Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for February 2010
26/02/2010
The international infrastructure Group, Balfour Beatty, has announced that it has been appointed as preferred bidder for the £250 million PPP street lighting contract by Coventry City Council. The 25-year concession will involve the design, installation and maintenance of 33,000 street lights and 6
26/02/2010
The wall and roof cladding on the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) has been completed and the Main Press Centre (MPC) has reached its full height. The venues are being delivered by a team of companies from across the UK, including the north-east, Wales, North Yorkshire, the Midlands, Scunthorpe
26/02/2010
A Carillion joint venture has achieved financial close on the Southmead Hospital PPP project, having put in place the finances necessary to deliver the new 800-bed acute hospital. Carillion will invest £50 million of equity and will use its wide range of in-house capabilities to provide a fully int
26/02/2010
Greenwich Council is the first local authority in London to start construction work on new Council homes for rent, funded through the Government's £500 million Local Authority New Build Programme. Councillors were on site for the launch of the scheme at Woodlands Park Road, Greenwich, which will se
26/02/2010
North Manchester residents are being invited to find out about important plans for more than 400 affordable family homes in Harpurhey and Moston. The new homes will support the regeneration of the area and in particular will help first time buyers. It follows an agreement between Redrow Homes and
26/02/2010
New Welsh Assembly Government funding worth more than £2.3million to modernise Bryn y Neuadd Hospital, Llanfairfechan, Gwynedd has been announced by Health Minister Edwina Hart. The funding will enable the electrical infrastructure to be replaced. It will also be used to install new high efficiency
26/02/2010
Tensar International's newly developed RE500 series of uniaxial geogrids have been awarded British Board of Agrément Certification for roads, bridge abutments, retaining walls, slopes and embankments in UK highway construction. RE500 uniaxial geogrids show significant long term strength improvements
26/02/2010
The new pipe cowl is the only fully tried and tested fitting for the PRV. The cowl has just one fitting with one soldered joint and that's it. It is available NOW at all leading merchants. Please follow the video link below for more information on the new product at
26/02/2010
Specialist surface mounted tactile paving manufacturer Visul Systems is officially launching there Section 12 approved platform edge warning surface at Infrarail 2010 – its innovative new flame resistant tactile system developed for underground stations. The system utilises the latest developments
25/02/2010
Unions representing workers at steel producer, Corus, will meet today to plan a ballot for orchestrated and strategic industrial action. The unions are campaigning to force the company to make a firm commitment to finding a buyer for its Teesside plant, which is being mothballed. Corus began mothb
25/02/2010
A roofer has been fined £4,950 after putting himself and two of his employees at risk of falling more than seven metres from a building. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Dean Paul Shaw (44), trading as Streamline Guttering and Cladding, of Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire, for allowing
25/02/2010
Whilst welcoming the Conservatives' commitment to increase much needed housing supply, their Planning Green Paper proposals published today pose some significant concerns for developers the HBF said on behalf of the house building industry. It believes that scrapping regional targets and structures
25/02/2010
Lovell has been chosen by Gloucester City Homes (GCH) for a £30 million housing repairs and maintenance contract. The five-year deal will see Lovell provide a reactive repairs service and deliver planned maintenance programmes for GCH, which manages Gloucester City Council's 5,000 homes. Under th
25/02/2010
Justice Support Services has now reached financial close to deliver six new police investigation centres in Norfolk and Suffolk on behalf of the Norfolk and Suffolk Police Authorities. A consortium comprising Kier, Uberior Infrastructure Investments, part of the Lloyds Banking Group and Reliance Se
25/02/2010
Housing associations in England have come through the worst credit crunch in living memory, outperforming commercial property companies and the wider economy, with their financial health secure and revenues continuing to grow. The Tenant Services Authority's (TSA) new study, The Impact of the Credi
25/02/2010
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure Group, has announced that Gammon Construction, the infrastructure contractor in Hong Kong, in which Balfour Beatty has a 50% shareholding, has been awarded a HK$2.4 billion (£195 million) roads' contract. It is for the widening of the Tolo and Fanlin
25/02/2010
S G System Products Limited have updated their 'Glassrail' and 'Stronghold' balustrade brochures and copies are available from their Ipswich office or at
25/02/2010
Real Flame has recently added the Blue Box range of bio ethanol fires to the existing range of EcoSmart fires that have proved so successful in the market. The Blue Box range offer a really high quality burner with a brilliant flame pattern at a very affordable price. The Blue Box burner, being s
25/02/2010
Bridge Interiors, established in 1972 and brings over 30 years of specialist knowledge and skills to the design of office interiors, has announced it will be attending the Excel/Easyfairs Interior Fit-Out Exhibition. The exhibition takes place on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 May, and Bridge Interiors
25/02/2010
Disruption to trading at a world famous jewellery store on the corner of Old Bond Street and Piccadilly was kept to a minimum during recent restoration work to the buildings façades due to cleverly constructed scaffolding. In a £250,000 contract, Szerelmey Restoration Limited erected specially desi
24/02/2010
A Bradford property developer was fined £10,000 for safety failings that endangered the lives of workers on a refurbishment project in Hull. HQ Leisure Limited, of Park Drive, Bradford, pleaded guilty to six charges at Hull Magistrates Court, one breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, tw
