Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for January 2008
31/01/2008
Despite market concerns about 'slow-down', the three key structural elements of the construction process – Piling, Concrete Frames and Structural Steelwork – remain in great demand according to QS firm Gardiner & Theobald. Piling contractors have experienced an increased turnover throughout 2007 wi
31/01/2008
Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks today launched a call for evidence on the best ways to decarbonise the way we heat our homes and businesses. The call forms part of the plans to reduce the UK's CO2 emissions and to contribute to the target of obtaining 20% of all EU energy from renewables by 2020. The
31/01/2008
A new publication by the Scottish Building Federation (SBF) has outlined some of the key issues and possible solutions affecting the construction industry today. The industry contributes over 10% of Scotland’s GDP and has a turnover of almost £12bn last year. 'Blueprint 2008 - Building Scotland's
31/01/2008
An Bord Pleanala have approved a major commercial and retail development in Letterkenny. In addition a new road will be constructed linking Neil T Blaney Road and the Port Road in the town. The development has lead to disagreement among council members, some members claim the council has "given aw
31/01/2008
The UK's energy market remains the most competitive in the EU and G7 it was revealed today, with the publication of independent research. Business Secretary John Hutton hailed the report as evidence that the UK market was delivering for consumers, and called for more open and transparent markets to
31/01/2008
The South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA), together with partners Ashford Borough Council, Kent County Council and English Partnerships, have selected a shortlist of developers from expressions of interest in Elwick Place, a major town centre development site in the designated Growth Area
31/01/2008
Would-be house buyers will save money and get greater peace of mind under Scottish Government plans for a greener and more informed housing market. In a move approved by the Local Government and Communities Committee today, Communities and Sport Minister, Stewart Maxwell, said that from December 1,
31/01/2008
The number of people dedicated to sharing their enthusiasm for science and engineering and inspiring young people reached record levels today. Process engineer Ewere Odaro became the 18,000th person to join the Science and Engineering Ambassador (SEA) scheme since it was established by the Governme
30/01/2008
House prices in England and Wales dropped by 0.4% in December, taking the average price to £184,469, according to the latest figures from Land Registry. It is the first fall for England and Wales since August 2005, although three regions bucked the downward trend. The largest monthly growth was s
30/01/2008
The M74 extension could be delayed after claims the tendering process was unfairly handled. The complaint focused on the Glasgow extension contract. The Green Party, who have consistently opposed the £500m project, want an investigation to see if two EU directives were broken by ministers and the
30/01/2008
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has confirmed Shriti Vadera will be taking over from Stephen Timms. Baroness Vadera will have responsibility for construction, the Department has confirmed and her new title is Business and Competitiveness Minister. She will cover constructi
30/01/2008
A flagship regeneration scheme designed to safeguard existing jobs and bring new employers to Dursley has attracted its first businesses. Two firms - Everhot and Rooney and Mills - are poised to take up units at the business park being built as part of the environmentally friendly Littlecombe. Lit
30/01/2008
Ikea have become the newest housing developers in the UK offering low-cost affordable housing. The Swedish furniture retailer famous for trendy flat pack furniture are now building prefrabricated wooden homes in Tyneside. A total of 3,500 BokLok homes shipped over from Scandinavia have already bee
30/01/2008
The Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) has helped secure a new government amendment to the Housing and Regeneration Bill - that will help ensure affordable housing for rural communities. In discussion with the CRC, the government tabled a new amendment to limit the ability for residents of new
30/01/2008
The Forth and Tay Bridge tolls will be removed from February 11, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson announced today. The announcement comes after Royal Assent was given for the Bill removing the tolls, and Stevenson signed an official commencement order meaning the tolls will be removed from 12.
