Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for May 2009
29/05/2009
UK house prices increased by 1.2% in May, according to a report by Nationwide. However, the average price of a house is still 11.3% lower than last year (£154,016), although this marks a significant improvement from the annual decline of 15.0% recorded in April. Commenting on the figures Martin Ga
29/05/2009
A company which initially provided a design service for building conversions and latterly a design service specifically for planning development applications which had previously been refused, has been wound up in the High Court following an investigation by the Companies Investigation Branch of The
29/05/2009
Liverpool-based Mayfield Construction has been awarded the top industry benchmark for sustainability, as well as an International Safety Award, for its work on the £6.5m second phase of Liverpool Science Park. The 'ic2' building - a 4-storey office development with internal car parking and external
29/05/2009
Despite the reported recent pick-up in housing market confidence Jones Lang LaSalle's latest residential market forecast expects average UK house prices to fall by a further 12-14% during the rest of 2009, and a further 1-3% in 2010, while values in central London could decline up to 18% by the end
29/05/2009
Central Networks, the electricity distribution company for central England, is carrying out helicopter patrols across the West Midlands next month, doing its own digital detective work as part of its network inspections. The patrols will be carried out by a helicopter equipped with a high-resolutio
29/05/2009
New photos showing the progress on the London 2012 Velodrome, designed to be the world's fastest track, have been released by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). A team of more than 100 people are now working on the Velodrome site. The photos show how they have driven over 900 piles into the grou
29/05/2009
Lovell has made some unusual home improvements for a special four-legged resident as part of the major housing refurbishment scheme it is carrying out in Norwich. The company has built a run for guide dog Bramble who has just come to live with owner Mhairi Claxton in Cowgate. Lovell, which is work
29/05/2009
The nationwide tool and equipment hire company, HSS Hire, is set to revolutionise hire for major accounts with the launch of LiveHire, a unique, free online hire management system already dubbed 'the most powerful tool in the equipment hire industry'. HSS Livehire is a secure and personalised extra
29/05/2009
MAKA are a leading supplier of 5 axis CNC routers serving the woodworking, plastics and aluminium industries. To celebrate moving into new premises, Maka are pleased to invite you to our open House in Telford on the 3rd, 4th and 5th June 2009. Company director Phil Pitchford explains: "The fist da
28/05/2009
Today the rail industry set out its vision for what the railway should look like and be able to deliver for passengers and freight users in 20 to 30 years time. In 'Planning ahead', a paper published today, Network Rail, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and the Rail Freight Opera
28/05/2009
The high street banks' net mortgage lending of £2.7bn has not been as low for approximately eight years according to a report by the British Bankers' Association (BBA). Personal deposits rose for the third successive month but the savings trend in bank accounts remained subdued. Lending to financi
28/05/2009
Support services and construction company Carillion's Civil Engineering division working on the Rugby Western Relief Road project for clients Warwickshire County Council has successfully completed deck works to two major structures in as many weeks. Both the Parkfield Railway Bridge beams have been
28/05/2009
Network Rail has extended and expanded May Gurney's contract to replace, restore and maintain the UK's rail network structures until 2012. It's all part of May Gurney and Network Rail's commitment to delivering a smooth travelling experience for rail users while causing minimum disruption to nearby
28/05/2009
Construction union UCATT have warmly welcomed the decision that blacklister Ian Kerr will be sent for sentencing in a Crown Court. Mr Kerr pleaded guilty but failed to attend Macclesfield Magistrates Court in person. However the Magistrates decided against sentencing Mr Kerr because they said the
28/05/2009
A company which provided a design service for building conversions - and latterly a design service specifically for planning development applications which had previously been refused - has been wound up in the High Court. This followed an investigation by the Companies Investigation Branch of The
28/05/2009
Peterborough residents can now borrow an energy monitor from any library in the city thanks to a new scheme introduced as part of the 'Your footprint counts' campaign by Peterborough City Council. The easy-to-use monitors are simple to install and require no expertise or prior knowledge. A unit is
28/05/2009
The Welsh Assembly Government and Pochin Construction are hosting an Open Day at the site of the new Welsh Assembly Government office at Llandudno Junction on Saturday 6 June. Construction of the new office, which will be the largest Welsh Assembly Government office outside Cardiff, is due to be co
28/05/2009
A party of Chartered Institute Of Building (CIOB) members were given the opportunity to have a site tour of the new Pinderfields Hospital scheme on Saturday 16 May. The £220m redevelopment of Pinderfields Hospital forms the major part of Balfour Beatty's £311m flagship Pinderfields and Pontefract
27/05/2009
Workloads in the construction sector are continuing to decline during the first three months of the year, according to a study carried out by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). However, the housing sector did show signs of improvement. RICS spokesperson Jeremy Leaf said: "There ar
27/05/2009
Crossrail has appointed OSG-Miller International as the administrator for its Small Claims Scheme. The scheme, which will run throughout the construction of Crossrail, is designed to give a prompt response at minimum cost and inconvenience to claimants. Under the scheme, a member of the public who
27/05/2009
Companies are being asked whether they want to see the UK's first smart metered business district set up in the Northern Quarter, as part of an energy-cutting scheme supported by the Manchester City Council. If the Manchester Smart Energy project is given the go-ahead, discounted smart meters - whi
27/05/2009
Construction union UCATT have won a commitment from construction company Skanska that no form of blacklisting will be tolerated on their sites and that an investigation will be launched into their past conduct. In March it was revealed following an investigation by the Information Commissioner, tha
27/05/2009
Cases against home maintenance traders have topped the list of actions in the first year of new consumer legislation, the OFT has revealed. Since the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) were introduced on 26 May last year, 171 enforcement cases have been taken by Local A
27/05/2009
Following its success in the world's leading sustainable energy awards, Arun District Council has produced a new booklet detailing how it has worked to improve energy efficiency across the district. The local authority was a winner at the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy last year and has now
27/05/2009
A scheme that helps those facing barriers to employment learn construction skills drew to a close recently with a Community Day held at YMCA Nottingham. Fifteen jobseekers from the local area showcased their newly acquired skills in painting and decorating to renovate two of the YMCA's classrooms.