24/02/2010
A new report by the London Assembly Transport Committee raises concerns that London has been burdened unfairly with the costs of Crossrail and criticises the way compulsory purchases of businesses and homes have been handled. In its report, 'Light at the end of the tunnel', the Committee offers str
24/02/2010
Housebuilder Galliford Try has reported a group revenue of £570 million for the six months ending in December 2009, however the firm has said "the market for construction remains challenging". The groups pre-tax profit was £6.4 million, compared to a pre-tax loss of £37.5 million in the same period
24/02/2010
May Gurney has announced that it has secured two new long-term contracts with Anglian Water, under its AMP5 programme, with a combined total value of up to £120 million. Beginning in April 2010, the contracts cover Anglian Water's East Area and include the installation of water meters and the repai
24/02/2010
Lovell has contributed to a positive set of preliminary results for the year ended 31 December, released by parent construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall. Profit before tax and amortisation was £51.5 million on revenue of £2,214 million. The Group's forward order book currently stands
24/02/2010
Ofgem has welcomed the Court of Appeals' ruling that National Grid breached the law and acted anti-competitively in the domestic gas metering market. The ruling fully endorses the substance of Ofgem's case, that the multi-million pound contracts struck by National Grid with suppliers in 2002 when t
24/02/2010
Housing Minister John Healey has announced a boost to housebuilding in England, by confirming nearly £500 million funding to build around 8,000 affordable homes across the country. Every region of the country is benefiting from this extra cash to build much-needed affordable homes for sale and ren
24/02/2010
Geo-Development Services (GDS) has released its web-based System Monitoring And Remote Telemetry (SMART) service for providing secure access to monitor, record and trigger alarms from unmanned equipment installed in remote locations. The SMART system provides the user with on-line analysis of equi
24/02/2010
CS Shipping Containers are supplying Computers 4 Africa with shipping containers that can be converted into classrooms equipped with computers to give IT skills to people in Africa. Sharon Roberts from Computers 4 Africa said: "We are delighted to have this opportunity to be working with CS Shippin
24/02/2010
Dealec is one of the UK's leading distributors of Electric Heating, Ventilation and Water Heating products. Their showroom is online to view and buy a wide selection of products from leading brand manufacturers with daily deliveries throughout the UK. Solutions from
24/02/2010
One of the largest distributors of surveying equipment, South Survey, will be attending exhibitions over a number of dates. Forthcoming Events:
23/02/2010
There's a simple solution being mooted for the ailing construction industry. More than 24,000 jobs in the construction sector as well as an extra 31,000 other new jobs in the wider economy could be created in 2010 by cutting VAT to five percent on the labour element of repair, maintenance and impro
23/02/2010
New legislation to improve the safety of tower cranes on construction sites have been laid before Parliament, paving the way for the start of a statutory registration scheme. The regulations, developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), will come into force on 6 April. They include a registe
23/02/2010
Willmott Dixon aims to provide a pointer to achieving low carbon healthcare facilities with its £17 million contract to design and build the UK's first BREEAM 'outstanding' Primary Care Centre. Health facilities are traditionally high consumers of fossil fuel energy, so Willmott Dixon and Sunderlan
23/02/2010
A BAM 'PPP'-led consortium, including BAM Construction and BAM Facilities Management, has been selected by Somerset County Council to undertake its £600 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The first phase will be the £100 million rebuilding of Bridgwater's four secondary and tw
23/02/2010
The National Housing Federation has welcomed many aspects of the Conservative Party's planning green paper, but warned that the current proposals pose too great a risk to the delivery of affordable housing. The Federation has welcomed parts of the green paper, especially the proposed shift in the p
23/02/2010
A development to provide new and affordable homes in Buckinghamshire is back on track after a £4.945 million grant from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The first phase of the Berryfields development in Aylesbury is forecast to contain 384 new homes of which 30 per cent will be affordable. T
23/02/2010
One of the UK's fastest growing hotel chains, Travelodge has announced the exchange of 10 new hotels at a combined investment value of £61 million, delivering an additional 1,133 rooms. The expansion will create 300 jobs, with all entry level staff being recruited from the long term unemployed via
23/02/2010
Warmworld have a new Product Portfolio for 2010 making their range of energy efficient controls even larger. January seen the launch of 3 new products designed by the Bristol based company that will assist installers and end users alike. Gary Belgium MD said: "We have an exciting low cost high qua
23/02/2010
With spring on the horizon, Rookery Barns is gearing up for the point-to-point season, a popular horse racing tradition in the leafy parts of Surrey and Hampshire. On 5 April the bespoke oak barn builder will be an exhibitor and sponsor of the Vine and Craven Hunt Point-to-Point at Hackwood Park ne
23/02/2010
Martini Scaffolding is a well established independent scaffolding company, offering a prompt, reliable service from a team of fully trained, CITB registered scaffolders. Covering Greater London including Red Routes, and all of South East England Martini Scaffolding are offering 10% discount on all
23/02/2010
Building Profiles, distributors of a wide range of quality fittings for windows and doors, is introducing its new product - the Contron Conservatory Controller. The Contron has been designed to provide a function rich yet easy to use control panel ideally suited for conservatory type installations.
