road. The event marked the completion of the 160 tonne steel frame of the academy's 3,000 sq m new build extension, which is being delivered by Wates Constru
13/03/2013
Young workers in the construction industries are being targeted with a series of potentially life-saving courses in South and East Yorkshire to alert them to the dangers of exposure to asbestos. The courses - being held in Sheffield, Doncaster, Hull, Beverley and Goole - are being organised by the
12/03/2013
Mayor George Ferguson has announced Bristol city council's intention to buy central Bristol office accommodation at 100 Temple Street near Temple Meads. Contracts have been exchanged with current owners Aviva Investors Property Trust who were represented in this transaction by Alder King and a purc
12/03/2013
Housing Minister Mark Prisk has launched a £225 million fund to help unlock large-scale, locally led developments and get Britain building. The minister said he was using the fund to help unlock stalled sites across the country, and called on councils and developers with other locally supported lar
12/03/2013
Leeds residents are set to benefit from lower energy bills after community regeneration specialist Keepmoat was appointed to carry out green improvements to around 180 properties in the city, on behalf of Leeds City Council. Keepmoat, working in partnership with the council, will install external w
12/03/2013
Construction union UCATT are calling for meaningful talks and negotiations with Morrison in Leeds. The company concerned Morrison Facilities Services (now owned by Mears following a takeover in 2012) employs over 250 people, undertaking responsive and planned maintenance on over 70 per cent of coun
12/03/2013
Miller Construction, as part of the consortium, Solutions for North Tyneside, has been named as preferred bidder to deliver North Tyneside's Quality Homes for Older People PFI project. The £300 million partnership will deliver more than 900 apartments across 10 new and 16 refurbished sheltered hous
12/03/2013
Tens of thousands of children are being condemned to studying in dilapidated school buildings because of government delays in providing the funding earmarked to fix them, local government leaders are warning. New research by the Local Government Association (LGA) shows that nine months after fundin
12/03/2013
Work has been completed on a new £6.9m care home in Oswestry, Shropshire. More than 100 people will be employed by New Fairholme which will also help to support economic regeneration in the town. The building located on Shrewsbury Road has 88 large en-suite bedrooms, extensive communal and dinin
12/03/2013
Plans have been unveiled for the redevelopment of Don Valley Stadium, the BBC has reported. The £40m project will see the stadium transformed into a "sports and wellbeing park". The venue is being demolished as part of council budget plans. With the new plans, which include venues for rugby lea
12/03/2013
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) supports the local construction workforce in Addlestone, Surrey as National Apprentice Week 2013 gets underway this week. National Apprenticeship Week is in its sixth year. It's championed by the National Apprenticeship Service and the week aims to showcase a
12/03/2013
BAM Construct is to build a £9.6 million primary school in west London. The national contractor, which has offices in the capital, will build new premises for Middle Row Primary in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The building will hold up to 420 children aged four to 11, incorporating
12/03/2013
Willmott Dixon has been appointed by Catalyst Housing Limited for the final element of a significant regeneration in Neasden, North West London, which has already created over 500 new homes. The transformation of a major part of the Church End estate started in 1998 and has been delivered by Willmo
12/03/2013
Sliding sash windows up to four metres in height have been either restored or replicated by Original Windows Ltd, a member of the British Woodworking Federation, during a contract concerning a Grade I listed residential property facing Regents Park in London. The specialist firm of joiners and car
11/03/2013
Work is underway on the main site of the new waste treatment facility at Bolton Road, Manvers. Progress on the development, is successfully on course, despite the winter's extreme weather conditions. Representatives from the three BDR (Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham) councils, who jointly comm
11/03/2013
Transport Minister Stephen Hammond is visiting Crossrail's purpose-built training facility today to meet apprentices destined to become the next generation of tunnelling experts. The Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy (TUCA), based in east London, is Europe’s only specialised education
11/03/2013
More than nine out of ten home buyers are satisfied with the overall quality of their new homes, according to new figures released by Britain's home building industry. The results of the home building industry's eighth customer satisfaction survey, carried out by the Home Builders Federation and NH
11/03/2013
The CBI is urging the Chancellor to use the Budget to boost the housing market to build confidence among businesses and consumers. Given its social and economic benefits, the CBI is arguing that housing should form the main plank of this month's Budget. Among its proposals are measures benefitting
11/03/2013