27/05/2009
Skanska UK has announced the appointment of Ian Iceton to the newly created role of Director, HR Operations. Ian, who took up his new position on 11 May, joins Skanska from Volkswagen Group UK where he has spent the last seventeen years of his career, most recently as HR Director. Reporting to Har
27/05/2009
Leyland Trade is giving you the chance to win one of five exclusive Leyland and British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) racing jackets... and all you have to do is boast about a project you have worked on. Just send the details of any recent projects where you have used Leyland products, along wit
27/05/2009
In addition to the existing series of Masterys BC, 8kVA to 20kVA, the addition of two new models will extend the product range. The Masterys BC 30kVA and 40kVA are available with three-phase input and three-phase output as a solution to customer demands. With this complete range there is now the po
26/05/2009
New research by Shelter and other leading advice agencies shows some lenders are still not fully using Government schemes to help struggling homeowners. Shelter, AdviceUK, Citizens Advice and the Money Advice Trust have conducted a survey of their advice experts to see how Government mortgage repos
26/05/2009
There are 32 apprenticeships on offer at Derbyshire County Council, one of the county's biggest employers. The council is looking for trainee roadworkers, electricians, bricklayers, joiners and administrators. The jobs are on offer across Derbyshire. Successful candidates will have to study for a
26/05/2009
Charles Dickens Primary School in Southwark celebrated the launch of its new garden and green classroom on previously derelict land north of its Lant Street site. The small building, named Fezziwig, is an EcoCanopy standing in a new garden beside the now traffic-free section of Lant Street. Classr
26/05/2009
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced an ambitious pledge to halve severe overcrowding in London's social housing sector by 2016, the first city in the UK to make this commitment, together with proposals to deliver more family-sized affordable housing. As the Mayor published his revised hous
26/05/2009
The extended range of Econoplate steam-to-water packaged plate heat exchangers from Stokvis Energy Systems is available with heat outputs from 50kW to 850Kw providing hot, or low temperature hot water, when fed with steam. The Econoplate E2-Series suits a variety of applications from domestic hot w
26/05/2009
Construction union UCATT will be holding a demonstration outside Macclesfield County Court tomorrow, when construction blacklister Ian Kerr, the Head of the Consulting Association, will go on trial. In March it was revealed by the Information Commissioner that Mr Kerr's company, the Consulting Asso
26/05/2009
British Gas Business and British Gas Services have both been ranked among the UK's top 50 places to work. It is the fifth year running for British Gas Business (BGB), leading to a Financial Times Laureate Award for companies that have maintained a position on the list for five consecutive years. So
26/05/2009
People across Sheffield are being asked to do their bit in making the city better for future generations. The City Council is calling on residents, businesses and partners in the public sector to contribute towards reducing the city's carbon footprint. It doesn't have to involve difficult changes f
22/05/2009
Work has started on fitting out the rooms inside the Olympic Stadium a year after construction began on the venue. More than 700 rooms will be based below the podium level of the Stadium, including eight changing rooms and an 82m track in the west stand for athletes to use when warming-up. Since l
22/05/2009
Harlow Council and international developer Stockland have signed an agreement that will see the two organisations join forces on a major 1.3 million square foot mixed use scheme, which will transform Harlow Town Centre. The agreement unlocks the next stage in the planned regeneration of the norther
22/05/2009
Construction union UCATT will be holding a demonstration outside Macclesfield County Court on Wednesday 27 May, when construction blacklister Ian Kerr, the head of the Consulting Association, will go on trial. In March it was revealed by the Information Commissioner that Mr Kerr's company, the Cons
22/05/2009
The UK's largest construction firms have offered a glimmer of hope to subcontractors striving to beat the recession. In a shrinking market where competition is fierce, new research from NetRegs shows that 95% of large firms will give preference to subcontractors who can prove their green credentials
22/05/2009
The growth in repossessions in the first quarter of 2009 announced this week could have been avoided if young people had been taught in school more about what it means to buy a home and what other housing choices they have, according to the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). Sarah Webb, Chief Ex
22/05/2009
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced an ambitious pledge to halve severe overcrowding in London's social housing sector by 2016, the first city in the UK to make this commitment, together with proposals to deliver more family-sized affordable housing. As the Mayor published his revised
22/05/2009
A new trust set up to promote lifelong learning in the construction industry has been launched at a Shaylor Group site. The new Coventry and Warwickshire Construction Education and Training (CAWCET) Foundation - which will mainly operate in the Coventry and Warwickshire area - will promote learning
22/05/2009
Monks' Dyke Technology College new learning facility for the benefit of students has been officially opened by TV chef Rachel Green . The new building is part of a regional £6million project funded by the Learning and Skills Council through Lincolnshire County Council, providing applied learning fa
22/05/2009