22/02/2010
Roofing companies in Merseyside are being urged not put their employees in danger after the number of formal warnings issued last year more than doubled. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) handed out 69 enforcement notices in Merseyside in the first ten months of 2009 covering unsafe work at hei
22/02/2010
Housing Minister John Healey and Rural Affairs Minister Lord Davies have named 36 rural councils that will benefit from expert support to help design and plan up to 10,000 new homes. A large proportion of these homes will be affordable for local people, giving a boost to rural businesses and helpi
22/02/2010
Lovell has been chosen by Poplar HARCA as a contractor partner for its £445 million new-build and housing refurbishment framework. The company is one of 14 firms selected for the registered social landlord's four-year framework. As part of the agreement, Lovell will design and build new homes and c
22/02/2010
Revised proposals to overhaul Salford's high schools have been unveiled for the first time. Under the new plans, to go before councillors for approval, there are options being put forward for consultation for some schools as well as definitive proposals for others. The £165 million plans propose t
22/02/2010
Morrison Construction, part of the Galliford Try group, has won two contracts from framework client, the Environment Agency. The larger job is to carry out the second phase of flood alleviation works on the River Douglas in Wigan, Gtr Manchester, having been contractor for the first phase. Worth
22/02/2010
The world's first lightweight portable jib crane capable of lifting a tonne in weight is expected to create quite a splash with the water industry when it is launched in the UK next month. The new system designed, developed and manufactured in-house by Chepstow based Reid Lifting, is specifically d
22/02/2010
Hamleys, the famous Regent Street toy store, celebrates their 250th anniversary this year. As part of the celebration Deans Blinds and Awning were asked to refurbish the traditional Deans Victorian awnings which they had installed some years previously. Mike Holden, of Deans Blinds and Awnings,
22/02/2010
In response to the UK Contractors Group’s (UKCG) recent training standard, which now demands that all supervisors working on their sites have recognised supervisory qualifications, the National Construction College (NCC) has launched two new training courses for supervisors. The courses are designe
22/02/2010
The real Sandstone Veneer range from Jtech Services has just been enhanced by the addition of 12 new colour styles. The FX ranges cover a wide spectrum of colours and textures and are readily available for use on practically any internal application. The new standard size ranges of 2700mm x 1000m
22/02/2010
Going to extremes? The outdoor cases from case specialist B&W International are developed for the toughest outdoor environments and have been tested under the most extreme conditions. They are designed for temperatures ranging from 40°C up to +80°C. The outdoor cases are:
19/02/2010
Steel producer Corus, part of the Tata Steel Group, is to begin mothballing its Redcar plant, resulting in the loss of up to 1,600 jobs and possible industrial action. The government has pledged to do all it can to prevent the site from closing down permanently, and Tata Steel is currently looking
19/02/2010
Construction union UCATT have launched a unique Vulnerable Workers Project to provide assistance to construction workers facing exploitation or forced to work in dangerous circumstances. The two year project will be based in Derby but its work will cover the whole of England. The project has been
19/02/2010
Nottinghamshire County Council will be switching off electrical equipment on Wednesday 24 February, in support of a county-wide energy-saving initiative. Councillors and employees will make sure lights, printers, computers and photocopiers in Council buildings are switched off when they leave and a
19/02/2010
VT and RM Education have been invited by Portsmouth City Council to continue to the next stage of the procurement process to deliver ICT in Portsmouth's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme in secondary schools throughout Portsmouth. Councillor John Ireland is cabinet member for Educatio
19/02/2010
A shake-up in how homes are sold, including updating legislation to allow new entrants into the market, could lead to a better deal for house buyers and sellers, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has said. The OFT's study into home buying and selling found that the housing market remains dominated b
19/02/2010
A £530 million investment package to transform rail travel in the north of England through better stations and quicker, more frequent services has been unveiled by Network Rail. The Northern Hub study identifies what needs to be done to respond to the significant growth seen in the region and to he
19/02/2010
Planning permission has been granted for London 2012's plans to use the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich and North Greenwich Arena during the London 2012 Games. The Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich will host the Olympic Shooting events and Shooting and Archery events during the Paralympic G
19/02/2010
Hull City Council is welcoming the proposals made by DONG Energy UK and Associated British Ports (ABP). The proposals are to create a new energy site and riverside bulk terminal in the east of the city, which could give a much needed economic boost to the area. Councillor Carl Minns, leader of Hul
19/02/2010
Patton Fit-Out has just completed work on a massive new Debenhams store in Newcastle in the North East of England. The development forms part of a single-level mall extension at Eldon Square Shopping Centre in the city, which will house Debenhams as an anchor tenant in a self styled icon store.
18/02/2010
The latest £8 million funding for offshore wind technology was made available today as the Prime Minister hailed the UK as a 'global leader' in the offshore wind market. The announcement came as Clipper Windpower confirmed that it is to start construction of a factory in Newcastle to build the bigg
18/02/2010
Gross mortgage lending declined to an estimated £9.1 billion in January, a 32% fall from £13.4 billion in December and a 21% fall from £11.5 billion in January 2009, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). This is the lowest monthly total since February 2000 (£7.9 billion) and the lowes
18/02/2010
Royal BAM Group companies BAM Construct and BAM Nuttall have appointed new chief executives to oversee BAM activities and to grow the BAM brand in the UK. Graham Cash will become chief executive of BAM Construct on 1 April 2010. He succeeds Richard Gregory who retires from the company following 43
18/02/2010
NIMBYs are using a Victorian "village green" law to block any attempts to build new homes in their village – in a tactic that is costing taxpayers millions of pounds in red tape and delaying new affordable housing schemes for several years. Individuals fiercely opposed to any new building in their
18/02/2010
Lifelong Osmaston resident and former Rolls-Royce engineer Alan Gill has taken centre stage at the launch of the multi million-pound regeneration project near the plant where he worked for decades. Mr Gill will cut the first piece of earth at the site of the proposed housing development in Elton Ro
18/02/2010
Hillingdon Council is giving local residents the first chance to try out the new Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex in Uxbridge this month, prior to the official opening in March. The multi-million pound complex, which includes the first 50 metre Olympic-sized pool to be built in London for 40 y
18/02/2010
Rosie Winterton MP, the Regional Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber has marked the start on site of a development of more than 50 new homes including 33 for social rent. The development by Ben Bailey Partnerships has been made possible through funding of £2.1 million from the Homes and Communit
18/02/2010