30/01/2008
The first stage of the programme to regenerate a key waterway within the Olympic Park has been completed. Over 700 steel piles, each weighing up to 11 tonnes, have been driven 18 metres into the ground along the river adjacent to the Aquatics Centre. This process will allow the old concrete river w
29/01/2008
An application for a wind farm at a north-east beauty spot, which has prompted the formation of two campaign groups, is due to be formally submitted. Falck Renewables and RDC Scotland have combined to form 'Cushnie Wind Energy' which hopes to build seven wind farms which will connect into the Natio
29/01/2008
Five artists have been shortlisted to create a £2m landmark 50-metre statue to rival Antony Gormley's 'Angel of the North'. The Ebbsfleet Landmark Project Commission was announced in May of last year. It will also include the new Ebbsfleet International station and the planned transformation of the
29/01/2008
Significant progress is being made to move existing railway sidings on the Olympic Park. The vacated area in the heart of the Park will become a key logistics site for the construction of the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre. Twelve new railway sidings are being constructed at Orient Way, just
29/01/2008
Social housing firm Connaught has revealed that it is taking £370m worth of social housing contracts this year. The company said that the deals included a 15-year, £150m asset management contract with Raglan Housing Association; a £50m, five-year contract with Dumfries and Galloway council; and a £
29/01/2008
A new public square at Gloucester Docks has opened, helping to create an attractive environment for businesses, visitors and residents. Completion of Shipton Square is part of the wider programme, led by Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company, to regenerate Gloucester to create new jobs, at
29/01/2008
Work on a new business park, which will create up to 150 jobs in Thanet, is about to start thanks to a joint venture between the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Thanet District Council (TDC). SEEDA has agreed to put more than £35m towards developing the two hectare Eurokent Busine
29/01/2008
Business leader Adair Turner has been named as the first Chair of the new Committee on Climate Change, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced today. Lord Turner, former Director-General of the CBI and a director of Standard Chartered Bank, will head the high-profile new body, being established
29/01/2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning employers they must regularly inspect and maintain their equipment to protect their workforce. This follows HSE’s prosecution of a Birmingham company after an incident which left a Derbyshire worker without four fingers and part of his palm. Severn
28/01/2008
The UK economy is at risk of recession within the next two years according to an economic report. The downturn is mainly attributed to the housing market, with prices expected to plummet by around five per cent this year and by eight per cent in 2009. The Deloitte Economic Review has predicted th
28/01/2008
A gigantic project to generate power with an innovative Scottish isle wind farm is facing problems. The plans to build what would have been one of Europe's biggest wind farms on the Isle of Lewis looks set to be turned down. The BBC's Gaelic news service, Radio nan Gaidheal, has learned that Scott
28/01/2008
Architects HKS and engineers Ramboll Whitbybird's design have been selected for Liverpool FC's new football stadium. The owners of the club revealed the reasons behind their choice, saying HKS and Ramboll Whitbybird's were more cost effective and supporter-friendly than initial ones, which had gone
28/01/2008
Communities Secretary and Salford MP, Hazel Blears, has welcomed the news that national regeneration agency English Partnerships has put in place the final element for a visionary 3-hectare scheme that will provide a new urban quarter linking the cities of Salford and Manchester. Ms Blears said: "T
28/01/2008
Border residents have expressed outrage at plans to turn the Crooks Inn, which was the oldest licensed pub in Scotland into a block of flats. Planning officers have already recommended Inverwest Ltd's plans for approval. The current owner wants to convert the property, which is located in the Pee
28/01/2008
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has announced an investment of £931,800 for improvement packages aimed at helping Chester become a ‘must-see’ European destination. The initiative is a £1.3m project which will improve the way people move around the city and further strengthen Cheste
28/01/2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning landlords to use only competent CORGI registered gas fitters work on domestic gas appliances. The warning follows HSE's prosecution of a Rhonndda landlord after he carried out gas work at one of his properties. Martin Griffiths, of Herbert Street, Tr
28/01/2008
The A14 widening scheme between Ellington and Fen Ditton has taken a major step forward today with the appointment of a contractor to design the scheme in its entirety and construct the widened section between Fen Drayton and Histon. The scheme will reduce congestion and improve safety as well as j
25/01/2008
Yorkshire and Humber companies who like to work at the cutting edge are being urged to enter a new awards event that is recognising forward thinkers. Nominations for the innovator/08 awards are due to close on Tuesday, 5 February, which means regional companies don’t have long to put themselves for
25/01/2008
Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan has opened a new £1.2m centre in North Wales that will control hydro-electric and wind power plants across the whole of the UK. The npower renewables UK operation centre at Dolgarrog will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week controlling plants from the northe
25/01/2008
Construction, planning and the built environment vocational courses in Peterborough are bridging the skills gap to meet industry needs. Peterborough Regional College's post-16 construction, planning and the built environment vocational courses are providing students with the relevant skills to meet
25/01/2008
The final phase of the enhancement of Barnstaple town centre riverfront will get underway next month. Following the completion of the Square before Christmas, improvements to the recently pedestrianised Strand will start on Monday 4 February. The final phase of the £1.75m town centre scheme, funde
25/01/2008