Headland Archaeology, one of the UK's biggest archaeology companies, is warning that tough legislation for the designation and protection of UK heritage on land and at sea, will increasingly impact on the renewables sector as more projects arise. Areas of historic importance are protected by the la
21/05/2009
Banks are turning away more than £1bn of mortgage business because they are refusing to lend to people on moderate incomes wanting to buy shared ownership homes, it was claimed today. The National Housing Federation (NHF), which represents England's housing associations, says many banks are refusin
21/05/2009
Mortgage lending declined to an estimated £10.4 billion in April, down 9% from £11.4 billion in March and 60% from £26.1 billion in April 2008, according to new data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The CML said there is a slight fall for seasonal reasons as Easter fell in April this ye
21/05/2009
Small firms in the construction sector are calling for a lower VAT rate on home renovations while struggling against a backdrop of badly decreasing trade, according to a new survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The survey, which canvassed the views of a specialist panel of FSB member
21/05/2009
Private tenants are being badly let down by a system that allows letting agents to operate completely unchecked, routinely ripping off tenants by imposing unjustified and excessive charges and providing a poor or non-existent service, a new report from Citizens Advice says today. The national chari
21/05/2009
Partnerships for Schools has announced the 22 companies shortlisted for the £4 billion framework to procure the design and build of Academies and other educational facilities in local authorities which are not yet engaged with the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The new Contractors
21/05/2009
A world-class £15million research and development laboratory has opened in Small Heath following two years of partnership work between Birmingham City Council and a leading American firm. Located in Birmingham - the council's inward investment team - helped MacDermid plc identify a suitable site f
21/05/2009
The Highways Agency has awarded the M25 Design Build Finance and Operate (DBFO) contract for the future development, operation and maintenance of the M25 motorway. The contract worth £6.2 billion has been awarded to the private sector consortium Connect Plus. Under the contract the M25 will be wid
21/05/2009
Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction, services and investment Group, announces that its US building business, Balfour Beatty Construction US, has won work totalling up to $560 million (£373 million). In Dallas, Balfour Beatty Construction US has been selected, as part of a jo
21/05/2009
Furniture recycling project Recap has hit the ground running after receiving a £67,000 grant from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust in Scotland. Recap used the money to extend their service into former mining communities in the Kelvin Valley, including Twechar, Moodiesburn, Chryston, Auchinloch and
21/05/2009
People who are thinking about making changes to their property in Hull, or taking on a development project are being given help at a special planning surgery. Hull City Council is holding the event later this month, which aims to give people help and advice about the planning application and buildi
21/05/2009
Local residents are being invited to hear more about E.ON's plans for a new onshore wind farm near Knottingley at two exhibitions to be held later this month. The proposed Ferrybridge wind farm would see the construction of up to nine turbines with a generation capacity of between 18MW and 22.5MW.
20/05/2009
Mansell has been awarded an £18 million contract to design and construct 230 new student accommodation units at the corner of Lavington Street and Great Suffolk Street, London, SE1 for the UNITE Group, the UK's leading developer and manager of student accommodation. The accommodation will be constr
20/05/2009
An apprentice scheme launched two years ago as part of a major regeneration programme for Miles Platting, east Manchester, is in the running for a national award. The training scheme, set up by the Renaissance Consortium to give local people the opportunity to learn new skills and gain qualificatio
20/05/2009
Mr Anu Vedi CBE, Chief Executive of Genesis Housing Group, has announced that he will be leaving the organisation later this year. "The Board has been aware for some time of my intention that this should be my last year at Genesis," Mr Vedi said. "After a decade as chief executive, and more than tw
20/05/2009
Building Site Security cannot be ignored in today's Site Management. Arguably, Building Site Security is important if Building Contractors have to keep up with their obligatory deadlines or mandates from Clients. Since prevention is better than occurrence, it becomes necessary that Contractors eng
20/05/2009
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has published revised proposals for alterations to the London Plan to help fund Crossrail. The alterations were first announced last December so that new office developments, in central London and in the northern part of the Isle of Dogs could be required, throu
20/05/2009
An innovative approach designed to ease pressure on developers in the current economic climate is due to be discussed by Norwich City Council's executive committee on 27 May. If approved, the draft framework for planning obligations will allow the council's planning committee to approve development
20/05/2009
A scheme to save thousands of pounds in energy costs by dimming street lighting on some of Leicester's main roads is underway. Leicester City Council has begun work on installing equipment which will dim street lights by 25% at night - resulting in a 52% cut in energy costs. The equipment - whic
20/05/2009
The UK's first commercial version of the City & Guilds 7303 "train the trainer" course has launched for the construction industry.