South Survey one of the UK and Ireland's leading suppliers to the construction industry are now distributors for GstarCAD. GStarCAD is based on the well-known IntelliCAD software, which is the industry standard for low-cost CAD software. GStarCAD is the innovative alternative to AutoCAD that provid
18/02/2010
Plumbing within the modular building industry is one of the core and specialist services that Bailey Plumbing & Heating Services Ltd has to offer, and because of the firms successful experience in the industry it is one of the few companies able to offer a guaranteed rapid response along with profes
17/02/2010
Housing Minister John Healey has today hailed the start of a new deal in housebuilding with the first Government-owned land being made available under the Public Land Initiative for much-needed new homes. Mr Healey described this as a drive to make better use of Government-owned land to build more
17/02/2010
Crossrail has invited expressions of interest for the third and final running tunnel contract for the Crossrail project. The notice for Package C310 - Thames Tunnel was published in the OJEU and comprises the construction of twin 6m diameter bored tunnels from Plumstead Portal to North Woolwich Por
17/02/2010
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, announces that it has been named as one of the four delivery partners for the Highways Agency's framework contract to deliver its Managed Motorways schemes. The overall framework contract, which has a value of up to £2 billion, is to reduce co
17/02/2010
Work can begin at the landmark Trumpington Meadows development in Cambridge, due to an agreement between the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and delivery partner Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association (bpha). The agreement will deliver 40% of the total homes for the site as affordable housin
17/02/2010
Young people and the housing sector in Northern Ireland, England and Wales and are set to benefit from a new Housing Apprenticeship being introduced by the Government. The qualification, due to be launched in the autumn, will provide new opportunities for young people to develop careers as housing
17/02/2010
Redevelopment of the Olympic site risks marginalising some of Britain's most deprived communities unless Olympics chiefs focus on boosting opportunities for local people warned the London Assembly. The Assembly published a new report on the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), the organisation due t
17/02/2010
A new 6th form centre for Richmond School in North Yorkshire which showcases a radical design has been officially by Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague. A multi-disciplinary project team from Faithful+Gould and Atkins undertook extensive master-planning and re-modelling of the existing campus,
17/02/2010
Speedy has signed a partnership deal with leading biometric and identity management consultancy Human Recognition Systems (HRS) to offer MSite, an all-in-one biometric site access security solution. MSite delivers a comprehensive and easy-to-use management and reporting system, as well as clear sit
17/02/2010
Works have started on the London Development Agency's (LDA) plans to turn an open space in New Cross into a modern public parkland. Hatcham Gardens, in the Kender Triangle in south-east London, is to undergo a complete overhaul as part of the Mayor's Great Spaces programme. The renovation will see
17/02/2010
TilePlans played a key role in helping a trade show display win the Best Stand of the Show Award at Autosport International, Europe's largest annual motorsport exhibition at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham. TilePlans pvc floor tiles in light grey and black provided the base for the
17/02/2010
For over 30 years, Solar Gard has been one of the most popular window film lines for professional installers throughout the world. Manufactured by Bekaert Specialty Films in San Diego, Solar Gard is sold in more than 70 countries via company-owned distribution centers, including one in the U.K., a
17/02/2010
There is no doubting that construction and development projects have a high incidence of disputes. Indeed many would argue that engagement models invite claims that may crystallise into disputes as the terms of conditions provide for variations, design changes, extensions to completion dates, loss a
16/02/2010
Up to 30,000 UK construction workers are set to benefit from new arrangements that will bring together mechanical and electrical contracting workers under a single negotiating structure. Unite, one of Britain's biggest construction unions, has hailed the new arrangements, describing them as a signi
16/02/2010
Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for the Environment Dr Lynne Hack has called for planning decisions to remain at a local level rather than being made by "unelected and distant" national bodies. Dr Hack said local authorities are in the best position to make decisions affecting their communitie
16/02/2010
New skills research commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) indicates that many housing organisations may be under-prepared to meet the challenge of the Tenant Services Authority’s new regulatory framework for social housing from April. The research, undertaken by an independent re
16/02/2010
Housing and Planning Minister John Healey has confirmed how councils will be able to raise a new levy to help fund economic growth and lay the foundations for future success of local areas. The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a new power that allows councils to raise funds from developers al
16/02/2010
Plans for the proposed £137 million transformation of the Green Man Lane estate in West Ealing have been submitted to Ealing Council. The move follows a comprehensive and on-going consultation programme which has been undertaken over the past year. Regeneration specialist Rydon and A2Dominion are
16/02/2010
Costain, as a member of the A-one+ joint venture with consulting engineers Halcrow and contractor Colas, has been awarded a five-year £115 million Managing Agent Contractor (MAC) contract to carry out routine operational and maintenance services and deliver improvements on the motorways and trunk ro
16/02/2010
Work is underway on two milestone housing schemes that are set to bring much-needed affordable homes to Hartlepool. A site at Charles Street/Surtees Street is being developed to provide 20 two, three and four-bedroom houses and two-bedroom bungalows, while 25 two and three-bedroom houses are being
16/02/2010
Szerelmey is launching a lightweight prefabricated wall structure combined with external stone cladding which significantly speeds up construction and cuts overall costs. The system comprises a series of steel framed, lightweight, easily transportable, insulated panels which are constructed and sto
16/02/2010
Construction trade representatives are being urged to get their hands on Socomec's latest handy uninterruptible power supply 'slide rule' at the show in February. The pull-out uninterruptible power supply unit slide rule (or data rule) is a handy partner to any consultant or electrical system desig
16/02/2010
With a firm commitment to provide quality heating, plumbing, bathroom and kitchen products at affordable prices, Discounted Heating Supplies is running a TV advertising campaing aimed primarily at homeowners, domestic plumbers and small builders/developers. Prices and products are the best on the w
15/02/2010
The UK's gas storage capacity could increase by 30%, as the Government issued the first licence under a new regime to encourage the construction of more gas storage. The Gateway Project, located in the east Irish Sea, would create twenty new salt caverns each the size of the Albert Hall. Energy an
15/02/2010
Vigorous lobbying by the National Housing Federation today finally paid off as the Government accepted that all affordable housing should benefit from social housing relief, effectively a full exemption from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) on virtually all social units developed. CIL is due
