Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for April 2013
30/04/2013
Willmott Dixon is strengthening its reputation as one of the country's most prolific builders of retirement accommodation with a £22 million contract from Anchor to create Bishopstoke Park in Hampshire. Bishopstoke Park is Anchor's flagship retirement village near Eastleigh and Willmott Dixon's rol
30/04/2013
The Environment Land Services team, within international infrastructure and business services Group Mouchel, has been awarded a two-year contract extension from Crossrail. Mouchel began land referencing work for the preparation of the Hybrid Bill in 2002 and it has continued to support Crossrail
30/04/2013
Crossrail contractor Costain Skanska Joint Venture (JV) has completed the construction of the diaphragm walls and columns that will support the roof of the new Crossrail Paddington Station. Work started on the project in April 2012 to construct a 40 metre deep reinforced concrete wall around the pe
30/04/2013
Manchester's Housing Investment Fund looks towards another milestone as the search begins to find a property management company for the development. The Housing Investment Fund (HIF), a joint partnership with Manchester City Council and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF), will invest £24m t
30/04/2013
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) property and services provider has selected Crest Nicholson as its Development Manager for the redevelopment of Arborfield Garrison. Located in Berkshire, the site offers a unique opportunity to deliver a high-quality su
30/04/2013
A consortium led by SITA UK has been selected as preferred bidder for a resource recovery contract worth over £900 million over 25 years with the West London Waste Authority. The other consortium members are Lloyds Banking Group and ITOCHU Corporation. The contract is to manage up to 300,000 tonn
30/04/2013
Wales Office Minister, Stephen Crabb MP, has visited the British Gas Training Academy in Tredegar to meet British Gas trainees set to become Green Deal assessors. The Green Deal is the UK Government's new initiative designed to transform Britain's homes and businesses into warmer, more cost-efficie
30/04/2013
Access has been improved at a Carlisle primary school thanks to a new-look footpath created by local affordable housing and regeneration developer Lovell. The path at Newtown Community Primary School has been widened and resurfaced by Lovell for free. The company – currently building a new housing
30/04/2013
Derby's £100m Castleward scheme has become only the second development in the country to achieve accreditation from BRE for its overall sustainability. Castleward, which is currently undergoing redevelopment by Compendium Living to become a new residential neighbourhood, has achieved a 'good' certi
30/04/2013
KAT UK recently launched a brand new 'Universal' inline PVCu range of Bi-folding doors, fully fabricated to the highest quality standards using the acclaimed Eurocell Aspect system. This is a purpose designed 70mm, five chamber system offering excellent performance, thermal efficiency, security an
29/04/2013
Miller Construction has been appointed to deliver a new city centre development in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne. The first phase of the Stephenson Quarter project, construction contract valued at £44m, will include a landmark 251 bed four-star hotel and conference centre, a multi-use building
29/04/2013
Business and leisure travellers arriving at Cardiff Airport can expect a brighter welcome and better first impression of Wales thanks to a Welsh Government-funded scheme to improve visitor experience at the terminal. Work is underway on an innovative and creative scheme to revamp inward-bound walkw
29/04/2013
A Peterborough school will display plans for an additional school site and new building to parents and the local community tomorrow, 30 April, at a public exhibition. Gladstone Primary School is set to increase the number of pupils it teaches from 450 to 840 from September 2014. Proposals are now i
29/04/2013
Construction union UCATT have described the Government's announcement that they have ordered a major review of the Health and Safety Executive as "crass and cold hearted". The announcement of the review by Employment Minister Mark Hoban was sneaked out on the day that Parliament prorogued. UCATT sa
29/04/2013
Up to 300 new jobs are coming to Southampton as part of the next phase of the city's iconic Centenary Quay development following a deal which will see work start next month. Contracts have been exchanged between Crest Nicholson and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) for the third phase of the £
29/04/2013
A Portishead plant hire company has been fined after a worker was killed while operating a tarmac cutter in Box, Wiltshire. Mr Stuart Guard died after becoming entangled in the cutting wheel of a machine designed to remove the top layers of tarmac on roads. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to
29/04/2013
Award Winning Artist 'Vic Lee' will be painting live onto the Showroom windows for Clerkenwell Design Week. The former Clerkenwell artist, who has worked for companies such as Sainsbury’s, Elle Magazine, Brompton Bicycles as well as many others, will be gracing us with his presence for the 3 day e
29/04/2013
Airsculpt Limited has announced the launch of a dedicated Shade Sail division, catering for both the commercial and domestic markets alike. This new division will utilise the design and in-house production capabilities of Airsculpt, to provide 'High End' cutting edge interior /exterior designer sh
26/04/2013
Lovell has been appointed to the London Development Panel, the new procurement panel set up by The Mayor of London Boris Johnson to accelerate the delivery of new homes in the capital. Set up with the support of London councils, the Panel will enable public landowners, including London boroughs and
26/04/2013
Kier Construction has started work on the conversion of a Grade II listed warehouse on Greenland Street into Liverpool’s first University Technical College (UTC). Formerly known as the Contemporary Urban Centre, the £4.5m project will transform the historic building into a Life Sciences and Studio
26/04/2013
A Worcester pensioner was put in danger after a local builder and his son knowingly carried out defective gas fitting work while constructing a conservatory at her home. Christopher Amphlett, 65, and his son Mark, 37, trading as Worcester Windows, Doors and Conservatories, knew they had to manage t
26/04/2013
Construction union UCATT have renewed their call for greater investment in construction after the latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures showed a further significant fall in output for the industry. Provisional GDP figures show that the economy grew by 0.3% in the 1st quarter of 2013, however
26/04/2013
Morgan Sindall has received a Gold ranking in Business in the Community’s annual benchmark of responsible business management, the Corporate Responsibility (CR) Index. The Index is the UK's leading and most in-depth voluntary benchmark of Corporate Responsibility. The award of a Gold ranking signif
26/04/2013
The Education Funding Agency has appointed BAM Construction Ltd as the selected panel member for the £27 million contract for the Midlands 2 capital batch (schools located in Birmingham, Derby and Nottinghamshire). More than 1,800 pupils in one primary, one secondary and two special schools will be
26/04/2013
The Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Carl Sargeant, visited a £10 million scheme, which is delivering much needed makeovers for empty properties and, in the process, is providing much needed quality homes across Wales. Local authorities have already claimed £10 million from the Welsh Governme
26/04/2013