20/05/2009
With an excellent start to 2009, RJD Interiors Ltd would like to announce that they have successfully completed the hotel bedroom fit out on projects for Travelodge, Ramada Encore, Jury's Inn and Hilton, and are currently near completion on a City Inn site in Leeds. Established since 1998, RJD Inte
20/05/2009
Gypsum Recycling UK Ltd has rolling out an innovative recycling and collection system for plasterboard waste in the UK, in response to new legislation. The system assures that Gypsum Recycling UK Ltd can collect and recycle plasterboard waste from Kent over Wales and the Midlands and back again ove
19/05/2009
Interserve, the services, maintenance and building group, has been awarded a £110 million contract to design and construct a new prison for the Ministry of Justice. The facility, to be known as HMP/YOI Isis, will be situated within the current Belmarsh prison campus site in Woolwich. Working in p
19/05/2009
Crossrail has appointed Andrew Mitchell, the current Major Programme Director with Network Rail's Thameslink Programme, as Programme Director for Crossrail. Dr Graham Plant, Interim Crossrail Programme Director will remain with the project until Mr Mitchell joins later in the year, to enable a smo
19/05/2009
Keller Group, the international ground engineering specialist, has announced the retirement of its Chairman, Dr Michael West. Dr West has chaired the Group since 1995 and was previously Chief Executive from 1982, having joined the Group in 1964. He will retire as Chairman at the end of July and wil
19/05/2009
Riverside has been crowned Social Landlord of the Year for the second consecutive year and also scooped the Customer Service Award at the Housing Excellence Awards. Riverside is the only company in the history of the Housing Excellence Awards to be the sole recipient of two awards on the same night
19/05/2009
Two dilapidated houses which have been standing empty and blighting their local neighbourhoods for more than 10 years have been seized by Plymouth City Council using compulsory purchase orders. The houses in Grenville Road, St Judes, and Grosvenor Cottages, off Mutley Plain, are now being renovated
19/05/2009
Lovell is set to start work on a £5 million housing development for Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association. The new development of 37 affordable homes - for rent and for shared ownership through the housing association - will be built at Hermon Close, Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil. The housing scheme has bee
19/05/2009
The National Housing Federation (NHF) has appointed a former permanent secretary to the Cabinet Office to lead the hunt for its next chair. Dame Mavis McDonald, who was also permanent secretary to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, will head up a nominations committee that will recommend the
19/05/2009
Fewer people are losing their homes, due to measures introduced by the government to support homeowners during the current economic climate. A total of 17,054 orders against mortgage defaulters were issued by the courts from January to March 2009, compared to 29,771 in the previous quarter - a redu
19/05/2009
Harman Architectural have completed a project for clients Simon and Julie at their holiday home on the north west coast of Wales. The property is situated on the edge of the cliffs that overlook the beaches of Criccieth so attention to the selection of the correct materials were paramount. The in
18/05/2009
The owners of the London Eye have announced they are to invest over £10 million in the tourist attraction, to make it environmentally friendly. Merlin Entertainments Group, owners of the Eye, said the £12.5m upgrade will improve heating and ventilation in the 32 capsules, to make it more energy eff
18/05/2009
Construction union UCATT have given a cautious welcome to the Home Affairs select committee report on human trafficking. The report recognised that there was a major issue of exploitation of migrant workers by Gangmasters in the construction industry and that if the Employment Agency Standards Insp
18/05/2009
Margaret Beckett MP, Minister for Housing and Planning and a line up of economic and business experts including Chief US Economist, Dr Ian Shepherdson, will open the UK's largest housing conference on 16 June in Harrogate. Over 1,500 delegates will hear how the biggest economic downturn since 1945
18/05/2009
Birmingham City Council and Housing 21 continue to buck the economic trend by working in partnership to construct a new multi-million pound extra care housing development at The Meadway, Yardley - the second one in Birmingham in a month. Last month construction began on a similar scheme in Turves
18/05/2009
The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Workload Trends Survey revealed that the industry downturn slowed in the first quarter of 2009. CECA members reported a further deterioration in workloads in April 2009, continuing the downward trend established in July last year. However while
18/05/2009
Work has started on a new £1.5 million library and community learning centre for New Parks in Leicester. The New Parks Library and Community Learning Centre, funded by Leicester City Council and The Big Lottery Fund, is being developed on a prominent site at the heart of the community next to shop
18/05/2009
Be safe on site and be safe on the road - that was the message from safety specialists speaking at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) Road Transport conference. During the last three years, 14 people have been killed and more than 2,000 people have been injured by cargo falli
18/05/2009
In response to industry needs to improve safety standards within the plant sector, the National Construction College (NCC), Europe's largest construction training provider, has developed a course to help ensure best practice approach when using quick hitches on excavators. The Health and Safety Exe
18/05/2009
Padipa have recently introduced into their assortment the impressive range of reconstituted stone cladding from Fernhill. The range is suitable for anything from decorating a small fireplace, a feature wall outside or inside to, as in the illustration, cladding the exterior of a small development
15/05/2009
Crossrail, London's first new major railway in a generation, reached a landmark moment today as the Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the Prime Minister Gordon Brown marked the start of construction of Crossrail at a breakfast briefing with UK business leaders. The Mayor was then joined by Transpor
15/05/2009
There were 12,800 repossessions by first-charge mortgage lenders in the first quarter of this year, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). This compares with 10,400 in the fourth quarter of last year, and 8,500 in the first quarter of 2008. Although repossessions are still rising, the
15/05/2009