A new museum celebrating the life and work of Robert Burns will not be ready in time for the 250th anniversary of his birth. It had been hoped that the grand opening of the museum would take place on 25 January 2009, but the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has confirmed that it will not be ready
25/01/2008
Latest figures from Interbuild reveal a massive £1.2bn increase on the value of 'live' visitor projects underway during the 2007 show. Visitors were working on 5,500 active projects, worth a staggering £17.4bn, according to the show's sister company, EMAP Glenigan, who specialise in the tracking of
25/01/2008
A £5m project to replace the decks on the A30 Tolvaddon Bridge near Camborne, in the South West of England, which began in November 2007, will shortly enter its next phase. The replacement is necessary because of the deterioration of the concrete and reinforcing system on the current bridge. In Mar
25/01/2008
Councils who back plans for new homes will be able to raise hundreds of millions of pounds to spend on vital infrastructure like roads, schools, parks and health centres. Housing Minister Yvette Cooper is today setting out how the new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), will help fund massive new
24/01/2008
The property market is strong at the top end according to a London estate agent. Glentree Estates have recently sold a luxury mansion in Hampstead for £50m. The property originally built by Turkish businessman Halis Toprax, consists of seven bedrooms, seven kitchens, an 80ft salon, a swimming pool
24/01/2008
Edinburgh's Scottish National Portrait Gallery is to redeveloped at the cost of £17.6m. The new gallery will be called Portrait of the Nation. It aims to double visitor capacity and will have an education suite, including a community gallery, a seminar room and an art studio. Scottish architects P
24/01/2008
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is reclaiming over 90% of demolition material for recycling or reuse, exceeding the targets published a year ago in its Sustainable Development Strategy. Contaminated soil is being cleaned and reused to help create the right ground levels for construction to sta
24/01/2008
Plans for a £30m school in Nalislea, Somerset, have moved a significant step forward with the appointment of the preferred construction company to build the school. Carillion Construction Limited have been selected as the preferred bidder to build the new school on the Nailsea Community School site
24/01/2008
Selby's new £18m flood defences stood up to their first major test as water levels rose after heavy rain fell on already-saturated land across Yorkshire. The flood defence scheme isn't quite complete so staff from both the Environment Agency and its contractor, Birse, were carefully scrutinising th
24/01/2008
Design for London and the London Development Agency (LDA) are looking to appoint new framework consultants for their Architecture, Landscape and Urban Design Framework Panel. The panel is renewed every three years (with an option to extend for a year) with an open competitive tender process in comp
24/01/2008
Drivers on the A66 in the North East of England are set to benefit from improved journey times and eased congestion as the new £17.3m six lane Surtees Bridge was officially opened today. The completion of the work sees Surtees Bridge - which carries the A66 over the River Tees - widened to three la
24/01/2008
Residents face having to stump up a whopping £120 if they want to appeal against a decision by their council not to grant planning permission for many minor schemes to improve their homes under new laws to be introduced. The Government is set to implement the measure if residents appeal against dec
23/01/2008
The UK today welcomed the European Commission's ambitious proposals for tackling climate change and delivering a low carbon economy in Europe. The package contains proposals to implement the decisions agreed by EU Heads of State and Government at the 2007 Spring European Council, including a 20% re
23/01/2008
The classification of contracts for building warships on the River Clyde as commercial by the Ministry of Defence could threaten the future of yards in Govan and Scotsoun a GMB union Boss has warned. Union boss Jamie Webster, said: "They can be put out to tender across Europe. Clyde work could pete
23/01/2008
The Welsh Assembly’s Sustainability Committee will take evidence from Welsh Assembly Government Ministers as it continues its inquiry into Carbon Reduction in Wales at its latest meeting this week. Members will take evidence from Economy and Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones in relation to carbo
23/01/2008
Highway Authorities are to share £15m of extra funding to help them better manage their assets and improve the service they offer the public, Transport Minister Rosie Winterton has announced. The new funding will help local authorities to gather important information on the condition of their stree
23/01/2008
The Sky’s the limit at SED 2008 in the Cranes and Access Zone from May 13th – 15th at Rockingham Motor Speedway, in Corby Northamptonshire. NRC Plant is bringing the largest crane ever to be seen at SED – the Hitachi SumitomoSCX2800-2, which is a massive 275 tonne crawler crane. A Hitachi X75UST 5
23/01/2008
The search for a globally renowned architect to help design the new £193m Library of Birmingham was launched today with the publication of an advert in the 'Official Journal of the European Union' inviting interested parties to come forward. To be developed in Centenary Square the project will see
23/01/2008
Norfolk's roads are set to benefit from a share in a new £8m Government grant, Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick announced today. Norfolk County Council is one of four leading authorities to receive £1.5m from the Department for Transport to gather information about key problems facing drivers o
22/01/2008
The massive potential for tidal power from the Severn Estuary to provide low carbon, renewable electricity was highlighted today by Energy Secretary, John Hutton, with the publication of the terms of reference for the Government's feasibility study. Tidal barrages and lagoons will be looked at in t
22/01/2008
A major expansion of a scheme to help more first time buyers get into the housing market has been announced by the Scottish Government. The shared equity scheme is part of LIFT - Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers - a new Government package to help people who aspire to own their home. Holly
22/01/2008