British Land has submitted a planning application to Westminster Council for a major new 193,500 sq ft mixed use scheme following its acquisition of the Clarges Estate last year. The site totals almost one acre bounding London's Piccadilly and includes residential, offices and retail. Planning co
25/04/2013
Carillion has completed a major engineering project to replace the Loughor Viaduct near Swansea as part of a wider £48 million scheme to redouble a key stretch of railway. The operation to slide the new two-track and 235 metre-long structure into position was recently completed. It completes work
25/04/2013
Galliford Try, the housebuilding and construction group, announces that its Partnerships business has been named as preferred bidder to design and construct the Bournville Gardens retirement village in Birmingham. The Extra Care Charitable Trust has selected Partnerships to build the 212-apartment
25/04/2013
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has worked with Wigan Council to select Taylor Wimpey as the preferred developer to undertake the re-development of Bickershaw South in to a mixed-use scheme. Bickershaw South is one of the Agency's most significant development sites and will see the 18-hectar
25/04/2013
Midas Construction and Moody Systems have been selected to carry out the final stage of a four-year development programme at Trewithen Dairy. The £11.4m project began in 2009 and has been 50 per cent match funded by a £5.7m grant from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). Since the d
25/04/2013
Southern Housing Group has completed the construction of 40 apartments for rent in Hove, East Sussex. The striking new VEGA building on Kingsway was built by Southern Housing Groups’ contractor, Denne, which is part of the Bouygues Construction Group The former car dealership building that previo
25/04/2013
Interserve has started the first phase of works at Jaguar Land Rover's new Engine Manufacturing Centre at the i54 South Staffordshire Business Park near Wolverhampton. Interserve has completed the steel frame structure and cladding for the plant where Jaguar Land Rover is investing more than £500 m
25/04/2013
Liverpool City Council is inviting formal applications for an innovative scheme, which is giving 20 local residents the opportunity to buy a house for just £1. The city council announced in February that it was launching a pilot 'Homes for £1' scheme, as part of plans to breathe new life into vacan
24/04/2013
Galliford Try has been selected to deliver a £1m office refurbishment project at the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool. The project, which will see the strip-out and refurbishment of the eighth floor of Liverpool's most iconic building for client Royal London Asset Management, will be undertaken by
24/04/2013
Plans to transform part of East Manchester into a world-beating sport and community facility have taken two leaps forward today as planning permission for the project is approved. Key funding for a new sixth form college has also been given a government green light. A joint venture between Manches
24/04/2013
Omega Warrington Ltd (OWL) has completed a deal with Hermes, the UK's leading consumer delivery specialist, to build the company a new 153,500 sq ft state of the art parcel handling distribution depot. The new premises will be on Omega North, the major distribution and logistics hub, part of the
24/04/2013
Stephen Scard has joined Miller Construction as Regional Managing Director for the company’s South East operations. Having spent 28 years in the industry, Stephen will assist in delivering the company’s strategy to focus on specific markets. Chris Webster, Chief Executive, Miller Construction,
24/04/2013
Willmott Dixon was named Building magazine's Major Contractor of the Year at its annual awards, the second time in three years it has achieve the prestigious accolade. The award is one of the most sought-after prizes in construction, recognising a company’s quality and achievements in what has been
24/04/2013
Almost a third of Britain's small building firms have shed staff since the turn of the year, as falling workloads and rising costs have forced many SME construction companies to scale back their operations, according to new research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The FMB's latest State
24/04/2013
A Portsmouth steel manufacturer has been sentenced after one of its workers suffered life-changing injuries when a 1.4 tonne steel beam hit him. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Condor Allslade for serious safety failings that led to the incident at its factory in Hillsea on 10 June
24/04/2013
Bedford Borough Council wanted to improve efficiency and reduce carbon output at their City Centre data centre in Bedford. EcoCooling were asked to provide a scheme to provide cooling for their 100kW data centre. 4 CRECs were installed at low level and ducted up the wall and into the data centre to
23/04/2013
GB Building Solutions has been awarded a £10 million new care home for Signature Senior Lifestyle in Epsom, Surrey. This is the third project awarded to GB by Signature following recent awards in Coombe and Marlow. Martin Smout, chairman and chief executive of GB Group said: "This is the sixth ca
23/04/2013
Work has started to transform a homeless hostel in Liverpool. Mildmay House is a supported housing project, run by charity organisation Chapter 1, which houses 50 homeless men. This £4.5 million project will be jointly funded by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Chapter 1. The buildi
23/04/2013
Housing developer Lovell has appointed Eddie Costello as operations manager for the company's new-build, mixed tenure, regeneration and refurbishment housing business in London. Eddie joins Lovell from Country & Metropolitan Homes where he was construction director. He said: "Lovell is well-known
23/04/2013
An Essex construction company has been fined for putting workers at risk after neglecting to check and maintain a potentially dangerous piece of lifting equipment. Basildon Magistrates' Court heard hat a forklift truck belonging to Aveley Construction Ltd was heavily used at the company’s South Ock
23/04/2013
Kier Construction has been appointed as the preferred bidder for the redevelopment and construction of the Black Country University Technical College. The site will be completely transformed, creating a state-of-the-art learning environment for 14 to 19-year-olds with a passion for engineering and
23/04/2013
The next phase in a high profile project which will see 35 rundown houses in Stoke-on-Trent sold for just £1 each has been launched. The city council is encouraging eligible residents to submit their application forms before the closing date of May 12. The major regeneration scheme is being funded
23/04/2013
A new Housing 21 extra care housing scheme for older people in All Saints Road, Warwick will soon be open for public viewing. The £8 million development at Rohan Gardens will be open on Tuesday 23rd and Thursday 25th April between 10am and 4pm. The new development will provide 42 two bedroom apa
23/04/2013
Chauncey's has announced it has completed a project at the Docklands Museum. Located on West India Docks, and opened in the May 2003, this fine old building which was formally a sugar cane refinery during Victorian times. It was converted to create a new Docklands Museum charting the history of the
22/04/2013
The President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has been given a guided tour of the new facilities at the National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) in Blyth. Narec has invested more than £150 million of UK Government, private sector and European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) in world
22/04/2013
ISG has secured its latest project via the influential North West Construction Hub framework, taking a £3.6 million scheme to deliver a new primary school for Warrington Borough Council. The project sees ISG build a modern single-storey school at the existing Woolston Community Primary School site.