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has directed Newham Council to refuse planning permission for plans to redevelop Queen's Market in Upton Park, which include the construction of a 96 metre high residential tower block. When plans were submitted to the Mayor for consultation in May 2008, the appli
15/05/2009
Construction work has started on the Greenway, an important cycle and walking route to the Olympic Park and green space both during the London 2012 Games and in legacy. The multi-million pound improvement works will regenerate a 2.3km stretch of the Greenway which links the Olympic Park to Victoria
15/05/2009
All new homes will feature inbuilt protection from hot water scalding in baths and will use water more efficiently under measures announced by Housing Minister Iain Wright. From October this year all new build homes will have protective devices fitted to baths to limit hot water temperature, and wi
15/05/2009
The Welsh Assembly Government is looking at a new model for housing associations to access private funding, Deputy Housing Minister Jocelyn Davies AM announced. The Deputy Minister revealed that she is examining plans to securing resources for housing and make existing budgets stretch further inclu
15/05/2009
The government are seeking new ways of addressing land contamination that promote a low carbon footprint, reduce the strain on over burdened landfill sites and reduces cost. Approved Site Investigations Ltd (ASI) are now able to offer an alternative remediation method that is designed primarily for
15/05/2009
Lovell is giving two teenagers the chance to build careers in the construction industry as it carries out work on a major housing improvement programme in the city. Trainee carpenters Sean Powell and Dan Scott, who both live in Barnwood, have joined the company under its apprenticeship scheme. Sea
14/05/2009
A leading mobile home manufacturer based in Hull, Stellar Statics, has selected Freefoam's Fortex range of triple plank cladding to clad its static homes for the export market. Freefoam, the market leader in environmentally friendly and UV protected roofline and rainwater products, manufactures th
14/05/2009
An extra £342 million in public funds has been pumped into the Olympic Village project, meaning the venue will now be publicly-owned. Before the investment was announced, the £1bn village - which now includes 2,800 apartments – was a privately funded project, and was later switched to a public-priv
14/05/2009
While borrowers still need large deposits to be able to enter the market, and overall lending remains constrained, both first-time buyers and home movers are benefiting from the lowest debt servicing costs since 2004, according to the latest monthly lending survey from the Council of Mortgage Lender
14/05/2009
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has published on-line guidance of how social landlords - RSLS, ALMOs and local authorities - can bid for part of the additional £84 million housing funding package announced in April's 2009 Budget for cavity wall insulation. The Social Housing Energy Saving Pr
14/05/2009
Network Rail's Chief Executive, Ian Coucher, has announced he will not take an annual bonus this year, to try to keep focus on his and the company's performance. Other members of the Network Rail committee, however, are expected to take annual bonuses as well as the long-term bonus. Last year Mr C
14/05/2009
The new replacement building at a south Wales comprehensive school has been fitted with a sprinkler system following an arson attack which destroyed the previous 1970s building, causing over £8.5 million of damages. The system incorporates a 67,000 litres sprinkler tank which is manufactured by Cam
14/05/2009
HSS Hire, the national tool and equipment hire company, has received glowing accolades from the Hire Association Europe (HAE) with award wins across multiple categories at the prestigious HAE Awards of Excellence 2009. On the night, HSS was crowned 'Hire Company of the Year' and also walked away wi
14/05/2009
Housing associations have made a promising start in clearing the backlog of unsold shared ownership properties, according to the latest figures from the Tenant Services Authority (TSA). Chief Executive Peter Marsh said there had been an improvement in the sector's sales performance over the last qu
14/05/2009
A high quality extension of Dove Cottage in Ailsworth, near Peterborough, won the best 'domestic extension or conversion' award at the annual East Anglia Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Built-In Quality Awards held at the DeVere University Arms Hotel in Cambridge. Over 200 professionals fro
14/05/2009
Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction, investment and services Group, has announced that Transform Schools, which manages Balfour Beatty Capital's schools schemes, has reached financial close for the £200 million Southwark Schools for the Future secondary programme. The projec
14/05/2009
Four leading housing charities have welcomed an announcement that the law is to be changed to protect private tenants who face sudden homelessness when their landlord is repossessed, but warn that there must be no delay in introducing this protection. The announcement by the Government comes in res
13/05/2009
Disputes between estate agents and their clients have finally started to mirror the property market trend, with a significant fall in the numbers involving property sales during the first quarter of 2009. The Property Ombudsman (formerly the Ombudsman for Estate Agents), Christopher Hamer, says the
13/05/2009
Places in the North and Midlands, where the government has spent billions attempting to revive the housing market, are being hit hard by the recession and may struggle to recover. Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders were set up in 2003 to restore confidence in areas where demand had collapsed, homes
13/05/2009
One in five construction sites failed health and safety checks during the latest national inspection initiative carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Inspectors from Britain's workplace regulator visited 1759 refurbishment sites during March and checked on how 2145 contractors were
13/05/2009
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Culture Secretary Andy Burnham have urged councils and developers to put good planning, local character and high quality design at the heart of development. A new cross-Government strategy released has stressed that good quality buildings and ample green infra
13/05/2009
Lovell has been chosen to carry out a £1.9 million scheme to build 18 new homes for affordable rent in Hellesdon, Norwich. The new homes will be created on the site of Ethel Tipple Court, a former respite care home, for Saffron Housing Trust in partnership with Norfolk County Council and Broadland
13/05/2009
National design practice P+HS Architects has achieved planning permission for a new £2.7m sustainable medical centre in north Leeds. Developed by Abstract for their investment partners, Assura the new 1750 sq m building will replace the current cramped accommodation at Tinshill Lane for Dr Islip a