The Welsh assembly's Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, Jane Davidson, has announced £2m of funding over two years for communities across Wales to improve their environment. Litter, dog fouling, fly tipping, graffiti and other blights on their local environment will be tackled by
22/01/2008
A school in Bath has been shortlisted in the first British Council for School Environments (BCSE) Awards 2008, which recognise best practice in UK school design and construction. Three Ways School, in Frome Road, Odd Down, Bath has been shortlisted in the Inspiring Design/Special Needs category. O
22/01/2008
A farm building conversion in Cranbrook, Kent incorporating some of the latest energy saving technology, has won a £40,000 grant from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). With the help of the grant, the redundant apple store at CG & SA Levett’s Hartley Dyke Farm, on the edge of Cranbr
22/01/2008
The Royal Town Planning Institute is about to appoint a new president. Janet O’Neill will become only the third ever female president and the very first to also be a working mother. Janet said she is determined to use her year in office to tackle a range of themes, amongst them is to encourage you
22/01/2008
The most detailed description yet of the scale of works to deliver the venues and infrastructure needed for 2012, and the legacy benefits the large-scale investment will bring, has been unveiled as the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) published a summary of its programme delivery baseline report. T
22/01/2008
One hundred rural businesses in North Devon will reap the benefits of high-speed computer connections with the installation of a new wireless broadband network. The South West of England Development Agency (RDA) is to invest £90,000 in a £120,000 project to install six broadband aerials across the
21/01/2008
Newquay Cornwall Airport has welcomed the approval of planning permission for an expansion scheme which will subsequently increase the capacity of the airport and improve the range and quality of services to passengers. The proposals, supported by the planning board, will allow the airport to grow
21/01/2008
A £15.4m science park is planned for Glasgow City Centre. Scottish Enterprise Glasgow have sold part of the Albion Street site which will provide a total of 40,000 sq m of accommodation for science and technology firms, 128 flats and almost 4,000 sq m of commercial, retail and leisure space. Edin
21/01/2008
A wind turbine manufacturing scheme in Ayrshire is to be supported by Scottish Government Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) cash. The RSA quarterly report includes a £250,000 grant to Ayrshire-based Proven Energy Ltd to create 29 new jobs in the development, manufacture and installation of small
21/01/2008
A record £140m Government investment in cycling has been announced by Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Transport, to help half a million children cycle safely and a generation of adults rediscover their bikes. This ambitious new drive to boost cycling will help to tackle road congestion and impro
21/01/2008
A number of community partnerships have expressed an interest in bidding for part of the Local Action fund for rural communities. At this stage the funding being sought by 35 groups for more than £86m, compared with the £28m of funding available. Local Action is a competitive fund so all groups kn
21/01/2008
Construction work has begun on an £18m project to build two new climbing lanes on the M27 near Portsmouth. The climbing lanes will reduce congestion and improve safety on the motorway, helping heavy traffic to climb the hill which is approximately half way between junctions 11 and 12. Tom Harris,
21/01/2008
The Health and Safety 08 event at Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey on 26 and 27 February - sponsored by DuPont - will host the first of Combilift's Regional Forklift Driver of the Year competitions. The driver competition will be overseen and judged by Mentor Training, one of the UK’s leading provider
21/01/2008
The Management Recruitment Group (MRG), the construction industry's fast expanding executive search agency, has announced Robert Smith as its new Chairman. The major industry figure, Robert Smith, was previously MD of Hays Construction & Property, an organisation that he developed from a fledgling
18/01/2008
Andrew Sutton of Gaunt Francis Architects has been appointed Chair and Jonathan Jones of HLM Architects has been appointed Treasurer of Design Circle, the newly reformed South Wales branch of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW). The local RSAW branch reformed with the aim of providing s
18/01/2008
Anglo American is negotiating a $5.5 billion deal for control of Brazilian mining company MMX Mineração e Metálicosiron's iron ore projects. Under the terms of the deal Anglo American would buy the MMX shares owned by a Brazilian businessman, Eike F. Batista, and secure control of the company’s Min
18/01/2008
British Gas has announced plans to increase prices for gas and electricity by 15%. The announcement by the firm, the UK's biggest power provider, followed the announcement of price increases by rival companies Npower and EDF Energy. The price hikes, which will affect the company's 16 million custom
18/01/2008
Bristol City Council leaders have backed Bristol Old Vic's bid to secure £2m of Arts Council funding for essential refurbishment works, which would see the 241-year-old theatre open once again. In addition, the city council is seeking reassurance from the Arts Council that the annual £1.2m annual r
18/01/2008
Malcolm Wicks, the Energy Minister, has today confirmed the Government's support for electricity generated from geopressure. The Government has decided to support geopressure's development through the Renewables Obligation scheme, which provides companies using green energy sources with assistance
18/01/2008
The Office of Fair Trade (OFT) today cleared the anticipated acquisition by easyJet plc (easyJet) of GB Airways Limited (GB Airways). The OFT has decided that the merger raises no competition concerns in any market. EasyJet and GB Airways overlap in the supply of scheduled passenger flights on cert
18/01/2008
One of the most significant changes contained in the revised Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) introduced in April 2007, was the replacement of the Planning Supervisor with the CDM Co-ordinator role. The new role is designed to improve the communication and co-ordination of tea
18/01/2008