The Welsh Government has published statutory guidance for public services on 'Preparing for a Changing Climate'. It will assist organisations such as local authorities, health services, the Fire Service, Natural Resources Wales and the National Park Authorities assess how they may be affected by cl
11/03/2013
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has appointed Kier Partnership Homes as preferred developer to deliver a £60m housing development in Northampton, secured through the HCA Developer Partner Panel framework. The mixed tenure regeneration project, on Ransome Road, will comprise approximately 400
11/03/2013
A Newcastle teenager has nailed a construction apprenticeship with Lovell working on the company's new Walker Riverside development for regeneration company Places for People. Kiran Sharman, 17, from Hadrian Park, Wallsend, has just joined the Lovell apprenticeship programme and is working towards
11/03/2013
A new chief inspector of construction has been appointed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Heather Bryant, who is currently HSE's divisional director for London, the East and South East, will replace Philip White at the end of March. After four years in post, Philip moves to lead another ke
11/03/2013
Construction union UCATT are again calling for the Government to change course on its economic policy as the latest figures show a further devastating drop in construction output. The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that construction output fell by 7.9% in January compare
11/03/2013
JCB has won a massive order for more than 1,000 of its iconic backhoe loaders in a deal which is designed to transform the rural economy of Brazil. Brazil's Ministry of Agrarian Development has signed a tender for the JCB backhoes worth more than £40 million. The landmark order for the 3C machines
08/03/2013
Plymouth City Council's support for a £5.12 million building project would help create hundreds of jobs in the city. At a meeting, the Cabinet will be asked to consider whether the Council can act as guarantor for a loan so the Millfields Trust can redevelop a flagship building on Union Street. The
08/03/2013
Skanska has been working with scores of Kent firms as it prepares for a number of opportunities in the county, including a multi-million pound council property contract. More than 150 small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) attended two 'meet the buyer' events, supported by the Kent Invicta Chamb
08/03/2013
Three of Drax Power Station's intermediate pressure (IP) turbines are to be upgraded under a new contract with Siemens Energy Service Fossil in Newcastle. The new modules will be supplied by Siemens and installed by a joint Drax-Siemens team. The modules will contribute to Drax's efficiency improv
08/03/2013
Costain has joined forces with NEF: The Innovation Institute to help promote innovation and to address the skills shortage in the UK's construction industry. NEF: The Innovation Institute combines the New Engineering Foundation, which is a grant awarding charity, with the Institute of Innovation an
08/03/2013
Councillors in County Durham are being asked to confirm their commitment to a regional partnership to help residents improve the energy efficiency of their homes and save money. The partnership, known as Warm Up North, involves six local councils in the North East and is part of the Government's Gr
08/03/2013
Children from West Walker Primary School put on hard hats and hi-visibility protective clothing for a visit organised by affordable housing developer Lovell to see new homes taking shape as part of the Walker Riverside regeneration scheme. Lovell welcomed a group of twenty five- and six-year-old pu
08/03/2013
Environment Minister, John Griffiths has announced household energy efficiency grants totalling £4.4m for Welsh local authorities. Ten councils across Wales will receive funding to make over 670 homes warmer and better to live in. Work has already started on some schemes and all improvements are e
08/03/2013
A Dorset company specialising in the installation of solar panels has been fined for safety failings after a worker fell from a roof in Hampshire. The Gendex Limited employee, who does not wish to be named, stepped through a rooflight at the New Milton and District Community Centre, on Osborne Road
08/03/2013
Kier Partnerships Homes has been awarded a further two schemes through the Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust (BMHT) framework, worth £13.7m. The two projects, on Grange Farm Drive and Owens Croft in Kings Norton, will deliver a total of 104 new homes for rent and for sale. The scheme on Owens Crof
08/03/2013
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, will create a 'Crossrail for the bike' as part of his plans for a nearly £1 billion investment in London cycling. The route will run for more than 15 miles, very substantially segregated, from the western suburbs through the heart of London to Canary Wharf and B
07/03/2013
A wing of Liverpool's famous Croxteth Hall damaged by fire more than 60 years ago is to be brought back into use and made available to the public. The Queen Anne or south-west wing of the Hall was hit by a catastrophic blaze in December 1952. Although the exterior was retained much of the interior
07/03/2013
Work on the educational and leisure facilities in Consett will go ahead following the approval of details plans. The new academy and leisure centre – which together form part of a £43m investment in the town – will be built on the Belle Vue site, with construction expected to start later this year.