13/05/2009
The historic home of French surrealist author and poet Jean Cocteau, which is currently owned by the Yves St-Laurent Foundation, has been insulated with Icynene. The chateau in Milly-la-Foret still houses many wonderful works of art so the general contractor appointed for this remodeling work, Tecmo
13/05/2009
Lambeth Council, in partnership with Lambeth Living, has earmarked £3.5 million for a major programme of environmental works to make Lambeth cleaner, greener and safer. The announcement of this extra funding will target six key areas, including housing estates that are in most need of environmental
13/05/2009
Bob Eastwood, owner and proprietor of one of the Midlands most successful tiling company's - Master Tiler is pleased to announce new changes to the company website. Bob himself is an expert master tiler and an expert in the fixing of wall, floor and ceiling tiles, man-made and natural stone product
13/05/2009
In 2008, Mardak entered the Software Satisfaction Awards for the very first time. They were delighted to receive an honourable mention in the awards - which recognised the high quality of the votes cast for them. This year they hope to go one better and win the awards. In the Software Satisfaction
12/05/2009
DONG Energy, E.ON and Masdar have today announced that they will invest €2.2bn in building the first 630MW phase of the London Array offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary. Once complete, the scheme will be the the world's largest, and the first 1GW, offshore wind farm. The project will supply en
12/05/2009
Four children were seriously injured today after a heating duct collapsed in a school sports hall in Kent. Thirteen children were involved in the incident which happened at around 9am at Minster College on the Isle of Sheppey. One of the most seriously injured children has been flown to hospital b
12/05/2009
Centrica has welcomed the opening of the Qatar partnership's South Hook liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, and has outlined the important role Qatar will play in supplying LNG to the UK. The South Hook terminal in Milford Haven is the first project to involve Qatar in the UK gas industry and fol
12/05/2009
Plans for a £38 million regeneration scheme to transform towns and communities across North Wales will get underway following the go-ahead for Convergence Funding, Leighton Andrews, Deputy Minister for Regeneration, announced. Aimed at driving forward the economic regeneration of seven of Wales' mo
12/05/2009
Film industry construction crews have successfully defended their paid bank holidays on major feature films in UK studios, BECTU has announced. After a dispute which flared up after Easter, construction crews will continue to be paid for bank holidays in addition to their statutory holiday pay. Th
12/05/2009
The full British Swimming Team, coaches and support staff saw progress on the London 2012 Aquatics Centre this weekend as part of their preparations for this summer's World Swimming Championship, a major stepping stone to the 2012 Games. The swimmers that saw the wave-shaped 2800 tonne Aquatics Cen
12/05/2009
In a submission to the Department's of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Communities and Local Government (DCLG), the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has called for a combined approach towards buildings and energy generation. Michael Brown CIOB Deputy Chief Executive said: "With 50% of CO
12/05/2009
Construction union UCATT have welcomed the announcement that the Government is intending to outlaw blacklisting but are disappointed that the process will be delayed due to a fresh consultation exercise. In March it was discovered that over 40 major construction companies were paying a company call
12/05/2009
Maple Tool Hire are pleased to announce a new addition to their extensive range of services. After trading for for over 25 years, initially specialising in tool hire and tool sales Maple have added state of the art top quality embroidery machines which are able to supply all manor of work uniforms
11/05/2009
EDF Group and Centrica announced today that they have reached a definitive agreement whereby Centrica will invest in EDF's nuclear business in the UK. Centrica will acquire a 20% interest in British Energy, the operator of eight existing nuclear power stations of which EDF acquired control in Januar
11/05/2009
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has published on-line guidance of how developers and local authorities can bid for two elements of the additional £635 million housing funding package announced in April's Budget. A total of £400 million of the package has been put in to the Kickstart Housing
11/05/2009
Galliford Try, the construction and housebuilding Group, has announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the residential development assets of Wright (Hull) Limited from its administrative receivers. The assets comprise five housing sites in the Hull and York areas totalling 147 plots, of
11/05/2009
The Government is to introduce new regulations to prevent union members being denied employment by secret blacklists. In March the Information Commissioner reported that 40 construction companies had subscribed to a database used to vet construction workers, which has now been closed under data pro
11/05/2009
All homes in Britain will have smart meters installed by 2020 under plans published today. Great Britain will be the first country in the world to have an overhaul of this size for both electricity and gas meters. Smart meters enable meter readings to be taken remotely and together with a display
11/05/2009
Over 100,000 young adults will leave the English countryside over the next three years - prompting fears that traditional village life in many areas of the country is now in terminal decline, according to new research published today. The National Housing Federation(NHF), which represents England'
11/05/2009
Following the publication of the Government's consultation on implementing the Agency Workers Directive, construction union UCATT are demanding an urgent radical rethink of the proposals in order to protect construction workers. The Government have insisted that agency workers will have to serve a
11/05/2009
A programme of dredging to revitalise the Olympic Park waterways has started. The dredging will improve water quality and open up the waterways allowing barges to transport construction materials to and from the site. This will contribute towards the Olympic Delivery Authority's (ODA's) target of b
11/05/2009
Save time and ensure accuracy in your specifications by using SpeedDeck's free specification services. The SpeedDeck technical advisory service is available to architects and design and build contractors. The team has the expertise and experience in secret fix roofing to look at drawings on a clien
11/05/2009