A groundwater engineering firm in Durham won't be left out in the cold this winter, having expanded into state-of-the-art premises warmed by natural ground source heating - creating 13 new jobs in the process. With financial backing from regional development agency One NorthEast towards the project
17/01/2008
Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, has denied accusations that he used his influence as the Scottish Executives leader to sway the Finance Minister in to 'calling in' the Trump planning application. The £1 billion golf course development, which would be located in Mr Salmond's own constituency
17/01/2008
Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS), has expressed concern over the plans to redevelop the Haymarket area of Edinburgh in a new report. Tiger Developments, the property investment and development firm, is proposing a 16-storey hotel as the centrepiece of its scheme of the former Morrison Street
17/01/2008
Work to install a new lighting system, to improve visibility and safety on the M56 / M6 Lymm interchange, will enter its final phase on Friday January 19. Engineers have been working over-time since October to replace the existing overhead lights on the link roads that connect the M56 at Junction 9
17/01/2008
The City of Edinburgh Council has announced that a brand new secondary school will be built in Craigmillar. The school, which will be funded by PARC, the company leading the regeneration of the Craigmillar area, will initially have capacity for up to 700 pupils and will be one of the most technolo
17/01/2008
Birmingham City Council has announced plans to work with Barratt Homes West Midlands, a leading developer, to transform the Shard End Crescent shopping parade in order to initiate the further regeneration of the area and act as a focus for the local community. The £41m redevelopment will create a n
17/01/2008
Creative Sheffield, the UK's first city development company, has launched an ambitious Economic Masterplan to continue the region's economic revival and to expand the city based on new, better-paid jobs. Eighteen months in preparation, the Economic Masterplan includes ambitions to create 30,000 ne
17/01/2008
Boeings has been forced to delay deliveries of the new 787 Dreamliner plane due to production problems. The estimated three-month delay puts deliveries 12 months behind schedule to 2009 rather than late 2008 according to the US plane maker. The first test flight will not take place until the end of
17/01/2008
Euroclad has developed a range of roof and wall systems which simplify the specification process by providing an innovative, easy to install solution. Elite Systems are designed with the environment and performance top of the agenda. Consisting of steel outer and liner sheets with mineral fibre ins
16/01/2008
Taylor Wimpey, the UK's largest house-builder, expects to meet financial expectations despite decreased buyer confidence in the last six months in both the UK and US. Following the merger of Taylor Woodrow and George Wimpey in July last year the company have maintained a strong UK landbank with a g
16/01/2008
A new business 'dating agency' helping companies across the UK compete for London 2012 Olympic business opportunities has launched at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium. The Business Network will help companies compete for Games-related business opportunities directly with London 2012 or with
16/01/2008
A new report which for the first time spells out full details of every single major Indian transport project which British companies can invest has been launched by Trade and Investment Minister Lord Digby Jones in New Delhi, India today. The Minister launched the report in front of some 100 Indian
16/01/2008
The development of 149 new homes in Eaves Green, Chorley, took a step forward today with the announcement of the preferred developer for the site. National regeneration agency, English Partnerships, have selected Miller Homes to deliver the new housing project in South West Chorley, Lancashire. Aft
16/01/2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning to the public to only allow CORGI registered gas installers to work on their appliances. Every year approximately 25 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by gas appliances and flues that have not been properly installed or maint
16/01/2008
Intellect's Consumer Electronics Council has joined the British Retail Consortium, retailers and the Government to work on the details of an initiative to phase out energy-intensive consumer electronics products that cost consumers and the environment dearly, Minister for Climate Change Joan Ruddock
16/01/2008
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has warned that property prices are falling to an extent not seen since the 1990's housing recession. Around 49.1% more surveyors saw price falls in December than reported a rise - the lowest figure since November 1992. Prices have been hit by la
16/01/2008
Physiotherapists are warning that older people are at risk from unnecessary falls this winter because of broken and uneven pavements. Figures published today by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) show that 24 per cent of pavements in England are in need of repair and maintenance. With the
15/01/2008
A bridge in the centre of Glasgow has been closed to traffic after one of its support cables snapped and landed on the carriageway. Police closed the Clyde Arc Bridge - which connects Finnieston with Kinning Park - after the incident occurred on Monday evening. There were no reported injuries. Ci
15/01/2008
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal in Wales – which is among the world's most renowned and spectacular achievements in aquatic engineering - has been put forward by Culture Secretary James Purnell as the UK's latest nomination for World Heritage Site status. If successful, the 200-year-old aqueduc
15/01/2008
Councillor Steven Purcell, leader of Glasgow City Council, has welcomed a decision to base the new headquarters of sportscotland in the East End of Glasgow. It is to move to the new National Indoor Sports Arena, which is due for completion in 2011 and will be a key venue during the 2014 Commonwealt
15/01/2008
Birmingham City Council has given a lukewarm welcome to the Government's new proposals on how more than £500m worth of planning and housing grant will be distributed over the coming three years. While welcoming a new planning regime which will reward authorities who plan land use and housing provi
15/01/2008
Scotland's green energy sector has taken a step forward with the opening of a new biomass plant in Angus. John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, officially opened Angus Biofuels' new site near Forfar. The £1.2m plant, employing 20 people, will supply the growing biomas