22/04/2013
The Leeds Arena site has been handed over from Leeds City Council to the operators, SMG, to start the interior fit-out process. The handover marks the end of the construction phase of the flagship Leeds Arena project. Led by the developer Leeds City Council, organisations including BAM, Arup, Popu
22/04/2013
Government grants available to help construction companies innovate and diversify are not being applied for, according to new research published by Constructionline and Capita Symonds. More than 80 per cent of construction firms are unaware grants are available to support innovation and only 4.1 pe
22/04/2013
SITA UK has been selected as preferred bidder for 30-year £1.18 billion resource recovery contract with Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority The other consortium members are Sembcorp Utilities UK and I-Environment, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Itochu Corporation. The contract is to ma
22/04/2013
A West Midlands steel products manufacturer and its director have been prosecuted for safety failings after a 17-year-old worker seriously injured his hand on a moving saw blade. The teenager, who does not wish to be named, severed the thumb, part of his little finger and all the remaining fingers
22/04/2013
A Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority-managed site that is steeped in history is now looking forward to a bright future, following the completion of a series of exciting renovations. After a busy schedule of works over the winter months, Carew Castle was officially re-opened, during a visit
22/04/2013
Almost £550,000 is set to be clawed back by Surrey households on the annual cost of energy thanks to the county council's help. More than 11,000 people joined the authority's switch and save scheme to tackle rising fuel bills. They linked up with more than 150,000 people nationwide to use their co
19/04/2013
Euston Station will be redeveloped and improved to become the gateway to the great cities of the Midlands and North as part of plans for HS2. And under new proposals this could be achieved without the need to lower and rebuild all the existing platforms. Euston Station will be the terminus for Hi
19/04/2013
The regeneration of New Union Wharf estate on the Isle of Dogs is now moving into the next stage, following the appointment of East Thames’ development partner, Hill Partnerships. Hill Partnerships has been selected by East Thames, with input from estate residents, to carry out the regeneration wor
19/04/2013
Evolution, a consortium between Kier Project Investment and Thames Valley Housing, has been granted planning permission to develop an £80m housing scheme by Woking Borough Council. The 9.5-hectare site near Moor Lane, Woking, will be developed to create 371 new homes. Of these, 224 will be availabl
19/04/2013
Willmott Dixon has taken its secured order book for new housing in 2013 to £160 million after agreeing a £40 million contract for the next phase of Greenwich Millennium Village, a Taylor Wimpey Central London and Countryside Properties joint venture project. Willmott Dixon will build 206 homes on t
19/04/2013
The plans to transform part of East Manchester into a world-beating sport and community facility have been approved by the Manchester Planning Authority. A joint venture between Manchester City Council, Manchester City Football Club and urban regeneration company, New East Manchester, will develop
19/04/2013
First Minister, Carwyn Jones, today thanked Tata Steel for its confidence and belief in Wales as he visited its Port Talbot works to see the rebuilt Blast Furnace No. 4 in operation. The First Minister said: "The £185 million rebuild of the No. 4 Blast Furnace at Port Talbot - the largest industria
19/04/2013
A York civil engineering firm was responsible for safety failings that led to one of its workers suffering multiple and life-changing injuries, a court was told. The 58 year-old-man, from Rothwell, near Leeds, was felled by a seven-metre sheet pile as he worked at a site in Rother Valley Country Pa
19/04/2013
Creative Space Management has been re-appointed as managing and lettings agent by the Homes and Community Agency (HCA) for three of the agency's key commercial developments in Leeds and Rotherham, having successfully attracted a wealth of new companies since 2006, doubling occupancy at the sites. C
19/04/2013
Another of south London's stations has been transformed with the help of government funding, to make it easier for passengers to get around and to improve the travel experience. Rail Minister Norman Baker saw how Earlsfield station has benefitted from more than £5.5 million of investment to provide
19/04/2013
Crossrail's Paddington station contractor Costain Skanska Joint Venture (JV) has facilitated more than 48,000 deliveries to the station’s retailers in the past year. The deliveries to the 32 Paddington station businesses, including Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencers and WH Smiths, were previously made v