15/02/2010
Over 54,000 vouchers have been snapped up under the Government's Boiler Scrappage scheme leaving around 70,000 vouchers worth a total of £28 million still up for grabs. The scheme was launched in January to upgrade up to 125,000 household heating systems in England to cut carbon, save money on fuel
15/02/2010
Lovell is giving a graduate trainee from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) the chance to gain hands-on experience of the housebuilding industry through a training placement. Paul Dever has joined Lovell on a three-month secondment from the HCA, the national housing and regeneration agency for
15/02/2010
Willmott Dixon Partnerships' Director of Operations Mark Gelder is taking part in a ConstructionSkills' organised webinar on Thursday 18 February to promote why apprentices are good for business. With companies of all sizes tightening their belts, research by ConstructionSkills revealed that out of
15/02/2010
The first new fire station to be built in Lonodn in over a decade, complete with state of the art facilities and top-notch green technology, was opened by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson. The new station, at Harold Hill, Havering, is the greenest ever to be built in London. Fitted out with an inn
15/02/2010
Local Government unions led by construction union UCATT will mount a vigorous campaign in opposition to plans by Flintshire County Council to sell off its housing stock. The Independent run council is beginning the process of selling off its council stock and intends to ballot tenants on the issue
15/02/2010
On seeing the first images of Cathelco's proposed new Headquarters and Production facility it was clear that this visually striking building was sure to receive a great deal of local interest and attention and Jaybuild were determined to be involved in its construction. The project was secured by a
12/02/2010
Plans for a multi-million pound development of Bristol City Football Club's new stadium were given approval this evening by the city's council Development Control Committee. Because the development includes Green Belt land the application will now be referred to Government Office to allow the Secre
12/02/2010
GMB have called off the official strike action by 160 members employed by Alstom which was due to start today at 6.00 am at the Staythorpe Power Station construction site in Nottinghamshire in a dispute about basis for selection for redundancies. A 90 day consultation process has been underway sin
12/02/2010
Willmott Dixon has received the green light for a £15.2 million project as part of its transformation of Middlesbrough’s schools. The firm will design and build a secondary school to provide a new home on Saltersgill Avenue for the existing Beverley and Tollesby Schools. The company is working with
12/02/2010
A £14.6 million cultural and creative centre to include a new 500-seat theatre is to be developed in Carmarthenshire, creating 35 jobs. The Works in Llanelli town centre will provide entertainment, arts, culture, employment and skills opportunities for people across the region. The major capital s
12/02/2010
A new chairman has been appointed to the Construction Industry’' Training Board (CITB-ConstructionSkills). James Wates, who has been a CITB-ConstructionSkills board member for seven years and will take over the role from the current chair, Sir Michael Latham at the end of March, the Department for
12/02/2010
The number of loans to first-time buyers hit a two-year high in December 2009, driven by a rush to buy properties in the £125,000 - £175,000 bracket before the year-end stamp duty concession expired, according to figures released today by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The CML has also publ
12/02/2010
McGee Group has been awarded another major demolition contract as part of London Underground's Station Upgrade programme. London's Premier Civils Structural and Demolition Contractor will follow on from the successful deconstruction of the old Astoria Theatre and surrounding buildings to demolish t
12/02/2010
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has awarded honorary membership to Michael Gelling OBE - Chair of the Tenants and Residents Organisations of England, Anthony Mayer - Chairman of the Tenant Services Authority and David Orr - Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation. CIH President
12/02/2010
Daniel Labbad, CEO of Europe, Lend Lease, will succeed Peter Rogers as Chairman of the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC). He takes up the position at a crucial time for the UK-GBC as all political parties look towards the construction and property sector to deliver on sustainability targets. The U
11/02/2010
A bogus gas fitter from Manchester has been prosecuted after being caught illegally carrying work out at a property in Grimsby. James O'Neill of Grangethorpe Drive, Burnage, pleaded guilty to two breaches of Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 at Grimsby Magist
11/02/2010
Work on a multi-million pound regeneration scheme which is set to transform a former North East Derbyshire mining town and create hundreds of new jobs has officially started. A new Tesco superstore, retail units, bus station and link road are to be created in Clay Cross as part of the first phase
11/02/2010
Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg today set out a manifesto pledge to create 57,000 jobs by investing £400 million upgrading disused shipyards to enable the production of off-shore wind turbines. Mr Clegg launched this latest plank of the Liberal Democrats’ economic stimulus and job creation packa
11/02/2010
Sandwell Primary Care Trust and Sandwell Council have moved one step closer to opening a brand new health centre which will be constructed by Midlands based contractor, Thomas Vale Construction, after a special sod-cutting event today. Paul Clarke, Director at Thomas Vale Construction said: "As a l
11/02/2010
Mortgage lenders took 10,200 properties into possession in the fourth quarter of 2009 - 13% lower than in the third quarter, and 2% down on the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders. This figure reflects the number of possessions taken by first charge lenders on both
11/02/2010
Galliford Try, the housebuilding and construction group, has announced that it has taken a significant step forward in delivering its housebuilding expansion strategy by entering into agreements to acquire the 50% interest held by Bank of Scotland in its joint ventures undertaking residential develo
11/02/2010
The National Housing Federation is to publish a new book, Excellence in standards of conduct, which aims to support housing associations in maintaining excellent standards of conduct in everything they do. The book sets out a comprehensive framework covering all aspects of an association's business
11/02/2010
On seeing the first images of Cathelco's proposed new Headquarters and Production facility it was clear that this visually striking building was sure to receive a great deal of local interest and attention and Jaybuild were determined to be involved in its construction. The project was secured by a
11/02/2010
Over 60s in Wales are set to benefit from a new Welsh boiler scrappage scheme that will come into force on 1 April, Environment, Sustainability and Housing Minister Jane Davidson has announced. The new scheme will be targeted specifically at the over 60s who are likely to be more vulnerable to fu
11/02/2010
Synergy Wastewater Treatment Products have announced the launch of the 'Robusta' Three Stage upward flow Spherical Septic Tank and sealed Cesspool range. The Robusta Tank is a totally brand new product, manufactured from dedicated tooling, as opposed to a branded version of an existing product. T
10/02/2010
Workers are returning to a stalled development on St Mary's Island, Chatham Maritime, Kent, thanks to £6.93 million of Kickstart funding from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Work stopped on the 60 hectare St Mary's Island in 2009 as the economic downturn hit the construction industry hard.
