Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for April 2012
30/04/2012
UN Under-Secretary General Achim Steiner has visited the Olympic Park to mark the launch of the London 2012 pre-Games sustainability report. The visit offered the UN Environment Chief the chance to view the Olympic Park's transformation and see the sustainable development and regeneration of the si
30/04/2012
National Grid and South Staffs Water are due to begin a coordinated scheme of work in Tamworth that will see gas pipes and water mains replaced in order to improve services to customers. On Tuesday 8 May, National Grid engineers will start work to replace the old gas mains in Perrycroft Crescent.
30/04/2012
Mansell has won a contract worth £3.4 million to build the new TNG My Place in Sydenham for the London Borough of Lewisham. The design and build project comprises the demolition of the existing church hall and construction of a three-storey youth centre with part basement. The architects are RCKa.
30/04/2012
Willmott Dixon's Newcastle office is targeting growth across the region with the appointment of Ewen McRobie as principal sales and marketing manager, one of 35 jobs it plans to create this year. Willmott Dixon, based on Dukesway, Team Valley Trading Estate, is already a major employer in the area
30/04/2012
What do you do when words alone fail to convey the extent of what is on offer? In the past, expensive catalogues were the only way forward - and to this day Argos are still pro-actively producing seasonal catalogues in eye-watering quantities. But if you only have one outlet? Then you build a seriou
30/04/2012
Liverpool City Council is set to give the green light to plans which will help deliver more than 200 new homes in North Liverpool. The council's Cabinet will be asked to approve proposals, to bring the council-owned, cleared land of the former Granton Road Primary School, Anfield, into use for hous
30/04/2012
E.ON Gas Storage UK has successfully marketed its capacity at the Holford gas storage facility in Cheshire, UK, from the 2012/13 storage year. Noble Clean Fuels Limited will have the ability to utilise 100% of Holford's capacity during the contract period with the gas storage facility continuing to
30/04/2012
A leading precision engineering company in Pontypool is expanding its premises and investing in new machinery to increase capacity to service its rapidly growing order books. PRV Engineering, which is based in New Inn, has experienced a 23% year on year growth over the past two years, with turnover
30/04/2012
A St Helens steel manufacturer has been sentenced after a worker suffered serious injuries to his left hand when it was pulled into machinery. Hi Tech Steel Services Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident at its factory at Bold Industrial Estate on Neills
30/04/2012
George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, was in Bristol on Friday 27 April for the official opening of GKN Aerospace’s new composite wing structures manufacturing and assembly facility. The £170m facility, which Kier Construction helped to create, aims to take a significant percentage of the fu
27/04/2012
Brighton & Hove Albion FC have been given the green light to expand the American Express Community Stadium, following a Planning Committee meeting at Brighton & Hove City Council this afternoon. Approval has been granted for an increase in the stadium capacity to 30,750 in two phases. Phase one wil
27/04/2012
Alison Munro has been re-appointed as the Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd, the independent company set up by the Government to deliver a high speed rail network between London and the North of England. Alison has been at the head of HS2 Ltd since it was established in 2009. Under her leadership HS2 Ltd
27/04/2012
Minerva Security Services of Essex have been at the forefront of a high profile biometrics installation at UBM Plc’s UK headquarters in London, at the height of organising the International Fire & Security Exhibition 2012. Organisers of IFSEC 2012, UBM required four ievo™ fingerprint readers, two
27/04/2012
The managing agents of two Liverpool properties, which were not licensed and in breach of safety regulations, have been fined a total of £3250. Liverpool magistrates heard that there were poor management standards – including defective fire safety precautions, a faulty fire alarm and an unsafe boun
27/04/2012
Kier Construction has been selected to build a new £17.5m indoor market hall and retail development for Sheffield City Council and Scottish Widows Investment Property Partnership Trust (SWIPPT). The 79,000sq ft market building will occupy a full block on the Moor, one of Sheffield’s best-known shop
27/04/2012
MITIE, the FTSE250 strategic outsourcing and energy services company, has agreed a transformational partnership to deliver facilities management services for Lloyds Banking Group. The contract, signed for a five year term, has a possible one year extension period, with an expected value of approxim
27/04/2012
Lovell has been appointed by North Lanarkshire Council to build a £3.7 million housing development at Viewpark in North Lanarkshire. The scheme, part of the council's Building for the Future programme, will create 40 homes for social rent – 28 semi-detached homes (including two bungalows for wheelc
27/04/2012
Plymouth College of Art has appointed Mansell through the Construction Framework South West for a £4 million project to design and build a new art, craft and digital design workshop block on an area of vacant land adjoining the college in the centre of the city. The two-storey building will be robu
27/04/2012
E.ON has announced that Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions (BBUS) has been awarded the contract to install the cable on its Humber Gateway offshore wind farm. The contract, worth circa £19 million, will involve the design and installation of a 30km section of underground 132kV cable which will be use
27/04/2012
A construction company has been fined for continuing unsafe working practices at a site in Upper Norwood, Croydon, after repeatedly ignoring safety warnings. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identified multiple failings at a project on Sylvan Hill run by Unicorn Services Limited, where the Ken
26/04/2012
Willmott Dixon is building four new primary schools and a football clubhouse in Powys in a contract worth £20 million. Procured through the Powys, Ceredigion and Gwynedd local authority framework, the contract has been awarded by Powys County Council. The project will involve the construction of f
26/04/2012
Crossrail has begun drilling wells at Connaught Tunnel to draw down the water table ahead of works to deepen and widen the 130 year old tunnel in east London. Once the wells are completed, drawing down of the water table will begin next month which is required ahead of works to widen and deepen the
26/04/2012
A leading galvanizing company is helping to build bridges as part of a multi-million pound redevelopment at a popular public park. Witham-based South East Galvanizers, part of Wedge Group Galvanizing, has provided its hot dip galvanizing services to 27 tonnes of steel used to create a new boardwalk
26/04/2012