18/04/2013
GB Building Solutions has been awarded a £34 million student accommodation scheme for Kings College London. The part new build, part refurbishment project, located close to their Denmark Hill Campus, will provide 74 bedrooms within an existing Grade II listed building and 643 bedrooms within four
18/04/2013
A new education campus with two schools and a host of other community facilities at Cranbrook in East Devon has been given the thumbs-up and should be open within two years. East Devon District Council has approved a planning application for Devon County Council's proposal for a secondary school an
18/04/2013
Affordable housing provider Wulvern has completed its £1.8 million development on Wellington Road, Nantwich. The three storey building with underground parking offers 12 two bedroom and two one bedroom spacious, contemporary apartments for affordable rent, which are sure to attract local people wis
18/04/2013
The £225m regeneration scheme from Hadley Mace has officially opened its marketing suite to showcase the stunning development created by the joint venture. Supported by the Mayor of London and working in partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, L&Q and NHS Greenwich, the former Greenwich D
18/04/2013
A £27 million programme to improve and modernise schools has been approved. Schools across the county will benefit from projects to improve their condition in 2013/14 as part of the capital maintenance programme. It includes: • £5m to continue the phased replacement of worn-out buildings at Alder
18/04/2013
Engineering and design consultancy Morgan Sindall Professional Services has picked up two prizes at the Lighting Design Awards for its scheme at Gatwick Airport. The company won the prestigious awards in the Low Carbon and Public Building categories at the event held at the Hilton hotel in Mayfair,
18/04/2013
An unregistered gas fitter has been sent to prison after carrying out work at more than 85 homes across South Yorkshire and Worksop that left families and children at risk. Steven Carter, 49, of Maltby, Rotherham, appeared before Doncaster Magistrates for sentencing on three charges under the Gas S
18/04/2013
Housing refurbishment specialist Lovell has been appointed by West Lancashire Borough Council as a contractor partner to help deliver its major housing modernisation programme. Lovell will undertake a five-year contract to replace kitchens in council homes in West Lancashire, worth £4 million. The
18/04/2013
Ardmore's Stratford Halo project has won the 'Best Large Development of the Year' category at the prestigious Chartered Institute of Housing Awards in London. The CIH's UK Housing Awards, which celebrate the dedication and commitment of organisations and professionals across the industry, were ann
18/04/2013
EDF Energy has agreed a new collaboration with simulation technology leader GSE Systems. The agreement will see GSE Systems showcase state-of-the-art technology in EDF Energy’s new flagship training facility at Cannington Court in the south west of England, as well as across the UK. Alongside the
17/04/2013
Skanska successfully gained planning permission to develop the site at 11 to 19 Monument Street in the City of London. Skanska acquired the site in 2012, with the intention of delivering around 85,000sqft of Grade A offices and 3,000sqft of retail space over nine floors by the end of 2015. Around 4
17/04/2013
BAM Construct UK has achieved its highest ranking to date in the UK's leading and most in-depth benchmark of corporate responsibility. Business in the Community's annual benchmark, the Corporate Responsibility Index, ranks BAM as a Platinum company. Congratulating BAM, Stephen Howard, Chief Execut
17/04/2013
Supermarket giant Tesco has announced it will not be developing on more than 100 sites where it has bought land, as part of a property pipeline review. Last year Tesco announced it would cut new stores by a third. In a statement the firm said: "We have reviewed all of the schemes included in the p
17/04/2013
Up to 10,000 new homes for private rent will be underway by 2015, Housing Minister Mark Prisk has announced. The minister announced the first 45 projects to be taken forward using the £1 billion Build to Rent Fund. Mr Prisk said that the innovative new projects, a quarter of which are for London,
17/04/2013
The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, visited Linden Homes' development in Teddington to see for himself the housing, jobs and investment it has brought to his constituency. The Liberal Democrat cabinet member and MP for Twickenham was given a guided tour of the apartments and houses at Wallis Mews
17/04/2013
Invensys Rail has been awarded two new contracts under Network Rail's Signalling Framework Agreements, the contracts covering the re-signalling of Watford Junction Station and the re-locking and immunisation of life-expired signalling equipment, interlockings and control systems in the Reading area.