Recycling is now a part of our daily lives, most would agree that attitudes have changed immeasurably in recent years. Here in the building industry architects, contractors and manufacturers alike are focused on creating buildings which achieve or exceed the statuary requirements for modern sustaina
08/05/2009
Europe's second largest steelmaker Corus said it has been forced to open consultations that might result in a decision to mothball its Teeside Cast Products (TCP) plant in northeast England, which will threaten the future of up to 2,000 workers. The company said that any decision to mothball is lik
08/05/2009
Electrical engineering contractor T Clarke has announced a positive start to the year, and its order book stands at around £175m compared to £200m in the first quarter last year. The Group said: "Current market conditions continue to be uncertain, however, early indicators suggest some restoration
08/05/2009
EDF Energy will today initiate a sales process relating to the divestment of land potentially suitable for new nuclear build. The process will result in EDF Energy selling one site, at Dungeness in Kent or Heysham in Lancashire. These sites were acquired as a result of EDF Energy's integration wit
08/05/2009
Seven in ten people find the number of gas and electricity tariffs available confusing with over 4,000 to choose from. Consumer company Which? believes that baffling bills and an array of complex tariffs make it very difficult for consumers to understand what gas and electricity schemes they are us
08/05/2009
Young people in Wolverhampton will soon be benefiting from a major new learning centre containing state of the art facilities and equipment thanks to £4.5 million funding from the Government. The Diploma Learning Centre will be open to learners from across the city who are studying on one of the ne
08/05/2009
Cardiff Central Library has achieved BREEAM 'Excellent' rating with no extra construction cost. Re-use of an existing site and enhancements to local ecology helped score a high rating under BREEAM. Located to the south end of Hayes Place, on a site that was a former car park for the Marriott Hote
08/05/2009
Plans to relocate St Luke's Hospice to the site of a former school in the Norfolk Park area of the city are set to go ahead should Council leaders approve this move next week. Sheffield City Council has been helping St Luke's Hospice Trustees to proceed with their proposal to relocate the charitabl
08/05/2009
Green standards for new buildings in Wales intended to cut carbon emissions and improve their sustainability were announced by Environment, Sustainability & Housing Minister Jane Davidson. The move makes Wales the first part of the UK to set a national standard for sustainable buildings to be met t
08/05/2009
E.ON and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council have announced the award of £6.9 million of research funding to four university-led projects investigating carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies which could drastically cut CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel power stations. CCS is
08/05/2009
TBS Fabrications, one of the UK's leading manufacturers of cubicles, ducting and vanity units, are pleased to introduce the newest addition to their extensive range of washroom cubicles. Stylish and contemporary, the Platinum cubicle system is the perfect choice for those looking to create an impact
07/05/2009
British Gas, the biggest supplier of electricity to homes in Britain, has cut an average 10% off its standard electricity prices. The price cut for 4.5 million customers takes effect immediately. British Gas's electricity rates are now as much as £111 lower than the local supplier. British Gas's
07/05/2009
Construction firm, Costain, has reported a a £900 m revenue this year, which is ahead of the comparable figure last year. The company reported a good performance in all sectors and said the current level of tendering activity for new work remains high. A spokesperson for Costain said: "Our Civil E
07/05/2009
Kier Construction has been awarded a £27m contract by Network Rail to renew the large barrel-vaulted glazed roof at King's Cross Station. Work, due to begin in May 2009, involves the installation of a new glazed roof for the main train shed. This will entail the installation of 15,000sq m of glazin
07/05/2009
Barnsley Council has adopted its first Development Plan Document (DPD). The DPD is the first of a number of new planning documents being prepared as part of the Local Development Framework (LDF) which will eventually replace the current Unitary Development Plan. The Barnsley Education Sites DPD ha
07/05/2009
SkyBlue one of the UK's top national recruitment firms has been named Best Construction Recruitment Firm in a recent awards ceremony. The Recruiter Awards for Excellence 2009 is given annually to construction recruitment firms that show excellence in terms of quality of service, innovation and prof
07/05/2009
The Highways Agency has announced that two new bridges are to be lifted into place over the M4 near Swindon. The first bridge will be lifted into place at South Leaze on 16-17 May between Junction 15 and 16. The motorway will be closed from 7pm and reopen by 10.00am on Sunday 17 May with traffic di
07/05/2009
After months of campaigning, encouraging builders and the public to vote for them, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) crisp flavour of choice, Builder's Breakfast, has won Walkers 'Do us a Flavour' competition. More than a million votes were cast of which Builder's Breakfast received 232,336,
07/05/2009
The Royal Military College of Science in Shrivenham, also known as Cranfield University, has long been considered a centre of academic excellence, offering the expertise of both Academia and Officers of the British Armed Forces in the teaching of Defence Management, Science and Technology. The Ro
06/05/2009
The HCA London Board, chaired by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has agreed to invest over £16m in the latest two projects from its programme to 'kick start' developments in London that have been affected by the economic downturn. The Board allocated over £13m and £3m respectively to Clapham Par
06/05/2009
Construction workers are protesting at the 2012 Olympic Games site in London to demand that more British workers should be employed rather than agency workers. Around 400 members of GMB and Unite unions demonstrated at the site in Stratford, east London. They will travel on coaches from constructio
06/05/2009
A strategy for delivering the new homes, jobs and infrastructure the South East needs until 2026 was announced by Communities Minister Sadiq Khan today. The South East Plan sets out a framework for sustainable growth that will support long-term economic performance in the region by encouraging the
06/05/2009
Carillion and its joint venture partners in the Local Education Partnership (LEP), have been appointed as the preferred bidder for the £500 million Durham Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, part of the UK Government's £45 billion BSF programme. The LEP, comprising Durham County Counci