10/02/2010
Official figures revealed by the Government have shown that more than 210,000 people are seeking work in the construction industry. The figures revealed in Parliamentary answers and the Government's own Jobcentre Plus website, show that 210,260 people on Jobseeker’s Allowance are looking for constr
10/02/2010
Housing Minister John Healey has today backed the country's biggest ever green home building programme, with four areas sharing £60 million in cash to build over 600 new homes to the toughest ever environmental standards. These new 'eco-show homes' will be built in and around the four pioneering ec
10/02/2010
Education Minister Leighton Andrews has officially opened the new Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Santes Tudful, Welsh medium primary school, in Merthyr Tydfil. The Welsh Assembly Government has provided £6.3 million to build the school which will provide modern 21st Century facilities for 380 pupils, aged b
10/02/2010
Liverpool City Council in partnership with Foundation, a climate fund for the North West, has become the first local authority in England's North West to launch a community renewable power initiative that will deliver measurable carbon savings. Grants are available to charities, community groups an
10/02/2010
HSS Hire, the UK's award-winning tool and equipment hire company, has secured a significant contract as preferred supplier for the hire of tools and equipment for various VolkerWessels UK businesses, it has been announced. VolkerWessels UK is a multi-disciplinary civil engineering and construction
10/02/2010
In keeping with Dickies' policy of providing the most practical workwear clothing and accessories for all types of trades, the Eisenhower Multi-Pocket Trousers have been designed to ensure that in any working environment, there’s a place for everything and everything has its place! Allowing instan
10/02/2010
Before going live on ECi's M1 software in April 2007, Fort Worth, Texas-based May Advertising was running three different software systems for its one location. May's chief information officer, Mark Farnan, decided that the sign manufacturer needed a change in its software. Farnan joined May Adve
10/02/2010
Barkham Office Furniture based in the heart of the UK Silicon Valley in Reading, Berkshire, brings good quality office furniture back into use. Only excellent quality stock is sourced from blue chip companies around London, Berkshire and the South East Counties. This means the firms second hand o
10/02/2010
Shortly, the Olympic Cauldron will be lit in Vancouver-Whistler for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The opening ceremony takes place on 12 February, and the next day the speed skating events begin at the Richmond Olympic Oval. Altogether, there will be 12 medal events here at this spectacular venue. Seat
09/02/2010
The number of new homes built in England and Wales in 2009/10 will slump to its lowest level since 1923, fuelling fears that a chronic shortage of housing will leave millions of people trapped in overcrowded and substandard housing for a generation to come, the National Housing Federation has warned
09/02/2010
May Gurney has been awarded two new long-term framework contracts with Wessex Water under its AMP5 programme, with a combined value of up to £65 million over a period of five years. Beginning in April 2010, the contracts cover the whole Wessex Water region for an initial period of five years plus p
09/02/2010
Over £4.6m of Government funding has been made available to build a road bridge over the River Derwent in Cumbria. The new bridge will replace the bridges damaged and destroyed by last year’s flooding. The funding will cover material, design and construction costs and the new bridge is expected
09/02/2010
London Gatwick Airport's two main construction partners, Taylor Woodrow and Costain, have been highly praised by the Considerate Constructors Scheme, following a recent audit. Started in 1997, the scheme was established by members of the industry to improve the image of construction. Membership of
09/02/2010
Construction union UCATT gained a significant boost in its campaign to end bogus self-employment in the construction industry. Following a two day conference in Prague European construction trade unions (EFBWW) and construction business representatives (FIEC) jointly signed a document condemning b
09/02/2010
E.ON has submitted a planning application to Daventry District Council to build a new wind farm in Kelmarsh. If granted planning consent, the seven turbine Kelmarsh wind farm could produce up to 17.5MW of power, enough to meet the annual electricity needs of 7,828 households and displace over 15,00
09/02/2010
Renowned the World over for its comprehensive range of practical work clothing and footwear, Dickies have a particular safety boot which leads the way in both tough and comfortable design. The sturdy Quebec Super Safety boot S1-P. (Code Nos: FD23375 and FD23376) is perfect for wearing all day in an
09/02/2010
Glenigan in partnership with Constructing Excellence have been awarded a three-year contract to deliver UK Construction Industry Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The KPIs are national data sets against which a project or a company can benchmark its performance. The KPIs are an initiative from th
09/02/2010
A new certification scheme is launched today to label green electricity tariffs which have been certified as having genuine environmental benefits. The 'green energy certified' label will help customers recognise tariffs that have been certified under the scheme. It will reassure them that if the
08/02/2010
Construction firms are in for disappointment with news today that a mooted building project will not now take place. Gatwick Airport's new owners say they have no plans to build a second runway at the West Sussex site. Gatwick Chairman Sir David Rowlands said there was "not a shred of interest" in
08/02/2010
The extensive refurbishment of the HSBC Branch in Clumber Street, Nottingham by Archial Architects has received a commendation. The accolade came from the Lord Mayor's Awards for Urban Design. The £2m project, developed by Oakgate Group Plc, has given new life to an abandoned listed building and
08/02/2010
Concorde Business Park near Manchester airport has received a boost following the completion of a unique and revolutionary "Café pod". It will provide the development's occupiers with an attractive place to have lunch and hold informal meetings. The pod has been designed by Manchester-based archi
08/02/2010
The Nightingale Associates' new building known as the 'Research Complex at Harwell' at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire has been officially handed over. The project was born out of the UK Government's commitment to making the UK an especially attractive location in the worl
08/02/2010
A Glasgow-registered recycling company and a director have been fined a total of £145,000 for exposing workers to toxic mercury fumes at a site in West Yorkshire. Twenty employees had levels of mercury in their system above UK guidance levels, and five of them showed extremely high levels following
08/02/2010
The building industry is currently responsible for almost 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with residential homes consuming 27.5% of the world's electricity. However, a focus on space heating and cooling, hot water systems, appliances, indoor lighting, and refrigeration can deliver 60 – 80%
08/02/2010
The London Brownfield Sites Database has won the coveted e-Government award at the Royal Town Planning Institute awards ceremony. The London Brownfield Sites Database is the country's most comprehensive database of land available for redevelopment. It was developed by Arup and launched by the Lond
05/02/2010
Plans for the first development phase of the former RAF Locking site, approved recently by North Somerset Council,will provide a catalyst for the development of 6,000 sq ft of office accommodation, 100 new homes, a 14,000 sq ft office building and a 30,000 sq ft Innovation Centre. The site, which h
05/02/2010
Crossrail has announced its intention to award the first six contracts under its Enabling Works Framework. The contracts are as follows:
05/02/2010
The transformation of New Street station took a major step forward as the design was given the stamp of approval by Birmingham City Council's planning committee. The Gateway project will turn New Street into the world-class station that passengers deserve with more light and space, additional entra