17/04/2013
Ten unemployed young people in Nottingham have been offered employment following a work experience programme pioneered by the Prince’s Trust and VINCI Construction UK. The training programme was carried out at Byron House, VINCI Construction UK's £41.3m student accommodation scheme in Nottingham Ci
17/04/2013
Kier Services has signed two contracts with Circle Housing Group to deliver its planned repairs and maintenance services across the Central and Eastern Regions. The contracts are worth in excess of £200 million over a period of five years, with the potential to be extended for a further five. Kie
17/04/2013
A gas fitter has been sentenced following a major explosion in Irlam, which injured ten adults and five children, and left a 73-year-old woman with severe burns. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Paul Kay after carrying out a large-scale investigation into the explosion on Merlin Roa
17/04/2013
Selfridges, was built in 1908 to a neo-classical design from the desk of American architect Daniel Burnham, and is the worlds no 1 voted department store. Constructed in several phases, the original roofs have since become increasingly complex over the years with the addition of various plant and
16/04/2013
Lovell has signed contracts for a £63.3 million mixed tenure housing scheme at Lymington Fields in the Chadwell Heath area of Dagenham. The site which once housed part of Barking Technical College in the 1980s, is one of the first to be released by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, as part of his
16/04/2013
A new education campus with two schools and a host of other community facilities at Cranbrook in East Devon has been given the thumbs-up and should be open within two years. East Devon District Council has approved a planning application for Devon County Council’s proposal for a secondary school an
16/04/2013
New measures could make it cheaper for aspiring self-builders to get their 'grand design' off the ground. Proposed changes could save self-builders thousands of pounds by ensuring they are exempt from paying a levy charge that must be paid for all new buildings over a certain size. The government
16/04/2013
EDF Energy has agreed a new collaboration with simulation technology leader GSE Systems. The agreement will see GSE Systems showcase state-of-the-art technology in EDF Energy’s new flagship training facility at Cannington Court in the south west of England, as well as across the UK. Alongside the
16/04/2013
BAM Construct UK has achieved its highest ranking to date in the UK's leading and most in-depth benchmark of corporate responsibility. Business in the Community’s annual benchmark, the Corporate Responsibility Index, ranks BAM as a Platinum company. Congratulating BAM, Stephen Howard, Chief Execut
16/04/2013
In the 12 months to February 2013 UK house prices increased by 1.9%, down from a 2.2% increase in the 12 months to January 2013, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). House price growth remains relatively stable across most of the UK, although prices in London are increas
16/04/2013
Unite the union has welcomed the Scottish affairs committee's interim report on blacklisting, which has begun to shine a light on the dark side of Britain's construction industry. The committee is concerned that the industry has not wholly disclosed the extent of blacklisting across the constructio
16/04/2013
UK Coal Mining Ltd has been ordered to pay £300,000 in fines and costs after an employee was killed by falling pipes at Thoresby Colliery in Nottinghamshire. Experienced locomotive driver John Harbron, 47, of Wellow, was working underground with colleagues when the fatal incident occurred on 24 Jul
16/04/2013
A student has created a giant piece of artwork to light up the hoardings of Willmott Dixon's new project in Cardiff. Final year BA student Diego Zelaya has stamped his personal mark on the project at the Cardiff School of Art and Design with several large-scale portraits of his fellow students. I
16/04/2013
Surrey County Council has been helping to trial an innovative pothole-detecting mobile phone app with road repair experts in the USA. Street Bump has been pioneered by the Mayor's Office in Boston with the aim of collecting data from motorists when they drive over a pothole. The app works by using
15/04/2013
Costain, one of the UK’s leading tier one engineering solutions providers, has announced that ATC, its Joint Venture with Alstom and TSO, has been awarded a contract worth approximately £300m to design, fit-out and commission the railway systems in Crossrail’s tunnel network. Under the contract, AT
15/04/2013
Work is set to start in the summer on Boston's new bridge. The structure will replace the existing St. Botolph's bridge, which spans the River Witham and overlooks the Boston Stump. Work will begin in mid-August and should be completed by early November. The project will be split into three phases
15/04/2013
The £5 million regeneration of Riverhead Square and Station Approach in Grimsby, designed by LDA Design has started on site. LDA Design was appointed by Balfour Beatty Living Places – NELC's Local Enterprise Partner to design and deliver the two projects, working in close collaboration with Parsons
15/04/2013
Thousands of people are being given an extended chance to reduce their energy bills. The region's largest ever mass energy switch, which could save individuals around £115 a year on their gas and electricity costs, will continue for a further two weeks. Leeds-based Community Energy Direct is worki
15/04/2013
Householders from across the region are invited to join the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Collective Switch to see how much they could save on their energy bills. Organised by Wirral-based charity, Energy Projects Plus, together with the Liverpool City Region local authorities, the scheme aims to red
15/04/2013
Production from the Huntington oil and gas field in the North Sea has successfully started and highlights an important step for E.ON's upstream business. "The production start at Huntington is an important milestone and illustrates our determination in developing our upstream business," said Jørgen
15/04/2013
Construction union UCATT are calling for a far higher number of construction inspections in Wales and South West England after the Health and Safety Executive revealed that 1 in 3 of the sites they recently visited had major safety failings. The HSE inspected 224 sites in Wales and found that 69 di
15/04/2013
Breedon Aggregates England Limited announced it has reached agreement and exchanged contracts to purchase certain assets from Marshalls Mono Limited (Marshalls) for an initial consideration of £17.5 million in cash. The final consideration will be up to £19.0 million, dependent on certain conditio
15/04/2013
JCB has announced that 2012 was the best year in its 67-year history with earnings reaching a new record. Earnings rose to £365 million on an EBITDA basis (2011: £355 million) on turnover which remained virtually unchanged at £2.7 billion. In a global market which contracted by 10%, JCB's machine r
15/04/2013
A Rochdale man has been fined after he tricked a married couple into believing he was legally qualified to install a new gas boiler, a court has heard. Malcolm Riley was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after he charged the owners of a house on Ings Lane in Rochdale £1,700 to fit
12/04/2013