Contracts for the first site to be unlocked through the £570 million Get Britain Building programme have been exchanged this week, marking a significant milestone in the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) plans to bring forward the delivery of more than 15,000 new homes around England by December
26/04/2012
Neil Grinham, a third year graduate engineer employed by Costain and who has worked on South Wales projects at Church Village and Rhydyfelin in Rhondda Cynon Taff, has received a top award from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (Wales). For the second year in succession a Costain gradua
26/04/2012
Lovell has appointed Tony Tann as regional director for East Anglia. Tony, who lives in Norwich, joins Lovell from R G Carter Construction where he was a regional director for the group and specialised in the affordable housing business. In his new role, he heads up the Lovell new-build, mixed tenu
26/04/2012
An unregistered gas fitter has been prosecuted for illegally carrying out work on a house in Hucknall, putting residents' lives at risk. Robert Metcalf, 54, installed a new gas boiler at the Long Hill Rise property during August and September 2009, but following problems with the new boiler the cus
26/04/2012
SeaCity Museum, which cost £15 million, tells the story of Southampton's crew on the Titanic, and the impact the tragedy had on families in the city. It also features other major maritime led exhibitions, telling the stories of people who have arrived and departed in the city since pre-historic t
26/04/2012
Kier officially handed over the Brunel Centre, the new £2m skills centre for Newton Abbot and the Teign Valley. The centre, which will be run jointly by the three secondary schools serving the area – Teign School, Coombeshead Academy and Newton Abbot College - will offer technical and vocational co
26/04/2012
The Reset Certification Scheme allows cardholders' qualifications and competences to be checked online from a PC or smartphone. Because these checks can be completed remotely this greatly reduces verification time and ensures the cardholder can proceed to their workplace immediately after arriving o
25/04/2012
London Underground (LU) have announced the four bidding groups who have been shortlisted to go through the new Innovative Contractor Engagement (ICE) procurement process for the Bank Station Capacity Upgrade project. The Bank and Monument Tube station complex is located in the heart of the City of
25/04/2012
The latest Olympic Rings have been unveiled at Birmingham Airport where thousands of fans will be welcomed to the UK this summer. Birmingham is the first airport in the UK to showcase a set of giant Olympic Rings. At 28 metres high, the two sets of Rings positioned on either side of the Airport's
25/04/2012
Plymouth's rail task force has written to colleagues in the Thames Valley backing their calls for a new rail link to Heathrow. Journey times to Heathrow could be sliced by three quarters of an hour if a six kilometre link from the country’s busiest airport to the main Great Western Railway is built
25/04/2012
Pennaf Housing Group has appointed Lovell for a £5 million, 41-home development at Treuddyn in Flintshire, North Wales. The work was negotiated through the Syniad Consortium development framework. The mixed tenure scheme will create 18 affordable homes, for social rent, including 16 two-, three- a
25/04/2012
Richard Fuller, Member of Parliament for Bedford and Kempston, joined Orbit Heart of England and Mansell Construction Services Ltd representatives to bury a time capsule on the site of the former St Bedes school, where the construction of a new £13.6 million housing scheme is underway. The time cap
25/04/2012
The boxed-in generation, people unable to upsize their home but who have also outgrown their first property, will for the first time benefit from support to help them move up the housing ladder, Grant Shapps said. In a speech to housebuilders, the Housing Minister argued that a generation of first
25/04/2012
Work is underway on the first phase of a £6 million scheme to resurface roads in and around Sefton Park. A total of 4.5km of pothole-ridden carriageways will be dug up and formally ‘adopted’ by the city council. Previously the roads were not part of the council’s highways network and there was no
25/04/2012
An Edmonton-based recycling company has been fined for failing to protect employees working with lead. Metal and Waste Recycling Ltd, of Albert Works, Kenninghall Rd, Edmonton had bought and was stripping some lead-sheathed copper cabling from British Telecom (BT) after the network began to be chan
25/04/2012
The latest programme from Live Train, which will provide a group of people from the Ashmole Estate and the Lambeth area with the skills and opportunities to get back into long term employment, has launched after a successful trade taster day to recruit the next 10 trainees for the scheme. Live Trai
25/04/2012
The UK Contractors Group (UKCG) has agreed a new statement on timber procurement and given a major boost to sustainable timber sourcing and supply for the UK construction industry. All timber products purchased for either temporary or permanent use on UKCG member sites will be certified as legally a
25/04/2012
When considering a professional
25/04/2012
After a year in development Global Automatics has just launched a brand new automatic swing door operator designed to fit 99% of new and existing swing doors. Premier-Swing 85, so named for its slim 85mm depth, is very small yet very powerful meaning that it is no longer necessary to choose a diffe
24/04/2012
Oxfordshire County Council has awarded a 10-year contract to Carillion for the provision of property and facilities management services worth up to £500 million to Carillion. The Council will achieve revenue savings of at least £550,000 per annum. This is the first time that the Council has groupe
24/04/2012
Chatham is set to get bigger and better this summer as work by Kier Construction on a specialist teaching facility for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) gets under way. Students and staff celebrated the official start of work on site with a traditional turf cutting ceremony held yesterda
24/04/2012
A new housing development which is boosting the number of affordable homes for families in rural Bedfordshire has reached completion. Partners joined Jephson Homes Housing Association's East region at an event to mark the completion of the homes at Pembroke Close, Houghton Conquest. Councillor Ang
24/04/2012
100 Bristol residents will be helped to cut their electricity and gas bills by up to 20 per cent as part of a European-funded energy-monitoring project. A total of 100 homes in Knowle West and Kingsdown will be involved with the 3e Houses project . This project is working with tenants in social hou
24/04/2012
Joint venture Electricity Alliance MSVE, which comprises energy and information technologies services provider VINCI Energies and leading construction, infrastructure and design business Morgan Sindall, has signed an Area Alliance Agreement with customer National Grid to deliver an overhead line con
24/04/2012