06/05/2009
Planners have given the green light to build a new school in Efford, Plymouth, which the Council hopes will be key to the area's revival. The £8.6 million school will replace Highfield and Plym View primary schools and promises young learners new facilities that the council, the school and the Hear
06/05/2009
A new planning policy setting out a comprehensive approach for planning for sustainable economic growth in all parts of the country has been published for consultation by Housing and Planning Minister Margaret Beckett. The proposed Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Prosperous Economies stre
06/05/2009
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing Supply (CIPS) Markit Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for construction rose sharply this month from 30.9 in March, to 38.1 in April. The indices follow trends in housing, commercial and civil engineering output, which all rose in April, though the overall figu
06/05/2009
Recent news that EU member states have approved a plan to ban low and standard efficiency circulating pumps from 2013 has been warmly welcomed by Wilo in the UK. The plan also states that from 2015, only very high efficiency 'intelligent' circulators will be allowed. Wilo has been promoting its hig
05/05/2009
Kier has been named by North Tyneside Council as preferred bidder for a contract with a potential value of over £600m to repair and maintain its social housing stock and other council-owned property for an initial ten-year term, which is extendable for a further five years. The contract entails the
05/05/2009
Energy companies are shortchanging consumers by dodging their responsibility to help people cut their fuel bills and in the process, are failing UK workers, town hall leaders will say today. Under the government's Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) energy suppliers are set targets to cut the
05/05/2009
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has pledged £3 million to develop 10 flagship Low Carbon Zones to cut carbon emissions, create jobs and slash energy bills in the capital. Speaking at HRH Prince Charles' May Day Summit on Climate Change, the Mayor formally invited applications for the Low Carbon
05/05/2009
London 2012 is calling on industry to help them find a sustainable solution for the use of materials, such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride), needed for temporary buildings and the temporary elements of permanent venues needed for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA
05/05/2009
Somerset County Council can confirm that Henry W Pollard and Son Ltd of Bridgwater has been awarded the main building contract for the £6.93 million Museum of Somerset Project at Taunton Castle. The contract to undertake the restoration of Taunton Castle attracted considerable attention. Over 30 bu
05/05/2009
Home affordability for potential first-time buyers (FTBs) has improved substantially since mid 2007, according to the latest Halifax FTB Affordability Review. The proportion of local authorities in the UK where housing is affordable for an FTB has more than trebled since 2007. In the first quarte
05/05/2009
The new Cardiff Central Library, a development by St David's Partnership and contractor Laing O'Rourke Wales & West, has achieved a post-construction BREEAM Excellent rating and is set to become one of the most iconic sustainable buildings in the city.Located to the south end of Hayes Place, Cardiff
05/05/2009
Lovell is set to carry out a £4.3 million housing modernisation programme in Manor Park, Sheffield, for Pennine Housing 2000. Work is set to begin in May on the 11-month housing refurbishment scheme to improve 320 homes at the Manor Park estate. The improvements to be carried out by Lovell include
05/05/2009
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has launched an expression of interest process for a new initiative, which could potentially attract significant investment into the housing market by encouraging institutions to fund new homes specifically for private rent. The objective of the HCA's Private
05/05/2009
Vandals have damaged an electricity substation in Walsall three times in the past few months, risking power cuts to local homes and leaving themselves at risk of serious injury or death, according to Central Networks. In three separate incidents in February and March was broken into and where intru
01/05/2009
Ofgem has welcomed the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s (CAT) decision to uphold Ofgem's finding that National Grid was in breach of competition law, restricting the development of competition in the domestic gas meter market. In its decision the CAT has ruled that National Grid should face a £30 mil
01/05/2009
Surrey County Council's Trading Standards team is calling on residents to make sure they look for the new Gas Safe registration card when booking a gas engineer. CORGI was replaced by the Gas Safe Register as the UK's official safety body on 1 April and it now oversees the safety of gas installatio
01/05/2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned construction employers and developers that the risks on refurbishment sites must be controlled to protect the safety of both workers and the public. The warning follows the prosecution of a developer after the collapse of a building which was underg
01/05/2009
Crossrail has announced that Terry Morgan, CBE will take up appointment as Non-Executive Chairman on 1 June ahead of the previously announced date of November 2009. Current Non-Executive Chairman Douglas Oakervee, OBE will leave Crossrail when Mr Morgan joins the organisation. Crossrail will be Eu
01/05/2009
Jocelyn Davies AM, Deputy Minister for Housing, has met some of the first people to move into new social housing bought with some of the £42 million funding, aimed at helping to boost the economy. In December, Ms Davies announced that the Strategic Capital Investment Fund (SCIF) money would be avai
01/05/2009
A theatre redeveloped by Kier Marriott for the University of Cambridge has won a Local Authority Building Control Building Excellence Award. The ADC Theatre picked up the award for Best Technical Design and Construction in the East Anglia region and will now go through to the national final. The L
01/05/2009
A new construction college has opened in east London providing thousands of training opportunities for local people. The new centre will give Londoners at Thames House the chance to develop the skills to help deliver the venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Games and other significant cons
01/05/2009
Geoff Beentjes has taken over as managing director of UK construction hoist specialist Hoist-it Ltd after Gordon Gedling retired from the role on 31 March. Gedling established Hoist-it from the garage of his semi-detached home in 1985, and it now operates from specially built premises with a portfo