15/01/2008
Residents and businesses have just two weeks left to make their views known on a new transport strategy for Aberdeen. The Final Draft Local Transport Strategy (LTS) 2008-2012 was published last November. Aberdeen City Council is encouraging all stakeholders to send in their responses before the clo
15/01/2008
Work to restore the tower of an important Kent nunnery is due to commence. The Grade I Abbey church of Minster, also known as St Mildred’s Priory, is one of the oldest homes in England to be inhabited. The Saxon tower was one of the two west towers of the church, the extent of which is still visibl
15/01/2008
A new report by leading thinktank Policy Exchange has concluded that traffic congestion is now endemic, affecting not just large cities but also the core motorway network and small towns. It currently costs the UK economy in the region of £20bn per year, a figure set to rise significantly in the c
14/01/2008
Pick Everard has been awarded a contract by NHS Highland, with lead consultant and architect Keppie Design, to provide mechanical and electrical engineering and building services advice for the new build development of an £18m Day Services Unit at Raigmore Hospital in the heart of Inverness. Due to
14/01/2008
A national team of scientists led by experts at Durham University are embarking on one of the UK's largest ever research into photovoltaic (PV) solar energy. The £6.3m PV-21 programme will focus on making thin-film light absorbing cells for solar panels from sustainable and affordable materials. T
14/01/2008
Construction work totalling over £10m is now underway at Alba Business Park, Livingston, after Miller Developments began the construction of eight new office pavilions. When completed, the pavilions will total 31,500 sq ft of office space and will be available to purchase or to lease. The buildings
14/01/2008
A Scottish firm are to head a £750million theme park development in New York. Dundee building firm Baldragon will lead the consortium building on a 755-acre site Long Island Site. The theme park will include water sports, horse-riding and year-round snow sports, hotels, timeshare lodgings, shops a
14/01/2008
Recently published official recommendations propose that 66,000 new dwellings be built in Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole over the next 20 years - some 12,000 more than originally anticipated. An independent panel - appointed to advise Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Go
14/01/2008
The Hodgson & Hodgson Group has installed a state-of-the-art acoustic canopy as part of a £4m restoration of Leeds Town Hall. The 150-year-old Grade I listed building already hosts more than 2,000 separate events each year and includes the impressive Victoria Hall, a major conference and music venu
14/01/2008
Hundreds of older and disabled people across the country will benefit from an extra £11.5m for home adaptations to help them live independently in their homes, it has been announced. The funding will help councils ramp up their Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) programme until the end of March, Commu
14/01/2008
The Landscape Institute is set to launch a major new campaign to promote the study of landscape architecture at university. 'I want to be a landscape architect' will raise awareness of the benefits of landscape architecture as a career option for young people at key decision-making points in their
11/01/2008
The success of the 2012 Olympic Games will be judged by the regeneration of East London, according to the Mayor of the city, Ken Livingstone. This week the Mayor published five "legacy commitments" that he is making to Londoners and by which he believes the ultimate success of London 2012 will be j
11/01/2008
The North West Regional Construction Awards 2008 are to take place on Thursday 15 May at the stunning new Arena Centre, Liverpool. The Awards will celebrate the construction industry in the region and showcase the best and most innovative construction projects and working practices in the North West
11/01/2008
A brownfield site in Cardiff Bay has been transformed into prime restaurant units in a £2m regeneration scheme led by Compton Developments and designed by Boyes Rees Architects. The site at Dunleavy Drive, which saw the River Ely run through it until it was diverted in 1982 when the link road was b
11/01/2008
New signs designed to help drivers pinpoint where they are if they break down or want to report a problem on the motorway are being installed along several stretches of road in the South West. The new roadside driver location signs will be introduced from mid-January on the M4 between J13 and into
11/01/2008
Plans for a £70,000 investment in one of Mendip's car parks have been given the go ahead this week. Mendip District Council's planning board on Wednesday night gave permission for the revamp of Union Street car park in Wells as part of a project to improve safety, and make it a more shopper-friendl
11/01/2008
Glasgow builder Rok is set to begin its second phase of redevelopment for a South Lanarkshire school. The firm recently completed the construction of Carluke High School's brand new premises, built on playing fields adjoining the original school building. The modern purpose-built property include
11/01/2008
A scheme to repair a bridge in the East Midlands is due to start on Monday 14 January 2008 until March. The Selston and Kirkby Bridge carries the B6018 Park Lane over the M1, approximately two kilometres north of junction 27 in Nottinghamshire. The work, which will not affect M1 traffic, involves s
11/01/2008
Following hot on the heels of their success in the UK National Business Awards, GenSet, the leading South Wales based supplier of environmentally focussed construction equipment, has been honoured with a top European commercial accolade. The company has secured a Ruban d’Honneur in the Société Géné
10/01/2008
What has been described as a new - cleaner - generation of nuclear power stations has been given the formal go-ahead by the government. Business Secretary John Hutton told MPs that nuclear power would help secure the UK's future energy supplies and fight climate change. He said nuclear was "tried
10/01/2008
The downward trend in house prices has not come to an end despite Britain's largest mortgage lender's announcement that average UK house prices rose by 1.3 per cent in December. Halifax said despite the rise house prices still ended the final quarter of the year 0.8 per cent lower than they began.