Developers are invited to apply for membership of a new housing procurement panel which is being set up by the Greater London Authority (GLA) to accelerate the sale and development of its and other public sector land and property holdings in the capital. The new London Development Panel will replac
24/04/2012
Blyko has launched a new product range of Ligna-design® paving. The Ligna-design® range is available in chocolate brown, night blue, black & off white colours. It is treated with Aquafreni® which considerably reduces discolouring due to water related contamination. Aquafreni® is an inert water-re
24/04/2012
Nu-Heat has launched the latest in its range of specialised hot water cylinders for use with heat pumps. This version is the largest to date, with an actual capacity for 542 litres. There are two models available: non-solar and solar. The cylinders are ideal for use in bigger properties with mult
24/04/2012
An unregistered gas installer was caught illegally carrying out work on a house in Newark. Mr Phillip Birchmore, trading as PSB Plumbing and Heating, capped off a gas supply at the property in August 2010. He then removed one boiler and hung a replacement boiler on the wall. Concerns were raised ab
24/04/2012
Forrest, one of the leading Northern social housing regeneration specialists, has teamed up with renewable energy specialist Dimplex Renewables to launch a new self-funded solar power installation model for the social housing sector. The "Renewable Energy Finance" scheme, the first of its kind in t
24/04/2012
SupportBuilding supplies expert, Gibbs & Dandy has introduced a free to call customer service number, bringing together its growing branch network. Gibbs & Dandy is now providing its customers with an 0800 number, which will give them easy access to their designated branch when they’re out and abou
23/04/2012
Kier has been appointed by Blackpool Coastal Housing to conduct an in-depth energy usage survey of more than 1,100 social housing properties to identify areas where consumption could be reduced. Over the next 10 to 12 weeks, in conjunction with E.ON, Kier operatives will carry out the surveys on th
23/04/2012
The Board of The Miller Group, the award winning housebuilding, property development, construction and mining business, has appointed Philip Bowman as Chairman with effect from today, 23 April. He succeeds Sir Brian Stewart CBE who joined the business in 2008. Mr Bowman, 59, is the Chief Executi
23/04/2012
Birds of prey, five-a-side football and local fundraising have helped the firm behind new student accommodation for Aston University win national recognition. Midlands-based BAM Construction received an 'exceptional' score from industry improvement body the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) for
23/04/2012
Discovery will broadcast a brand new two part series, 'Mega Rigs', which follows scientists, engineers and drilling experts as they construct a new generation of state of the art platforms and develop innovative drilling technology, whilst battling the remote and challenging gas fields of the North
23/04/2012
MITIE, the FTSE 250 strategic outsourcing and energy services company, has appointed Peter Griffin as its new Social Housing Director with responsibility for consolidating its existing social housing offering under a unified national business. With a 30-year career in the construction industry, and
23/04/2012
Eurocell is celebrating after being awarded the Manufacturer of the Year title at the prestigious Building Awards 2012, held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. Eurocell, which is part of the Tessenderlo Group, was selected from a shortlist of six companies nationally, and was the only PVC-U system
23/04/2012
Global Automatics, the leading UK manufacturer of automatic door operators has just published a brand new brochure on its full range of operating equipment for automatic pedestrian doors. The 24 page full colour brochure gives a wealth of information on its Premier-Slide, Premier-Swing, Premier-Tel
23/04/2012
EZR Shelving have recently completed an installation of outdoor lockers for John Hampden Grammar School. The site needed additional lockers for students to store bags and sports equipment, but with a lack of indoor space the only option was to locate the lockers externally. An area under an existi
23/04/2012
Providing access to a whole host of information and resources, Gibbs & Dandy has launched a new website. Having undergone a complete redevelopment, visitors to
23/04/2012
SE Controls is proud to be associated with the Manchester School of Architecture in its sponsorship of the forthcoming Peter Wilson Lecture and drinks reception. The event is being organised by the Consumed Symposium Team of MA Architecture and Urbanism students at the Manchester School of Archite
23/04/2012
C. J. Thorne & Co Ltd is the latest specialist civil engineering company to select Evolution M, the construction accounting software package from Integrity Software. The company has been trading for over 70 years, providing civil engineering solutions for its Clients throughout East and West Sussex
20/04/2012
Westminster City Council has given its approval for the regeneration of Tottenham Court Road and the east end of Oxford Street, including the former Astoria site. The development plans, submitted in conjunction with Derwent London, are for two above ground developments located over each ticket hall
20/04/2012
Life chances for people in Harborne, Birmingham, take a leap forward with the good news that its new Academy is close to being started by BAM. BAM Construction has been appointed by Birmingham Metropolitan College, working alongside Partnerships for Schools, as the main contractors for the £11.5m p
20/04/2012
Landlords warned today that 'tens of millions of pounds' is being siphoned out of pensioners’ savings into the pockets of private investors profiting from retail failure, and have launched a campaign to restore fairness to the insolvency system. In the same week iconic British retailer Aquascutum e
20/04/2012
Kier Living's first completion, Hackness Farm Kier Living, Kier's affordable housing, care and student accommodation specialists, signed contracts for nine projects across the south-west in March with a combined value of more than £17m. The schemes include: Consols Phase 2, 27 homes in St Ives for
20/04/2012
Willmott Dixon's repairs and maintenance company Willmott Dixon Partnerships has created an innovative joint venture company with affordable housing provider Acis Group to deliver a repairs service to 5,500 homes in South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. The Limited Liability Partnershi
20/04/2012
A development partner is being sought for a major mixed-use scheme in the Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone. Government regeneration body, the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC), is inviting expressions of interest from prospective development partners, or consortia, for th
20/04/2012
Morgan Sindall celebrated the approaching completion of the £23 million Art & Design Faculty building at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) with a traditional topping out ceremony. The project is due to be handed over at the end of the year and will provide a brand new base for the Manchester
20/04/2012