05/02/2010
Kier Marriott has started work on a new £6.2m chapel at Crownhill Crematorium for Milton Keynes Council. The 145-seat chapel, which will sit alongside the existing 100-seat chapel, will be a distinctive, high quality public building with state-of-the-art audio visual facilities and will incorporat
05/02/2010
Some of the biggest names in the construction industry turned out for Southampton City Council's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Bidders' Event this week. More than 250 individuals from nearly 120 organisations attended to find out more about the city's £200 million programme to invest in it
05/02/2010
Derbyshire County Council is building a new school in the grounds of Hollingwood Primary School, Chesterfield, while pupils continue lessons in current buildings. The existing school will be demolished when the new one - with space for 270 primary school pupils and 26 nursery places - is completed
05/02/2010
A York-based construction company has been fined £20,000 after one of its mobile elevating work platforms overturned, seriously injuring a worker and putting the public at risk. Shepherd Construction of Jockey Lane, Huntington, York, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety
05/02/2010
The National Housing Federation, and its members, have won the high-profile campaign for an end to prepayment meter rip-off - with the announcement by British Gas that it will no longer charge a premium to its gas prepay meter users. The announcement means that following the long-running campaign b
05/02/2010
Hörmann, have completed the installation of their latest specification high speed curtain doors to London City Airport firestation in only five weeks from confirmation of the order. The new 5 metre high doors meet the stringent regulations that apply to airport fire stations, with all four doors ca
05/02/2010
Fascias 4 u Midlands Ltd has its Biggest Ever Winter Sale – Offering a massive 25% discount off orders purchased before February 14th 2010 and installed throughout February and March 2010. Over the winter period, customers genuinely don't like their fascia boards and guttering taken off especially
04/02/2010
British Gas has today cut its standard gas prices by an average 7%. The price cut, which will benefit 8 million households, takes effect immediately and makes British Gas, on average, the cheapest supplier of standard gas and electricity right across Britain - no matter which way customers choose t
04/02/2010
Progress continues on the build of the Olympic Village with three of the 11 residential plots now structurally complete. The Village will accommodate athletes and officials during the London 2012 Games, and will provide 2,800 new homes for east London after 2012. Construction work began on site in
04/02/2010
Terry Fuller, Regional Director of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), Eastern England, has officially unveiled a £4 million, 30 home development in Bury St Edmunds which has transformed a run down area of the town and was completed well ahead of schedule. The development, funded with the help
04/02/2010
The consortium developing the London Array, the world's largest offshore wind farm, have announced that contracts have been awarded to MPI and A2SEA to supply marine crew and vessels for the installation of foundations and turbines for the first phase (630MW) of what potentially will be the world's
04/02/2010
The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) has announced that it has made two statutory appointments to the Board of Three Valleys Housing Limited (TVH). TVH, which manages around 5,000 homes in Derbyshire, has been placed under supervision by the TSA because of concerns about its governance and managemen
04/02/2010
A scheme to get unemployed east Manchester residents into work has so far helped secure 100 people with jobs in the construction industry and offer training to over three hundred local people. The employment initiative was set up 18 months ago by urban regeneration company, New East Manchester, The
04/02/2010
Housing Minister John Healey has announced new practical help and protection for tenants in privately rented homes. The moves will help tenants find safer and better homes for rent and offer extra support if they face problems with their landlords or accommodation. A new housing hotline will open
04/02/2010
Chesterfield based cutting blade company Mastercut have announced an offer throughout February for the "Powerbor" range of Magnetic drilling machines and cutters. Designed, manufactured and inspected in England by a BSI registered firm the Powerbor range of electromagnetic drilling machines, annula
04/02/2010
Two school sports halls have been transformed by contractors, Slack & Co. using Ultra Floor sub-floor preparation materials. School premises, more often than not, need maintenance work to be carried out during the summer holidays so that minimal disruption is caused to daily lessons in term time. D
04/02/2010
Shortly, the Olympic Cauldron will be lit in Vancouver-Whistler for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The opening ceremony takes place on 12 February, and the next day the speed skating events begin at the Richmond Olympic Oval. Altogether, there will be 12 medal events here at this spectacular venue. Seat
03/02/2010
Ofgem has confirmed the need to act to deliver both security of supply and environmental objectives at affordable prices beyond the middle of this decade. The Energy Regulator published its Project Discovery conclusions after extensive consultation and analysis. Prompt action will ensure that co
03/02/2010
GB Building Solutions has been appointed as a sub‐contractor to Aspire Defence on Project Allenby/Connaught and will deliver complete new build and refurbished accommodation for UK based soldiers and those returning from operations. Aspire Defence, a joint venture between Carillion and KBR,
03/02/2010
A new skills centre in the grounds of a Leicester community college has been officially opened. The Braunstone Skills Centre, in the grounds of Fullhurst Community College, comprises two large practical workshops, specialising in construction skills and motor vehicle engineering, along with three
03/02/2010
Lambeth Council's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) team is poised to enter the next phase of its £200 million schools investment programme. The contract to deliver the second phase of the BSF programme will be awarded to either Engage or Willmott Dixon Construction, following eight months of i
03/02/2010
Kier Moss started the building work on Sandwell's new £2.9 million High Dependency Rehabilitation Unit at Heath Lane Hospital for client Sandwell Mental Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust. Designed by Kier Moss' architect, Archial, the 12-bed facility will provide care for people with seri
03/02/2010
A new housing project designed to help alleviate the shortfall of affordable homes by utilising pockets of derelict City Council land across Leicester is now complete and has been officially handed over by Loughborough-based contractor and developer William Davis Ltd to project partners East Midland
03/02/2010
Central Networks, the electricity distribution company for central England, is launching its yearly eye-in-the-sky helicopter patrols across the county next week as part of its work to inspect some of its 750 primary substations across the Midlands. A helicopter fitted with thermal imaging equipmen
03/02/2010
Plymouth City Council Leader Vivien Pengelly and Neil Sherreard, Divisional Managing Director for Balfour Beatty, cut the first turf on the site of the city's new Life Centre. The turf cutting marked the start of work on the multi-million pound leisure facility following the signing of contracts wi
03/02/2010
A timber and building materials supplier, Jewson, has joined forces with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in order to help warn tradesmen of the dangers of asbestos. Jewson's network of 500 branches across the UK backed the Asbestos: the Hidden Killer campaign. Jewson provided information lea
03/02/2010
For over 30 years, single ply roofing has been the preferred system for commercial flat roofing projects across Europe and the UK, thanks to its many advantages, such as flexibility and strong tearing resistance, combined with low safety risks, ease of Installation and excellent whole life costs.