10/01/2008
Glasgow organisation, McKean Group Limited, is celebrating after one of its construction companies, Mayfield Construction, scooped three titles at the annual British Association of Landscape Industry (BALI) Awards. At a prestigious award ceremony held in London's Park Lane Hilton Hotel, hosted by L
10/01/2008
Nine major schemes which will shape the future of Scotland by 2030 have been outlined by Finance Secretary John Swinney. The potential projects being put forward for consultation include grid reinforcements to support renewable energy development, a new Forth bridge, plans to enhance Grangemouth's
10/01/2008
Householders in a Staffordshire village wrongly charged for surface water drainage for many years are to receive more than £400,000 from Severn Trent Water, following the intervention of the Consumer Council for Water. In a landmark case, 700 homes and local businesses in Marchington near Uttoxeter
10/01/2008
The London Climate Change Agency (LCCA) will install new wind turbines at Palestra Building following the recall of the Swift turbines manufactured by Renewable Devices and installed on behalf of Solar Technologies Ltd in 2006 by its sub contractor Scottish and Southern Energy. The Swift turbines w
10/01/2008
A Barnsley hospital has selected Actulite polarised daylight from Aura Corporation as part of its restructuring of four of its operating theatres and two patient wards. Actulite was picked as a long lasting, energy saving and high quality lighting solution, which could also be installed into existi
10/01/2008
Scotland builder Rok has acquired Dundee-based heating and plumbing contractor Pitkerro Ltd in a deal worth £3m. Pitkerro, which has an annual turnover of around £9m, currently employs over 100 people providing plumbing and heating services to the building industry in the Northeast of Scotland, inc
09/01/2008
A £50m development has been planned for the 40-acre site of the former Ruchill Hospital in Glasgow. Plans for the site which has lain derelict for over ten years include restoration of key listed buildings on the site of the former Victorian infectious diseases hospital and the development of more
09/01/2008
Government funding for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) needs to be increased if the escalation in the number of construction deaths, which has risen from 60 to 77, is to be reversed warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in its written evidence to the House of Commons Work and Pensions
09/01/2008
A landmark building in Blaenau Gwent has opened its doors to the community more than 100 years after its original unveiling following a major restoration. The New Year marks a new beginning for the Llanhilleth Miners Institute, near Abertillery, which has been transformed into a venue that is set t
09/01/2008
Croydon and Lewisham's streets are set to benefit from a joint award of £79.5m in Private Finance Initiative investment Transport Minister Rosie Winterton has announced. The funding will allow the London Boroughs of Croydon and Lewisham to secure private sector partners in a joint project to upgrad
09/01/2008
As of the beginning of 2008, Fusion Building Systems, a European leader in pre-insulated Light Gauge Steel Frame buildings, has announced the acquisition of Framing Solutions Ltd. Framing Solutions was formed in 2002 on the back of a joint venture agreement Redrow and Corus UK. Since its formation,
09/01/2008
Scots were today urged to do their bit for the planet's future by pledging to go greener in 2008. Minister for Environment Michael Russell said by signing up to one or more of the Scottish Government's 10 Greener Pledges, people would reduce their impact on the local and global environment. The 10
09/01/2008
The first of a new fleet of winter service vehicles for England's motorways and major A roads will be on the road in time for next winter following the award of a £45m four-year framework contract, the Highways Agency has announced today. The new state-of-the-art vehicles will be capable of clearin
09/01/2008
The number of agricultural tractor units (over 50 horsepower) registered in the UK in 2007 was 15,540, an increase of 14.6% on 2006. This is the highest level recorded since 1996. The average size of units sold rose 4.4% to 134hp so that the total horsepower sold increased 19.6% in the year. Sale
08/01/2008
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond is to be questioned by his fellow MSPs over his handling of the Donald Trump golf resort affair. Next week's session will be at a meeting of the local government committee and the Scottish Finance Secretary, John Swinney will also be questioned by the committe
08/01/2008
With less than a year before the first wave of students throughout England begin to take the Construction and Built Environment (C&BE) Diploma UCAS, the body responsible for deciding the points system used to report achievement for entry to higher education, announced the C&BE Diploma would be worth