A customer survey by Global Automatics has revealed the top reasons why automatic doors are fitted. Heading the list is that by doing so, door access becomes immediately DDA compliant. Also user experience shows that automatic doors are welcoming to visitors providing unhindered access and consu
20/04/2012
Regeneration Liverpool, a partnership between Liverpool City Council and regeneration specialist Sigma Inpartnership Limited, has submitted a planning application for the third phase of development at its £100 million scheme in Norris Green. The Phase will see 63 new homes built by Countryside as a
20/04/2012
A Hertfordshire building company has been fined for injuring a woman as she waited for a bus. Concentra Ltd, based in Waltham Cross, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after inspectors found that the incident on 26 September 2008 was preventable. Westminster Magistrates' Court
20/04/2012
Here at Resin Flooring Ltd we have over 40 years experience and pride ourselves as being one of the front leaders within the flooring industry. We have gained an excellent reputation for high quality resin installations in numerous environments ranging from the food and drink industry, pharmaceut
20/04/2012
Due to our constant growth and in order to improve our service, we are pleased to announce the addition of a new member to our UK & Republic of Ireland sales team. Mr. Steven Morrison will be your immediate contact for the planning and implementation of OHRA storage solutions in southern England an
19/04/2012
His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester visited Bury St. Edmunds to launch Kier's multi-million pound redevelopment project at the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) residential care home, Manson House. The Duke, who is president of RABI, cut the first turf in the two-year project t
19/04/2012
Midlands based contractor Thomas Vale Construction has celebrated the official project launch to mark the start of the extension at Nehemiah UCHA Housing Association's Charles Pearson Court, Smethwick. It is supported living accommodation which is of particular interest to Afro-Caribbean elders who
19/04/2012
New legislation on the ownership of private sewers has opened up a multi-million pound pipeline of business opportunities for Bridgend based MD Infrastructure Support Services. Last October water and sewerage companies in England and Wales became responsible for private sewers that were previously
19/04/2012
A package of new support to give as many people as possible the opportunity to build their own homes was announced today at England's most famous address by Housing Minister Grant Shapps. It comes as a new report predicts a 141 per cent rise in the mortgages available for those building their own h
19/04/2012
A planning application by Grundon Waste Management to build an 'energy from waste' incinerator at Chieveley, has been refused by West Berkshire Council's planning service. The council said the reasons for refusal included inappropriate development in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and advers
19/04/2012
Bramall Construction is helping future residents reduce their carbon footprints by building a block of flats using environmentally-friendly materials. Carbon reducing technology is being installed in eight new build flats being constructed at Cumberland Street in Macclesfield as part of an £850,000
19/04/2012
Horsham-based housing association Saxon Weald has built the first development of super-energy efficient Passivhaus homes in the South East. Thirty-eight households are about to move into new eco-homes in the centre of the historic market town of Horsham, paying around £160 per week for a three-b
19/04/2012
The Corrugated Case Company Ltd has been fined after an employee was seriously injured by a heavy goods vehicle at its site on Pilsley Road in Danesmoor, Chesterfield. Pete Newsum, 55, of Chesterfield was returning to site from neighbouring premises after his lunch break on 14 December 2010 when th
19/04/2012
Twenty five new apprentices have began work at Bristol City Council, bringing the total to 180 since the scheme started in September 2009. The new apprentices gain work and training in a range of areas including social care, highways engineering, finance and pollution control. The apprenticeship s
19/04/2012
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has published a new Corporate Plan detailing its vision for development, with a strong focus on sector-led improvement, over the next three years. Grainia Long, Chief Executive of CIH, described the document as the organisation's offer to its members and the
19/04/2012
Shropshire Council's Cabinet have approved the recommendation to select Serco as its preferred bidder to manage five of its leisure centres across the county, as part of a new approach to service delivery. This means that detailed contractual negotiations will now start with Serco. Should these be
19/04/2012
The Leicester Miller Education Company (LMEC), has reached Financial Close on a further two schools in the Leicester BSF (Building Schools for the Future) Programme, totalling £45 million. LMEC, a partnership between Miller Construction, Leicester City Council, Semperian, G4S and BSFi, will fund an
18/04/2012
Lovell has been appointed by Alliance, a partnership of the three largest housing consortia in the UK - Fusion21, Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) and Procurement For Housing (PfH) - to a £300 million heating maintenance framework. Lovell is one of a number of companies appointed to the five-year
18/04/2012
Boyes Rees Architects has won two of the largest architectural contracts in Wales awarded so far this year with a completed project value of £83m. The Cardiff based practice has been appointed by contractor Wilmott Dixon and Cardiff City Council to take forward the design of a new school in Cardiff
18/04/2012
Health Minister Lesley Griffiths has given approval for Cwm Taf Health Board to proceed with the planning of a £108million scheme to refurbish the ground and first floor of Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil. Work is needed to ensure the hospital meets the latest fire and health and safety sta
18/04/2012
Construction union UCATT are warning that thousands of construction workers could be denied an extra days paid holiday in order to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The problem has been caused because although the Government has announced that there will be an additional bank holiday on Tuesda
18/04/2012
Developers are invited to apply for membership of a new housing procurement panel which is being set up by the Greater London Authority (GLA) to accelerate the sale and development of its and other public sector land and property holdings in the capital. The new London Development Panel will replac
18/04/2012
The Royal Institute for British Architects (RIBA) is urging its chartered practices and members to register now for the 2012 run of Architect in the House. The charitable scheme gives homeowners one hour's free consultation with a local RIBA architect and offers the chance to support Shelter with
18/04/2012
A Worksop man has been fined after an employee was crushed to death when a tractor overturned and landed on him. Christopher Fox, 60, from Osberton near Worksop, was killed instantly when the tractor overturned during a tree felling operation. Mr Fox was standing by the tractor which was being used