02/02/2010
Skanska, through a preferred-bidder contract, has been selected for developing, constructing and maintaining three schools for Essex County Council. The project will be conducted for public private partnerships,Private Finance Initiative (PFI), which means that Skanska will assume responsibility f
02/02/2010
Lovell has been selected by Homes for Islington (HFI) as a contractor partner for its £10.5 million Street Properties Decent Homes Framework. The company is one of three firms to have been appointed to carry out the major housing refurbishment scheme which will see around 700 properties in the Lond
02/02/2010
Construction work has commenced on the new £50m Porthmadog Bypass project in Wales. This new section of the A487, backed by the Welsh Assembly, will improve journey times, ease congestion and significantly improve environmental conditions within Porthmadog, Minfford and Tremadog. The A487 is a vi
02/02/2010
Almost 100 young people from across London and as far away as Portsmouth and Nottingham turned out on Saturday to have their say about their neighbourhoods, their communities and their social housing. The My House, My Street, My Say! event, which was run by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), the
02/02/2010
A new model shared ownership lease aimed at creating more certainty for lenders and more clarity for purchasers of New Build HomeBuy property has been created by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The revised model lease, which will be adopted by all lenders and housing providers, will come
02/02/2010
Construction union UCATT have won a major employment tribunal case worth £1.5 million on behalf of former employees at Hull based caravan company Atlas Holiday Homes. The case involved 333 former employees of the company, who lost their jobs when the company went into administration. The workers
02/02/2010
British Gas has announced it is to go ahead with five biomethane demonstration projects that are likely to be the first in the UK to inject green gas into the grid. The announcement follows Government backing for this emerging technology that confirms support for biomethane to grid from April 201
02/02/2010
There's a raft of major building contracts on the way in both Wales and England. Swansea Council is to look at building six primary schools to replace 13 where it considers buildings and facilities are out-dated and in a poor condition. Meanwhile, a new university campus will be built in Essex thi
02/02/2010
Smart Platform Rental Ltd, the UK's largest provider of light truck mount self drive rental platforms, concludes the year with its head office becoming IPAF's newest Training Centre. "We've taken this step now since our recent move to larger state of the art Hemel Hempstead offices and the influx
02/02/2010
The Design Council has developed a business support programme targeting young technology businesses in the South East of England, called Designing Demand Innovate. As part of this, companies receive up to 12 months free support from a highly experienced design mentor called a Design Associate. The
01/02/2010
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group operating in construction services, professional services, support services and infrastructure investments, announced today that it has acquired Multibuild Hotels and Leisure Ltd and Multibuild Interiors Ltd, based in Stockport, specialising in
01/02/2010
A Bolton house-building company has today been fined £7,500 after one of its workers fell to his death. DC Kennedy Homes Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after Ian Smith, 64, was killed when he fell from an unstable ladder. Manchester Crown Court heard that Mr Smith was
01/02/2010
A new sustainable housing development, Green Street in The Meadows, Nottingham, has started on site thanks to support from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The scheme, being delivered by multi-award winning developers Blueprint, will comprise 38 high quality three and four-bedroom homes in t
01/02/2010
Galliford Try, the housebuilding and construction group, has reached financial close on the £60 million PFI project to develop the new Worcester Library and History Centre for Worcestershire County Council in partnership with the University of Worcester. The project involves developing a fully inte
01/02/2010
The Government has given its formal backing to a backbench bill aimed at giving tenants greater protection when their landlords face repossession action. Currently, if a landlord has not taken out a buy-to-let mortgage and has not received a 'consent to let', tenants are often unable to discuss the
01/02/2010
The Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones has welcomed the news of the new £38 million investment by Mabey Bridge in South Wales. The Chepstow-based engineering firm are investing in a new facility which will mean they become the biggest UK manufacturer of wind turbine towers, both for onshore and
01/02/2010
One of the pioneers of the Green Building Movement in North America and inventor of water blown soft foam insulation for residential and commercial construction, Icynene, is exhibiting at Ecobuild on stand 1465. Founded in 1986, Icynene is now the largest supplier of soft foam insulation and air ba
01/02/2010
Households and communities who install generating technologies such as small wind turbines and solar panels will from April be entitled to claim payments for the low carbon electricity they produce. Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband announced the feed-in tariff (FITs) levels and also
01/02/2010
Market leaders in this field Optigreen have a decade of experience in sedum green roof system and are well placed in the market to provide the best solutions. In recent years green roofs have become an important part of green construction in many countries. In Germany it is now a legal requirement
01/02/2010
Under the Water Supply (water fittings) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999, 1148), you will be required to disinfect your underground pipe work prior to connection. The disinfection must be carried out to 'BS6700'. This is to ensure there is no detriment to public health. For further details and clarific
01/02/2010
L.D. Leigh & Co. Limited are able to offer collated fasteners for the construction of both Gabion Baskets & Gabion Mattresses. Used in civil engineering applications for the retention of river banking or, earthworks the rings are applied with either a manual tool or, for larger projects, a pneuma