08/01/2008
The Epwin Group, the specialist low maintenance building materials group, will be showcasing the world’s first fully recycled PVC-U window at Eco-Build this February. The company supplies low maintenance PVC-U products to the home improvement, social and new build markets and is at the forefront of
08/01/2008
Travelodge are to build the worlds first recyclable hotel, in a move that could save the group £10m. The company will employ a construction method for the Uxbridge-based hotel that will use 86 modified ship containers from China. The containers will be stacked on top of each other and securely bolt
08/01/2008
Hampshire-based construction and development company Dean & Dyball has won a contract to build sailing facilities at Weymouth and Portland for the 2012 Olympic Games. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) chose the contractor ahead of rival bids from companies including Birse, Carillion, Edmund Nutt
08/01/2008
A wi-fi system is to be tried out at Buchanan Street Station on the Glasgow Subway. If successful, passengers will be able to use their laptops and make phone calls. The link could be in operation by the end of the year. A similar scheme is also being considered by First Scotrail for central belt
08/01/2008
Two developers have been chosen to develop four key sites as part of a £1bn facelift of Swansea city centre. Hammerson and Urban Splash will lead the regeneration of the city's retail and waterfront sites. The Quadrant and St David's shopping centres are included in the revamp, while car parks at
08/01/2008
Two new benches will soon be gracing St Austell's streets, in front of the Red Bank, as part of the public realm work for the £3.7m Civic Pride Initiative in the town. Cornwall County Council's Landscape and Urban Design Unit were asked to commission new street furniture for the Civil Pride works o
08/01/2008
Research and development into low carbon energy technologies is set to receive a boost through a £10m investment by the Government-sponsored Technology Strategy Board. With many countries moving towards a lower carbon economy, the Technology Strategy Board is keen to encourage the development of in
07/01/2008
Chancellor Alistair Darling has called for a meeting with energy regulator Ofgem to discuss last week's hike in gas and electricity bills by Npower. Darling is said to be unconvinced by Npower's arguments that they are only passing on the increases in wholesale prices. According to the power firm
07/01/2008
Balfour Beatty has been selected by BAA to deliver its Midfield Pier project at Heathrow Airport. Pre-construction work, comprising design, value management and construction programme development, is already under way on a project which will complement the new Heathrow East Terminal and which will
07/01/2008
Rangers FC have unveiled ambitious plans to revamp its Ibrox Stadium. The plans, one of three options currently being considered by the Glasgow club, would see the capacity of the ground rise to 70,000. This would make Ibrox the biggest sporting venue in Scotland, while work would also see the rege
07/01/2008
Plans for the £173m redevelopment of the student campus at City College in Norwich have been unveiled. If approved, the proposals will see the current buildings demolished and replaced by a new college – providing places for up to 20,000 - by 2015. The project will be completed in two phases. The
07/01/2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned of the need to ensure that the operators of equipment are suitably trained and risks fully assessed before they start work. The warning follows HSE's prosecution of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council after a dumper truck driver was injured when h
07/01/2008
The government has stepped in to block a controversial plan to carry out work on a major new road in the Norfolk area. Norfolk County Council was last year criticised for appointing Trowse firm May Gurney to carry out the controversial £106m northern bypass for Norwich without consultation or tende
07/01/2008
Leading project management and construction specialists, Capita Symonds, have been awarded the contract to manage the development of the new £193m Library of Birmingham. The contract is worth up to £3.9m over the next six years, subject to rigorous performance reviews at each stage. This groundbrea
07/01/2008
Research and development into more energy efficient lighting, lasers and displays is to be boosted by a £10 million investment from the Government-sponsored Technology Strategy Board. With lighting accounting for 20% of the UK's power consumption, the Technology Strategy Board believes that energy
07/01/2008
The Highways Agency has appointed Atos Origin to manage its information technology provision and infrastructure. Atos Origin will now be responsible for the provision of a service desk providing support and maintenance of IT facilities for 2,500 staff as well as the on-going support of a large and