18/04/2012
Visual Building Ltd is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Visual Building Lite. This is the 5th member of the Visual Building range and this version is targeted at many different users that require a simple easy to use powerful tool to create floor plans. Les Player, of Visual Buildi
18/04/2012
It's been a rewarding week for Homebase as the company ran out winners at the Retail Week Awards and the UK Customer Satisfaction Awards. Aylesford store manager Ian Allcock won Retail Week's 'Store Manager of the Year' award for leading his team's monumental effort in re-opening the store, on year
18/04/2012
Hydra International Ltd specialise in the manufacture of Biological Treatments specifically designed for applications that can utilise uniquely selected bacteria strands & enzymes to enhance organic growth or deposition. We are experts in creating innovative solutions involving the treatment of orga
18/04/2012
The programme for UBM's Government Construction Summit 2012 has been announced with two Government speakers promising a more collaborative approach with the UK's construction community. UBM's Government Construction Summit 2012 is being organised by Building Magazine in conjunction with the Cabinet
17/04/2012
A derelict ex-pub site has been transformed into a new retail scheme bringing much needed redevelopment to the local area. The project on the outskirts of Leicester city centre is a perfect example of how to turn around the job losses that have been created from the continued closure of pubs acro
17/04/2012
The first year of Surrey County Council's new highways contract saw almost 300 miles of road resurfaced or repaired, which is further than driving the distance from London to Land's End. Last April, the county council drove a hard bargain when it signed a series of contracts with companies to impro
17/04/2012
In the year to February 2012, UK house prices increased by 0.3 per cent, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The average UK mix-adjusted house price was £224,473. Average house prices increased in both England and Scotland by 0.4 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively. These incr
17/04/2012
New build workloads for small house builders in the social housing market are at their lowest level since 1999, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in its latest State of Trade Survey, the only one of its kind looking at small and medium sized (SME) companies in the construction sector. B
17/04/2012
A preferred bidder for developing the Plymouth Pavilions site is due to be selected by the Council's Cabinet next week. The Cabinet will be asked to approve Akkeron Leisure Limited as the preferred bidder to provide a remodelled arena on the Plymouth Pavilions site through its wholly owned subsidia
17/04/2012
John Sisk & Son has had its most successful year to date at the Considerate Constructors Scheme 2012 National Site Awards, receiving eight awards for excellent standards in industry practice towards its workforce, neighbours and the environment. The National Site Awards acknowledge the highest scor
17/04/2012
The manufacturing and construction sectors have suffered the biggest loss of jobs since the eve of the recession, while finance and business services is the only sector with a bigger workforce today, according to a TUC analysis published today ahead of a busy week of economic indicators. The TUC an
17/04/2012
CSCS has named Graham Wren as its new chief executive with effect from May 1st. Graham previously worked at Balfour Beatty for 29 years, latterly as managing director of Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering. Graham is currently a board member of ConstructionSkills and chair of its Finance Committee.
17/04/2012
Which? has discovered that 10 of the UK's 12 biggest water companies are promoting potentially unnecessary supply pipe insurance, costing consumers more than £100m per year. Water companies were found to be promoting expensive supply pipe insurance when they offer their own free pipe repair schemes
17/04/2012
Painting and maintenance specialist Seddon Property Services has appointed George Smith and Lee Revell-Smith as business development managers in the South of England. George Smith has been appointed as business development manager for the company in London and the South East. He joins Seddon Proper
17/04/2012
A Stannah Xtralift passenger lift is providing vital people movement in Hammerton Court, a £13.7 million Dementia Intensive Care Unit new to Julian Hospital in Norwich, Norfolk. Installed by the East Anglia branch of Stannah Lift Services, the 8-person, motor room-less Xtralift operates between gro
17/04/2012
In just eighteen months, automatic door operator company Global Automatics has successfully doubled its sales to over £1.5 million. It is quite a success story for a company that only started in 2007, setting out to design, develop and manufacture in the UK a range of products which would make an i
16/04/2012
EC Harris, the global Built Asset Consultancy, has won contracts to help deliver six new schools which are due to open in September 2012. E EC Harris will project manage the delivery of Europa Free School in Oxfordshire, Alban City Free School in Hertfordshire, Stephenson School Academy in Milton K
16/04/2012
Changes to the way Network Rail delivers infrastructure projects worth £2bn a year come into force today – part of a wider programme of reforms at the company which aim to encourage competition, drive down costs and deliver a better value for money railway for Britain. A new, commercially focused,
16/04/2012
Blue3, a consortium comprising Kier and Infrastructure Fund Manager (DIF) as 50% co-investors, has been selected to deliver the design, build, financing and maintenance of nine fire stations on behalf of the London Fire Brigade. The selection of Blue3 marks the end of the procurement of a major pri
16/04/2012
A team from Costain's Water Sector, with client Severn Trent Water, worked round-the-clock to secure the supply of water to 100,000 customers in the Hereford area after a serious leak at Severn Trent’s Wyelands Intake Pumping Station, near Ross-on-Wye, last month. Costain carried out routine mainte
16/04/2012
Four Crossrail worksites have won Considerate Constructors Scheme National Awards for their exceptional consideration towards the public, the workforce and the environment in 2011. The VINCI Construction UK team at Connaught Tunnel and the Canary Wharf Contractors at Canary Wharf teams scooped silv
16/04/2012
Residents living in affordable homes across Northamptonshire are set to benefit from an improvement scheme worth around £12m. Birmingham-based affordable housing and regeneration specialist Lovell have been appointed by Daventry & District Housing and Rockingham Forest Housing Association, who have
16/04/2012
E.ON has today announced that its new office building in the heart of Nottingham will be called, 'Trinity House'. Trinity House will hold 'BREEAM' Excellent accreditation and an Energy Performance Certificate rating of 'A'. It has been designed to ensure that every part of the building helps the E.