Miller Construction has been appointed as main contractor to deliver the new £8.6 million transformation of Newcastle Central Station. The project, which is subject to Listed Building Consent, will provide a new facility for thousands of passengers and will enhance the historic original Victorian s
12/04/2013
Home furnishing company IKEA has announced its intention to open a new store in Sheffield as it revealed it is in the process of preparing a planning application for a new IKEA store in the city. IKEA has entered into discussions with Sheffield City Council over proposals to convert a derelict indu
12/04/2013
UTC Swindon took a significant step with the appointment of the education facility's building contractor. BAM Construction has been granted Selected Panel Member status and brings a wealth of experience in building contracts, including work for existing UTC developments. During the tendering pro
12/04/2013
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has informed Bradford Council that it will provide £3.5m in funding to secure the future of two major city centre sites, the former Odeon building and the former police station. The investment of £1.3m for the former Odeon and £2.2m for the former police stat
12/04/2013
The final stages of the planning process for the Leeds City waste treatment facility have been completed and planning permission has been officially granted. The planning application for the 'Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility' was approved by Leeds City Council's plans panel in February 2013 a
12/04/2013
To celebrate the completion of the main structure of the new Ark All Saints Academy in Southwark, Balfour Beatty invited students and teachers to a topping out ceremony to mark this exciting milestone in the construction programme. The building is part of a £30 million scheme that involves the demo
12/04/2013
London Mayor Boris Johnson has more than doubled the number of affordable housing starts in the capital in less than a year and remains on track to deliver up to 100,000 affordable homes for working Londoners over two Mayoral terms, boosting the capital's construction industry and creating thousands
12/04/2013
Norfolk County Council's annual road surface dressing programme for 2013 will begin on Monday, 15 April, and work will begin in the Brundall, Belton and east coastal areas. Surface dressing is one of the best ways of extending the life of roads while contributing to safety by improving skid resista
12/04/2013
Two of Knightstone's developments in Bristol have been nominated for Considerate Constructors Awards. The developments are West Street, the first train and build scheme for ex-service personnel, and J3, our iconic development in Easton. Knightstone worked with contractors Leadbitter, part of the B
12/04/2013
A scheme to rid Surrey of its night time orange glow and replace it with energy-efficient lights that shine brighter is set to reach a major milestone ahead of schedule. Rapid progress means the 60,000th lamp has been installed in Surrey County Council's streetlight replacement project. Skanska's
11/04/2013
Liverpool FC and England captain Steven Gerrard went back to his roots to help launch a new project that will provide much-needed new homes. The Reds star was on hand to mark the start of work at Bluebell Park in his home town of Huyton in Knowsley, a project that will provide 101 new homes for ren
11/04/2013
Proposals for E.ON's Rampion Offshore Wind Farm have been accepted for consideration by the Planning Inspectorate. Consultation feedback from over 1500 people and organisations in Sussex has been used to shape the wind farm proposals. Chris Tomlinson, E.ON Development Manager for the project, sai
11/04/2013
Construction union UCATT are warning that the Government's plans to reform the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE), will strip workers of employment protection and will lead to increased job losses. Currently when a contract is transferred between companies,
11/04/2013
A show home for Hollyview, a new development of affordable homes on Hollyhedge Road, Wythenshawe, was officially launched by local MP Paul Goggins. This new £2.14 million scheme, which includes 15 two bed houses for shared ownership, is being developed by Willow Park Housing Trust, with financial s
11/04/2013
Costain, one of the UK's leading tier one engineering solutions providers, has, through its A-one+ joint venture with Halcrow and Colas, been awarded a two-year extension to its five-year Managing Agent Contractor (MAC) contract, by the Highways Agency (HA). Under the contract, A-One+ will carry ou
11/04/2013
More than 50 council tenants in Wandsworth bought their homes under the Right to Buy scheme last year after changes to the rules made it easier for families to get on the property ladder. In the 12 months leading up to the end of March, 54 tenants in Wandsworth bought their council home. This compa
11/04/2013
A senior manager at Keepmoat, one of Britain's biggest housebuilders has gone 'back to the floor' to inspire the next generation of construction apprentices. Keepmoat Regional Operations Manager Sean Corcoran began his career as an apprentice joiner more than 25 years ago. He is currently responsi
11/04/2013
A new deal was agreed today that will significantly lower the cost government pays for energy and create hundreds of local jobs, the Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude announced. The new 20 year contract with Air Products, worth 2% of government's energy spend, is expected to deliver £84
11/04/2013
Willmott Dixon has taken its order book of residential work, secured since the start of 2013, to over £100 million after being awarded a £39.8m project to deliver a retirement village in Ascot. The company has been appointed by Rise Lodge Developments Limited to build a village designed to provide
11/04/2013
An East Devon gas fitter who risked the lives of a young couple through his dangerous work falsely claimed to be on the Gas Safe Register, a court has heard. Luke Potts, who trades as Devon Plumber, installed a new gas boiler at a home in Chelmsford Road, Exeter, in May 2012 that was classed as "im
10/04/2013
Kier Construction has been awarded a £2.5m contract to build the 'Incubator', the first building to be constructed on the Enterprise Campus at the low carbon development of Alconbury Weald in Huntingdonshire. Client and owner of the site, property group Urban&Civic, intends Alconbury Weald to trans
10/04/2013
Linden Homes and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) have completed a development agreement which has allowed work start on the transformation of the former Gloscat college site in the heart of the city centre. The new development will provide 176 apartments and 78 townhouses, including a mix of
10/04/2013
Mansell has been awarded a £3 million refurbishment contract in London's Mayfair. The firm will carry out the refurbishment of Grade II listed building, undertaking structural alterations and sensitive refurbishment to the period property within the Mayfair conservation area. The building is prim
10/04/2013
EDF Energy has launched Blue +Price Promise February 2015 which allows customers to freeze their prices at a highly competitive rate for the best part of two years, but with the freedom to leave at any time without paying an exit fee. Based on a national average of regional prices, the annual dual
10/04/2013