07/03/2013
The World Green Building Council has unveiled a comprehensive new report outlining the compelling global business case for green buildings. In the Business Case for Green Building: A Review of the Costs and Benefits for Developers, Investors and Occupants, WorldGBC examines whether or not it is pos
07/03/2013
Turner & Townsend has announced that from 18 March its Hong Kong office will merge with chartered quantity surveyors and cost consultants H.A. Brechin & Co. Ltd to form Turner & Townsend Brechin Ltd. H.A. Brechin, which has a 100-strong workforce spread across Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Macau, specia
07/03/2013
Gary Stephen Emerick, director of general construction and civil engineering company, Hire & Mechanical Services Limited, based in Canvey Island, Essex, has been disqualified for four years for failing to pay tax. The disqualification follows an investigation by The Insolvency Service. Mr Emerick
07/03/2013
The Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage, Huw Lewis concluded his visit to China with a visit to a social housing project in Chongqing. The Min Xin Jia Yuan public-rental development, launched in 2011, is considered the city’s flagship project and provides affordable rental housing for p
07/03/2013
Southbank Centre has today (6 March) unveiled its proposals to transform the Festival Wing. The proposals, by architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, include the refurbishment and renewal of the existing 1960s buildings and the creation of major new arts spaces including a new glass pavilion, a n
07/03/2013
Leeds City Council is reaffirming its commitment to improving housing across the city. Measures agreed in the budget will see an extra £5.258 million invested in council housing to build on the success of the decency standard programme. This 10% increase takes the total for investment in council h
07/03/2013
Construction union UCATT are calling on Elliott Modular Buildings to reverse the decision to close its factory in Bridlington, which will result in the loss of 50 jobs. Workers at the factory were told this week that the company needs make £6 million worth of savings nationally, resulting in a deci
07/03/2013
Pupils from Danygraig Primary School, Swansea, had a close-up view of the housebuilding process during a site visit organised by Lovell. Lovell, which is building 19 flats for rent for housing association Grŵp Gwalia at Wallace Road, Swansea, invited 65 five and six-year-old pupils on to the s
06/03/2013
Network Rail has awarded a major contract, with a value of approximately £130 million, to Balfour Beatty Rail for the construction of a two-mile section of the Crossrail route from Plumstead to Abbey Wood in southeast London. The contract will include: •The installation of two new dedicated Crossr
06/03/2013
Stevenage Borough Council celebrated the completion of a groundbreaking deal to purchase 21 new homes which will be rented to local families and young people in need of affordable accommodation. The 6.39 acre site on Hertford Road will comprise nine, three bedroom, houses and 12, one and two bedroo
06/03/2013
Six Town Housing has established a group of "Energy Champions" made of volunteer members of the community, who receive free specialised training to help spread the word to other tenants on how to save energy and money. Tenants from around Bury have been welcomed to receive training focussed on: •B
06/03/2013
Free advice is being offered to people on dealing with their fuel bills and cutting their energy use. Liverpool City Council and the Healthy Homes team are holding special surgeries in the One Stop Shop at the Municipal Buildings to offer guidance on fuel debts, and energy efficiency. "Fuel povert
06/03/2013
A Portsmouth firm has been fined for safety failings after a member of the public was struck by masonry during unsafe overhead work in Surrey. The 29 year-old passer-by, who does not wish to be named, cut and bruised his shoulder and experienced muscle spasms as a result of the incident on Camberle
06/03/2013
A quarter of SME building firms have missed out on contracts because they can't secure vital funding, with many claiming banks and building societies are "actively discriminating" against construction companies, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has warned. The latest figures show the Governm