16/04/2012
Housing Minister Grant Shapps has welcomed today's announcement by Halifax that it will be offering mortgages under the NewBuy Guarantee scheme. Halifax is the fourth lender to offer mortgages under the scheme, and will initially be working closely with nine different housebuilders to help prospect
16/04/2012
The Bouygues Construction subsidiary Bouygues Bâtiment International has signed an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of the Midlands construction business the Thomas Vale Group. The deal is subject to approval by the European Commission competition authorities. Established in 1869, Thomas Vale ex
16/04/2012
Entry for the National Federation of Builders (NFB) first annual awards scheme to celebrate the high quality work and commitment delivered by members to improve the built environment has now closed. The standard of entries received is of an extremely high standard, reflecting the excitement amongst
16/04/2012
Willmott Dixon’s repairs and maintenance company Willmott Dixon Partnerships is eyeing further growth with the appointment of Katy Mercer as business development director. Willmott Dixon Partnerships provides services to over 150,000 homes and properties across England, primarily for local authorit
16/04/2012
A Wigan landlord has been prosecuted for putting the life of a tenant at risk by falsifying a gas safety document. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) took legal action against Terence McBride after it discovered he had changed the dates on the record for an annual gas safety check to suggest it
13/04/2012
Miller Construction is celebrating a successful end to Quarter 1, with £51 million of Higher Education projects for Bangor University and Durham University. Preferred Bidder status has been secured for a £40 million world class Arts and Innovation Centre for the Pontio Development at Bangor Univers
13/04/2012
National contractor Shepherd Construction has won two Considerate Constructors awards for building sites in Liverpool. The Considerate Constructors bronze, silver and gold awards are only rewarded to the top 7.5% of building sites nationally that are operating with high levels of consideration to t
13/04/2012
British Gas has begun rolling out the most advanced smart meter available into its customers' homes. The new meter, which comes with a stylish touch-screen display showing households how much energy they are using, will help customers cut their bills and save money. It will also mean households wil
13/04/2012
EDF Energy is giving Sussex Wildlife Trust the chance to trial a fully electric vehicle for a month to test out the low carbon technology whilst reducing the impact on the environment. A MINI E from the energy company's electric vehicle fleet will be used over the next month as a pool car for trust
13/04/2012
Dudley's unemployed were given a career kick-start in construction last week as Wates Living Space introduced a successful national training scheme in Kates Hill, culminating in the refurbishment of the St Thomas's Community Network learning centre. Nine of Dudley's over 21s who have been strugglin
13/04/2012
An ICE1423 vibrating piling hammer from specialist equipment hirer Piletec is helping Miller Piling install approximately 1,100 concrete piles on what will be one of the Europe’s most prestigious residential developments: One Tower Bridge. The Berkeley Homes development will comprise 374 new apartm
13/04/2012
Waste2Tricity, a structured solutions provider, today announced it has acquired the exclusive rights for AFC Energy Plc hydrogen fuel cells for deployment in the UK energy-from-waste sector. The fuel cells will be used with hydrogen produced by high temperature gasification. The right of first ref
13/04/2012
People in Wales recycled 49% of their waste between October and December 2011. This is a record increase of 6% against the same three months in 2010. The latest report published by the Welsh Government on local authority municipal waste management shows that for the second successive quarter people
13/04/2012
Government plans to force homeowners to spend thousands of pounds extra on green home improvements when they extend their homes will be impractical, unpopular and counterproductive, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB said: "There is an urgent need
13/04/2012
A construction worker defied death after falling four metres from the cage of a 20-tonnes cherry-picker into the path of a moving bus, which then pushed him another 15 metres along the Euston Road. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted national construction firm Galliford Try Constructio
12/04/2012
Sheffield City Council has announced sole provider Amey as the preferred bidder for its £2 billion highways maintenance project creating up to 170 extra jobs for the city. Amey will take responsibility for improving and maintaining 1,900km of road, 68,000 streetlights, 500 traffic signals, 600 brid
12/04/2012
Willmott Dixon has been awarded a contract to build new offices for Monmouthshire County Council. The contract will see the company build a new 2,500sq m Democratic Centre for staff at Monmouthshire County Council, including a council chamber, offices for the council’s chief executive and facilitie
12/04/2012
Morgan Sindall has won a contract to redevelop part of the Westlands School in Torquay, Devon. The project will see the existing library converted into four new classrooms and a smaller resource centre created in its place as the pupils increase their use of electronic resources and less book space
12/04/2012
Architect and TV presenter George Clarke is to be an independent adviser to the Government to help bring thousands of empty homes back into use for families in need of stable, secure homes, Ministers have announced. Although the numbers of empty homes have fallen to their lowest level since 2004, t
12/04/2012
United House has been chosen as joint venture partner by the owners of the Business Design Centre in Islington to deliver a major £130 million mixed use development that will transform the heart of Finsbury Park, the joint venture company will be known as United House City North Ltd. City North Isl
12/04/2012
Commemorating 100 years since the legendary Titanic set sail from the port of Southampton on 10 April 2012, the iconic SeaCity Museum has opened its doors to the public. The eyes of the world were on two Southampton school boys this lunchtime as they cut the ribbon to officially open the eagerly-an
12/04/2012
The National Housing Federation welcomed the Government's announcement to make the new Energy Company Obligation (ECO) available for more types of energy efficiency works than before. The Federation has been arguing strongly that ECO as proposed is unfair, with the often low income and vulnerable r
12/04/2012
A former scaffolding company director has been fined after two employees were injured in a scaffold collapse. A 26-year-old man working for Robert Leslie Butler fractured his left ankle and right heel as he jumped six metres from a scaffold tower at student accommodation on Radford Boulevard, Notti
12/04/2012
A scheme built by Waterloo Housing Group is providing independent supported living to young people with learning disabilities in Lincolnshire. The Rookery Court development in Boultham Park, Lincoln, consists of 16 one- and two-bedroom apartments and bungalows. It is managed by Linkage Community Tr
12/04/2012
Mansell has secured two new contracts worth a total of £3.88 million to carry out essential works for Worthing and Eastbourne Crematoriums. Secured through the IESE framework, the work at each crematorium involves building a new plant room, replacing all cremators and refurbishing internal public a
12/04/2012
As the countdown to this summer's iconic sporting event continues, the entire London 2012 Olympic Park development has achieved dual Project Certification from PEFC and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) schemes for its timber usage —the first dual Project Certification in the world. This groun