Plant, tool and equipment hire company A-Plant has appointed a new Director to head up its Acrow Division. Simon Coveney joins A-Plant from PERI and will be responsible for the strategic development of A-Plant’s Acrow formwork, falsework and groundworks division. He will be responsible for the A
10/04/2013
As part of its bid to help tenants keep warm and well, social landlord Riverside is piloting an innovative device that will help them control their heating boilers remotely. People will be able to send a message from their smart phone to switch the boiler on or off and adjust their heating temperat
10/04/2013
Construction union UCATT are warning workers not to be duped into paying over the odds for a CSCS card or a CITB Health, Safety and Environment Test. The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards are a mandatory requirement for construction workers to work on most construction sites. In
10/04/2013
J. Murphy & Sons Limited is at the heart of a new project to design, construct and commission a unique green technology Combined Heat and intelligent Power (CHiP) plant in East London. The £70m Engineer, Procure and Construct contract was awarded by new generation green utility company 2OC Ltd foll
10/04/2013
Carl Sargeant, the Minister for Housing and Regeneration, saw for himself today the good work being done in housing and regeneration across North Wales. The Minister visited six projects, all of which have benefited from Welsh Government funding, and stressed the importance of such projects if hous
10/04/2013
Capital Roofing were requested by Greenwich Council to solve the roof leaks to protect the fabric of the building and the hydraulic machinery for the ramp. Capital Roofing asked Tor Coatings to produce a specification to enable them to use the Elasterseal System. Capital Roofing had to repair the
09/04/2013
Capita Symonds has been appointed by Bristol Sport Limited to provide project management, cost management and CDMC services on the proposed £40m redevelopment of Bristol City FC's stadium at Ashton Gate. The proposals are being developed in case Bristol Sport Limited is not able to proceed with its
09/04/2013
A building firm and one of its directors have been sentenced after an employee fell 15 metres to his death in an empty water storage tank in Macclesfield. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Galt Civil Engineering Ltd and Peter Stuart following an investigation into the death of Peter
09/04/2013
The Costain Highways Sector Team secured a four-year service contract from the Welsh Government in October 2012 to maintain IT and electrical assets on all Welsh motorways and trunk roads. The project was formally launched on 31 January. "We're delighted to have secured the contract that is the f
09/04/2013
Amey has confirmed that the acquisition of Enterprise plc is now complete. The acquisition makes Amey one of the most diverse players in the UK public and regulated sectors with a turnover of £2.3bn and 21,000 employees. Amey now operates over 320 contracts, providing an unrivalled range of servic
09/04/2013
The Wellcome Trust has appointed Mansell, a Balfour Beatty brand, as their delivery partner for a new £12 million student accommodation block at 200 Euston Road, London. Construction of the seven-storey project at Bentley House will be completed in time for the 2014 student intake. The scheme i
09/04/2013
ISG has been awarded one of the largest London office fit out schemes this year, securing a £multi-million project with international insurance broker and employee benefits provider, Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT). ISG will be returning to the landmark St Botolph Building in Shoreditch for JLT’s 280
09/04/2013
Construction union UCATT has reacted with extreme dismay and anger as a result of broken promises following the scrapping of the head protection regulations. The head protection regulations were scrapped from last Saturday as a result of the Lofstedt Review which recommended their deletion. UCATT s
09/04/2013
Parkway Green and Willow Park Housing Trusts have joined forces to create Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG). This new parent group, which came into effect on the 1st April 2013, will be responsible for almost 14,000 homes across Wythenshawe, South Manchester, and provide employment to ove
09/04/2013
An underfloor heating provider has announced the re-launch of its
09/04/2013
ACS has announced we have successfully been re-accredited for the Investors in People GOLD Award. ACS is the first company in the UK to have achieved reaccreditation at this level. The outcome of the review reported: "ACS Construction Group Limited continues to meet the requirements of the Invest
08/04/2013
Work to construct the walls and columns for the new Crossrail station at Paddington is now complete. Work started in April 2012 to construct the 40 metre deep reinforced concrete wall around the perimeter of the new station. Crossrail, Costain Skanska JV and subcontractor Cementation Skanska worked
08/04/2013
A host of North West dignitaries, stakeholders and private sector partners gathered last week to celebrate with Omega Warrington Ltd (OWL) on the commencement of works for the first occupier at the North West's £1bn Omega Opportunity in Warrington. The progress made on the new 200,000 sq. ft. stat
08/04/2013
British Land has announced the purchase of its joint venture partner Tesco's 50% holding in the 300,000 sq ft Surrey Quays Shopping Centre for £48 million. Following the purchase, British Land's ownership in the centre will be 100%. As part of the deal, Tesco has committed to a new long-term leas
08/04/2013
A director of a Wimborne building firm has been fined after a self-employed worker was seriously injured when working on an extension at a local cottage. Dorchester Crown Court heard that David Mitchell, a director of Ferndown Developments Ltd, had hired James O'Connor, from Winton, to work at the
08/04/2013
A church in Bristol has received tens of thousands of pounds from EDF Energy to help it become more energy efficient by generating its own power. The £30,000 grant comes from the EDF Energy Green Fund and will help pay for an air source heat pump that will be powered by new solar panels installed o
08/04/2013
Plans for a new £26m railway station in Rochester have been revealed. Network Rail is proposing to build the new station as part of its commitment to increase capacity on the railway and deliver better facilities for passengers in Medway and Kent. The new station, which is planned for land at Corp
08/04/2013
Dorset's first education building to use one of the world's most exacting environmental standards has been unveiled at the Arts University Bournemouth. Northcroft, part of Capita Symonds, acted as Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors for the two new art studios built to the pioneering Passivhaus
08/04/2013
Construction union UCATT have begun a consultative ballot of members working at Morrison Facilities Services in Leeds. UCATT are balloting in excess of 50 members at the company. The company (now owned by Mears) employs over 250 people and undertakes responsive and planned maintenance on over 70 pe
05/04/2013
ISG is due to commence work on the £27 million project to re-clad the 13-storey East Wing building on the St Thomas' Hospital site in central London. The project was procured via a high-profile RIBA Competition to select an architect and main contractor team that could transform the poorly perform
05/04/2013