06/03/2013
Local environmental test company R P Air Testing Ltd is helping to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by sponsoring a poster competition for Year's 5 & 6 children at Brancaster CE VA Primary School, which MD Ros Piggott’s grandson attends. The Year 6 (ages 10-11) entr
06/03/2013
Housing repair contractor Morrison has shown good performance progress since Leeds City Council served a second improvement notice on the company last year. Morrison, which has now been taken over by Mears, demonstrated improved performance in the delivery of the housing repairs contract, as shown
05/03/2013
Skanska UK has won the contract for the demolition and construction of a ten-storey commercial building, 100 Cheapside, in the City of London. 100 Cheapside was won under a competitive tender, and when complete will be fitted out internally to the highest standard of category A. The contract is fo
05/03/2013
Manchester City Council has topped the league of public organisations which are slashing their carbon emissions. The City Council has come in at number one in the Environment Agency's Carbon Reduction Commitment table of public sector organisations which have become more environmentally friendly ov
05/03/2013
Work to improve existing council homes and provide new housing for rent and sale in the Cockerton area of Darlington has officially opened after getting the go-ahead from Darlington Council's planning department. The multi million pound project has so far seen major investment in council housing in
05/03/2013
Costain Nuclear Process has secured another work package with Magnox Ltd, its second contract in a strategic framework to deliver to construction, infrastructure and maintenance work across 10 nuclear decommissioning sites. The Safestores Strengthening Project involves reinforcing the upper structu
05/03/2013
A partnership agreement to support growth, jobs and skills across the construction industry has been signed today by CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Industry Training Board and Sector Skills Council for the construction industry, and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The agreement, signed by
05/03/2013
Plans for a new training centre which will provide hundreds of places at the Solent Enterprise Zone at Daedalus, South Hampshire, have been lodged by Fareham College. The college has submitted a planning application for a proposed new Centre of Excellence for Engineering, Manufacturing and Advanced
05/03/2013
Staffordshire County Council has selected Seddon Construction to build two new schools which will help meet the need for more primary school places in Burton-on-Trent. The Seddon team has just started building a brand-new home for St Modwen’s Primary School which is due for completion in early 201
05/03/2013
Lovell has been appointed by Wandle Housing Association to provide repairs services for its stock of around 6,000 homes across South London. Lovell was selected from seven suppliers competing for the new two-year contract. The deal, which starts in April 2013, is worth £14 million in total turnover
05/03/2013
Pupils and teachers in Huntingdon have helped kick-start building work on their new school with a bricklaying ceremony. Youngsters at Thongsley Fields Primary School on Buttsgrove Way gathered to watch their head teacher, Miss Myer, lay the first bricks of a new extension. Kier Construction kitted
05/03/2013
Sika Sarnafil has re-launched its green roofing offering with a fully-branded system backed by a comprehensive guarantee. Marrying its market-leading single ply membrane with a full range of green roof options, the Sarnavert system is already a popular choice among those searching for sustainable s
04/03/2013
Network Rail has awarded the £6 million Wakefield Westgate 'Gateway' Station project to Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd. Working in collaboration with Network Rail the Buckingham Team, including CJCT Architects and designers Amey, completed the detailed design (Grip stage 5) to the agreed program
04/03/2013
Willmott Dixon's Birmingham teams have planted a further 1,000 trees in the city as part of its commitment to leave a lasting legacy in the local community. It's the final stage of a pledge by Willmott Dixon to plant 1,500 trees in the north and south of the city, where the company is repairing and