12/04/2012
The complete refurbishment of a triplex suite of passenger lifts by the
11/04/2012
Lovell has signed contracts with Southampton City Council for three estate regeneration projects, together worth £28 million that will deliver more than 200 new homes. Working with social housing provider First Wessex, Lovell will build the new housing at three sites: Exford Avenue, Harefield; Laxt
11/04/2012
Skanska has been appointed preferred bidder for the Bradford and Calderdale Waste Treatment project. The PPP-contract involves design, build, finance and operation. Skanska will announce its investment in the project at financial close, which is expected to be reached later this year. The client f
11/04/2012
Partners involved in the £14 million redevelopment of Friary Outer car park in Lichfield gathered recently to celebrate the start of building work on the site. The car park closed at the end of March to make way for the first phase of construction, which will create a multi-deck car park, public to
11/04/2012
Construction of the Water Polo Arena, one of the final London 2012 venues to be built, has been completed one month ahead of its test events. Distinguishable by its silver, inflatable roof made from recyclable plastic, the temporary venue will stage the men's and women's Water Polo competitions dur
11/04/2012
Wembley Stadium, home to the FA Cup and venue for the football finals of the 2012 Olympics, can house 90,000 seated fans and a further 15,000 standing. At the Take That concert in the summer of 2011, 623,737 people attended the eight shows at the stadium. These enormous crowds of sport and music fa
11/04/2012
The Crown Estate has announced the dates of five events aimed at developing the UK supply chain for the offshore wind industry. The events will held in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and are being hosted with partners across the country, including Envirolink. They will bring toget
11/04/2012
E.ON has confirmed that it will participate in one of the Which? Big Switch auctions1 and has promised that, should it win the auction, it will make that winning tariff available to all its customers. Welcoming the initiative as another way to help increase customer engagement, Jeremy Davies, E.ON
11/04/2012
Our recently completed project to supply a two-storey family assessment centre at Browning House in Leeds was formally opened by HRH the Princess Royal on Monday 2nd April 2012. Named the Browning House Jubilee Building in recognition of their 60th year anniversary, the occasion also coincides wit
11/04/2012
A Tower Hamlets-based building contractor has been fined after a worker's hand was severely injured by an unguarded power tool. A prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was brought after the incident on 14 October 2009, when the self-employed carpenter was working on the refurbishment
11/04/2012
Well, it is quite likely, as a recent batch of guards supplied through a national supplier only needed to be the depth of the thickness of the metal used! In an effort to increase the space available within a clinic, the designers set the heat emitters into the wall. Of course they still needed to
05/04/2012
HS2 Ltd has awarded four design contracts under Lot 1 of its Professional Services Framework covering civil and structural design services. The successful companies will prepare preliminary designs and work closely with HS2 Ltd, rail systems designers, environmentalists and land referencing comp
05/04/2012
A team from Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service was able to rehearse a building site rescue operation with the help of Morgan Sindall. Fire-fighters from the Baldock and Letchworth Fire Station service, rope rescue teams from Watford, the Aerial Appliance from Stevenage and the Ambulance Hazardous
05/04/2012
Sainsbury's has signed a deal with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to take 136,000 sq ft at Ansty Park near Coventry. The retail giant has announced major plans to move its general merchandise and clothing store support centre from Walsgrave Triangle in Coventry to the former Ericsson buildi
05/04/2012
Kier Construction and Nene Park Academy marked the start of the structural demolition of the Academy's old buildings, by inviting students to help get the process under way. Students took time out from their Easter break to join principal Mark Woods, Kier technical director Mark Jude and Chris Jack
05/04/2012
Cembrit's Glendyne natural slates have been installed on a loft conversion project in Islington, London to create a stunning finish to a modern three storey property. The project highlights Glendyne's versatility and attractiveness by coping well with the many roof details and harmonising well wi
05/04/2012
Two companies have been fined following separate incidents at a Derbyshire lead smelting works. Both incidents happened at HJ Enthoven Ltd in South Darley, near Matlock. The first happened on 19 August 2009 when an employee suffered severe burns following an explosion at the site. The 43-year-old
05/04/2012
A new generation of social tenants were today handed the keys to homeownership, as the Prime Minister and Housing Minister Grant Shapps launched a reinvigorated Right to Buy. David Cameron and Grant Shapps talking to Right to Buy applicants.David Cameron and Grant Shapps meet with Right to Buy appl
05/04/2012
BuildBase are the industry leaders in building, plumbing and DIY supplies not only in Haverhill but nationwide. They set the standard in service, quality of suppliers and meeting the needs of local trades' people. BuildBase Haverhill branch are holding a Trade Demonstration Day on Thursday 12th Apr
05/04/2012
We are of course talking about our successful range of steel and aluminium radiator guards. Our national supplier was called to a client’s premises recently to look at a problem that they were having with what they called a 'plastic' guard. What was the problem? The Polymer based guard was loos
05/04/2012
Kart-a-Way Waste Management offer a complete recycling service to commercial customers. All waste is processed and recycled in our purpose built 3200 sq mt facility. Materials recovered include; Paper, Cardboard, Metals, Wood, Hard Plastics, Light Plastics, Hardcore and Inert Material. Our recycl
04/04/2012
Galliford Try, the housebuilding and construction group, has announced that it has reached financial close on the £347 million Gateshead regeneration programme announced in April 2011. Galliford Try's consortium with Gateshead Council and housing association Home Group will now form a Local Asset B
04/04/2012
From April this year two million social tenants could benefit from a discount of up to £75,000 with Right to Buy scheme. The Government has today launched the reinvigorated Right to Buy, with a new discount of up to £75,000. Since 1980, two million social homes have been bought by their occupants
04/04/2012
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) popular Stay Safe, Stay Away campaign has been shortlisted for a prestigious Excellence Award by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). Now in its ninth year, the increasingly popular national safety poster competition sees schoolchildren (key
04/04/2012
Imperial Tobacco Group's Chief Executive Alison Cooper tightened the screw on a silver bolt in a rooftop ceremony to mark a significant milestone in the construction of the company's new global headquarters in Winterstoke Road, Bristol. The bolt was secured in a specially craned-in steel beam as th
04/04/2012
Consulting engineer Crofton, picked up the prize for Building Services Consultant of the Year at the Specialists Awards, held at the Hilton Hotel, London on Tuesday 20th March. The Specialists Awards run by Construction News honour the finest specialist contractors and construction projects today.