Loan funding from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Close Brothers has enabled work to re-start on the Sarah Point Nuovo scheme in Manchester. The steel frame of the stalled site on Great Ancoats Street has been mothballed since 2008, but the 166 unit scheme will now be taken forward by de
05/04/2013
Wates Living Space has been appointed to build a new 71-unit extra care development for Trafford Housing Trust in Sale, Manchester. The affordable housing contractor will soon begin construction of the new 8,000 square meter development having erected hoardings around the site’s perimeter and under
05/04/2013
Kier has been selected by the Homes & Communities Agency for all four of the lots on its new Delivery Partner Panel Framework (DPP2). Worth up to £4bn in housing and associated development over the next four years, DPP2 is divided into four geographical lots covering most of England and will be use
05/04/2013
One in four of the construction sites visited in London during a month-long inspection initiative failed health and safety checks, according to results released. More than 400 sites were visited by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspectors as part of a national HSE clampdown aimed at reducing de
05/04/2013
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB), through its agreement with the NAPIT Registration, now offers one of the most comprehensive routes to Competent Person Scheme registration in the UK. The Department for Communities and Local Government has authorised the extension of the scheme to include re
05/04/2013
Costain and the Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CCISC) at Cambridge University are working on a new initiative for National Grid’s London Power Tunnels (LPT) project that could make construction of a tunnel with concrete segmental linings more efficient. The LPT project
05/04/2013
Contractor Abuljadayel Co., specialists in the field of water and waste water projects, has utilised a number of formwork and shoring solutions provided by RMD Kwikform to support the construction of the World's second deepest pumping station at the North Jeddah Pumping Station project in Saudi Arab
05/04/2013
A new classification system for insulation products, launched by the UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA) and backed by the Health & Safety Executive, has identified Stone Wool as the only insulation product to achieve its highest 'Type 3' rating. The system uses independent test results included a
04/04/2013
Famous children’s hospital Alder Hey is entering a new era, with the start of building works on its new facility. Work began to clear the site in February, and following financial close last week, the green light has now been given to start construction on the new 'Alder Hey in the Park'. Chair of
04/04/2013
Diageo has announced Teaninich near Alness in the Highlands as the location for its plans to build a new malt whisky distillery. The company also announced a major new phase of expansion to its Scotch whisky production in the Speyside area. All of this activity is a key milestone of the £1bn five-y
04/04/2013
The team behind the Lincs Offshore Wind Farm are celebrating the successful installation of the project's final turbine. The 75th turbine was lifted into place on Sunday 31st March and marks a major milestone in the development of the 270MW project, which will be capable of producing enough energy
04/04/2013
Derwentside Homes have started work on Lynwood House, a brand new sheltered housing development in County Durham, thanks to investment from the Homes and Communities Agency. The development includes 33 two-bedroom en-suite apartments for the over 55s and a new state of the art Medical Centre. The
04/04/2013
Costain has been awarded a Silver Award for Contractor Safety Excellence 2012 by Drax Power Ltd for its work on an industrial cooling project at Drax Power Station. The awards were listed in two safety categories: for those contractors that have worked up to 25,000 man-hours, and for those that hav
04/04/2013
Work to construct the Bexhill – Hastings Link Road can now start after receiving final approval from Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin. Under the scheme East Sussex County Council will construct a 3.5 mile (6km) single carriageway road between the A259 in Bexhill and the B2092 Queensway in Has
04/04/2013
The first step has been taken to allow the redevelopment of the 14.57 acre Harmsworth Quays printing works site in Canada Water, South East London to go ahead. Southwark Council has given its approval for the Daily Mail General Trust (DMGT) to assign its leasehold interest in the site to British L
04/04/2013
Support services provider Carillion chose the recent industry-leading Ecobuild exhibition at the ExCel in London to showcase its capabilities in energy services. Ecobuild is the world's largest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment. In a key presentation Business Dev
03/04/2013
ISG has been awarded a £740K contract to refurbish former Liverpool City Council offices and create a new Academy as part of the North West Construction Hub framework. Harmonize Academy will provide an inclusive and progressive school environment for students who have failed to thrive in mainstream
03/04/2013
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham has awarded Lakehouse Lot 2 of the capital works programme for internal works. This programme has been procured through the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham's Major Construction Works (Housing) Framework. The project includes the survey and design for t
03/04/2013
Fourteen schools across Derbyshire will get a share of £254,000 from Derbyshire County Council to improve the condition of buildings. The money will be used to carry out maintenance including replacing windows, revamping classrooms and toilets and re-roofing. Half of the cash for each project is c
03/04/2013
CH2M HILL, the employee owned infrastructure and programme management company, has today announced that it will be creating 500 new jobs across the UK in a wide range of high skilled engineering roles. CH2M HILL has been operating in the UK for over 20 years and acquired the British engineering fir
03/04/2013
Construction union UCATT has reacted with dismay to the news that the Government hid proposals which could lead to further attacks on health and safety laws and employment rights in the small print of the budget. Buried on page 50 of the 2013 Budget document was the announcement that the Government
03/04/2013
Erdington MP and Labour's shadow housing minister Jack Dromey saw at first hand the opportunities provided to local people by Willmott Dixon's apprenticeship scheme when he visited the company’s branch on College Road. Willmott Dixon is responsible for the repairs and maintenance of 60,000 properti
03/04/2013
Interserve has been awarded a three-year, integrated facilities management contract with Magnox Ltd, the company responsible for operating ten of the UK's nuclear power stations. The contract is valued in excess of £80 million and includes an option to extend for a further three years. This is th
03/04/2013
Plans for a new housing development on surplus public land in South Yorkshire have been given the green light by Doncaster Borough Council this week. The Council approved the first phase of a £22.6m housing development at Carr Lodge in Doncaster, which is part of an accelerated land delivery progra