04/03/2013
Student carpenters and painters from Stephenson College, Coalville, found out what it's like to deliver a real-life large-scale housing improvement programme when they visited a company working with North West Leicestershire District Council to transform thousands of council homes locally. Lovell t
04/03/2013
Thurrock Council has been fined after admitting to failures in how it managed asbestos across its schools. Basildon Crown Court heard that despite being made aware of asbestos concerns in a boiler room at Stifford Clays Junior School, no action was taken. A specialist contractor tasked with carryi
04/03/2013
Construction union UCATT are calling for urgent action to be taken to ensure that companies responsible for the death of a construction worker are brought to justice. A recent Freedom of Information Request to the Health and Safety Executive revealed that of the 332 fatal accidents involving constr
04/03/2013
Barnsley Council is reminding homeowners in the Central, Old Town and Kingstone wards they have until the end of March to apply for energy efficient measures to battle global warming. Funding of £109,000 through the Green Deal Pioneer Places Scheme has been awarded to Barnsley to kickstart the Gree
04/03/2013
A new registration period has been launched for a Peterborough City Council scheme that saves residents money on their energy bills. The first round of Ready to Switch saved householders an average of £122 a year across all tariffs and dual fuel monthly direct debit customers saved an average of £1
04/03/2013
Victoria Plumb, the leading online luxury bathroom retailer, is pleased to announce three new appointees to their ecommerce team. Paul Carmichael Ecommerce Manager Paul previously worked at Summit as Account Director, the UK's leading retail focussed Digital Marketing and Ecommerce agency. Respo
04/03/2013
Central Government have made and confirmed their decision today to approve Liverpool Council's decision to grant planning permission for Peel's massive redevelopment of the disused parts of the docks named Liverpool Waters. This is the end of 6 years of hard work by Peel, its team of expert consult
04/03/2013
Canopy & Awning has announced that Airsculpt UK and Carman 2000 Bulgaria have formally announced their manufacture and service alliance. Although the two companies have been working together for many years providing cost effective tensile structural design, engineering and manufacture services, they
01/03/2013
Ahead of starting work on a new retail development in Rustington, Barr Construction has teamed up with Sainsbury's and the Arun Business Partnership to engage local contractors keen to be involved in the project. The trio hosted an event at Haskins Garden Centre this month to inform local companies
01/03/2013
Carillion has made a good start to 2013, winning new orders and probable orders in the first seven weeks of the year that are expected to be worth some £650 million. In the Middle East they have secured probable orders worth approximately £210 million for projects in Oman, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabi
01/03/2013
Student carpenters and painters from Stephenson College, Coalville, found out what it's like to deliver a real-life large-scale housing improvement programme when they visited a company working with North West Leicestershire District Council to transform thousands of council homes locally. Lovell t
01/03/2013
Kier Construction has given another East Anglian charity a financial boost thanks to its safety award scheme, in which the company directors reward those sites that demonstrate exemplary safety standards with funds to give to their chosen charity. Kier’s project at Stanground Academy in Peterboroug
01/03/2013
Graham Construction has secured an £18.8M project for Sheffield Hallam University on their Collegiate Campus. The scheme will create a new heart to the Collegiate Crescent Campus providing almost 9,500m2 of high quality academic, teaching and social spaces in a new hub building. Alongside student s
01/03/2013
Victoria Plumb, the leading online bathroom retailer, have announced the release of their brand new spring brochure, showcasing a wide range of bathroom suites, showers, basins, heated towel rails, taps and even customer reviews. The new 148 page brochure is the largest brochure Victoria Plumb hav