04/04/2012
Lovell has been selected by Parkway Green Housing Trust to build a £5.6 million, 68-home development in Wythenshawe, south Manchester. The 'New Foxfield' development will create 44, two-, three- and four-bedroom houses; eight two-bedroom bungalows and 16 two-bedroom apartments. All the properties w
04/04/2012
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, have announced that it is to extend its sponsorship of the London Youth Games, Europe's largest youth sport programme, until at least 2015. This commitment is central to securing a healthy future for the Games in the period beyond the London
04/04/2012
New affordable housing units in the centre of Derby have been completed thanks to an innovative partnership and Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) investment. The properties have been built on the site of three long-term problematic empty properties that were acquired compulsorily by Derby City Co
04/04/2012
Prospective homeowners will be given better and clearer advice on making their new homes more eco-friendly, Communities Minister Andrew Stunell has announced. The Minister unveiled a package of measures to make energy information on properties easier to understand, which if followed could help cust
04/04/2012
Construction union UCATT are calling on the Government to take urgent action to ensure that apprenticeships do not continue to be devalued, following revelations of abuses in existing schemes. The problems in apprentice training were uncovered in a Panorama programme. UCATT has previously warned th
04/04/2012
With over a quarter of Brits (29%) planning on doing nothing this Easter bank holiday weekend or unsure what to do, E.ON and Jewson are urging people to pull out the DIY dust sheets and get cracking with some loft insulation. But will you Do It Yourself? According to new research by E.ON and Jewson
04/04/2012
The director of a Cardiff construction firm has been fined for failing to take measures to ensure his workers' safety while working at height. Paul Cartwright, of Llandaff, trading as Cartwright Construction, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) over safety failings at a building
03/04/2012
Construction work has officially begun on a unique affordable housing development that will see the future residents help build their new homes from strawbales and timber. Yesterday the Bramley site held a ‘ground breaking’ ceremony, attended by LILAC members and their families, as well as represen
03/04/2012
The UK building sector is celebrating a good month in March as activity grew at the fastest rate in more than four years, according to a recent Markit survey. The Markit Purchasing Managers Index survey (PMI) of the construction industry rose from 54.3 in February 2012 to 56.7 in March 2012, indica
03/04/2012
Police are being urged to respond to the growing number of thieves using GPS jammers to target construction, plant and agricultural businesses to the value of £1.5million a week. Supporting the Lancashire Constabulary Agricultural Crime Conference, Stolen vehicle recovery experts TRACKER have highl
03/04/2012
Construction on the Olympic Park's Water Polo Arena has been completed, the Olympic Delivery Authority confirmed. The construction of the arena has featured the installation of a silver-coloured wrap with state-of-the-art inflatable roof, made from recyclable plastics and accommodates seating for a
03/04/2012
The sale of both heavy and light construction equipment in the UK has enjoyed a boost in 2012, according to the UK Construction Products Association. In the Associations recent State of Trade Survey, figures revealed that 51% of heavy construction products manufacturers reported a rise in sales bet
03/04/2012
Construction companies are being encouraged to attract more women into the industry in order to secure top talent, according to a recent CITB ConstructionSkills survey. The survey, carried out during National Careers Week, (5 – 9th March), revealed that 60% of respondents felt it was important for
02/04/2012
Apprenticeships will last for a minimum of 12 months guaranteeing improvements in training and workplace learning, Skills Minister John Hayes announced today. The new standards will come into force for all age groups from August 2012, subject to consultation with providers and employers, as a furth
02/04/2012
Large energy suppliers have made progress on customer complaints handling however an OFGEM survey highlights that they still need to improve further. Customers are seeing a steady improvement in their overall satisfaction with the complaints handling processes, but further action is required accord
02/04/2012
A Black Country galvanizing business is making a big splash in the independent boating sector, even though it is based nearly 100 miles from the coastline. Despite its landlocked location, Willenhall-based B.E. Wedge, part of Wedge Group Galvanizing, is carving out a name for itself as a key part o
02/04/2012
Annual tax refunds could be going unclaimed by workers in the UK construction industry, according to figures released today, reports prweb.com. Workers have been urged to claim their share of £180 million in tax refunds by RIFT tax specialist in what has been dubbed a "National scandal" of tax ineq
02/04/2012
New access to one of the most popular Norfolk Broads tourist hotspots has been celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to the Norwich Evening News. The improved access was celebrated at Salhouse Broad after work by City College Norwich construction apprentices was completed. It is hope
02/04/2012
The Yorkshire and Humber economy is expected to receive a £250 million boost from an increased number of motorists using the Humber Bridge, reveals the BBC The lower tolls come as a result of the Government scrapping almost half the £330 million debt still outstanding on the Humber Bridge. As a res
02/04/2012
Twenty-four trainees have newly graduated from the £1.7m Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme, a pioneering work-placement programme that started four years ago to help address the skills shortage currently being encountered in the heritage sector. The Scheme is largely funded by the Heritag
02/04/2012
A new telephone line has opened to give the public advice on how to save energy in their homes and businesses. The phone line will be run by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) with Careline Services. As well as giving out advice on energy efficiency, it will provide information about existing government
02/04/2012
Nearly one in five construction sites failed safety checks during a national initiative to improve construction site safety - a slight improvement on previous years. Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited a total 3237 sites and saw 4080 contractors, but 581 sites were found
