Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for June 2013
28/06/2013
Balfour Beatty, through its Cowlin brand, has been awarded a £6.3 million contract at Southmead Hospital, Bristol for the North Bristol NHS Trust. The project at Westbury-on-Trym involves the design and construction of a new four-storey extension to the existing Learning and Research building at th
28/06/2013
West Dunbartonshire Council has agreed to use £18 million of its own money to build a new leisure centre in Clydebank by 2016. The new facility will replace the current Play Drome, which is in the process of being sold to Tesco. Originally, the Council had planned to use funds from the sale of the
28/06/2013
Carillion is supporting a 'Meet the Buyer' event in Manchester to discuss business opportunities for local suppliers through the delivery of Energy Company Obligation (ECO) improvements. ECO is funded by the energy suppliers to help households install measures such as insulation and low carbon heat
28/06/2013
Following months of extensive consultation with local residents, interest groups and the wider community, Haboakus has submitted its planning application to develop 108 new homes and state-of-the-art community facilities in Oxford. Haboakus is working in partnership with Oxford City Council on the
28/06/2013
The start of work on Dallimore Primary School in Kirk Hallam, Ilkeston, will be marked with a sod-cutting ceremony on Thursday 4 July. Councillor Jim Coyle, Deputy Cabinet Member for Schools is due to cut the first sod for the first phase at 2pm. Pupils and governors will be there to help. Council
28/06/2013
Plans to create thousands of jobs in Bristol by preparing derelict land for major development have been backed by a Government approval to invest £11m in the project. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will begin work to prepare the Diesel Depot for development after the Treasury signed off its
28/06/2013
Rural communities across England that aspire to generate their own clean green power are being offered a helping hand today with the launch of a £15 million Government fund. The Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF), which opens to applications today, is specifically targeted at helping rural communit
28/06/2013
Reducing VAT to 5 per cent on energy efficiency improvement work would help more households than Green Deal finance can, said the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to the latest statistics from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). 38,259 Green Deal assessments have been
27/06/2013
Balfour Beatty Engineering Services (BBES) has been awarded a £1.5m services contract for the Royal College of Art's (RCA) new applied art building located in Battersea North, London. This facility is the largest dedicated centre for postgraduate applied art in the UK and the new four-storey buildi
27/06/2013
The Swanage School's first foundations have been poured at a ceremony described as 'momentous' for education in the town. Civic dignitaries, school staff and supporters met at the former middle school site, where Kier is constructing the new two-storey school building which will start to take shape
27/06/2013
An army of construction workers have arrived in East Manchester to begin work on the transformation of Beswick into an unrivalled sport and community hub. A joint regeneration project between Manchester City Council, urban regeneration company, New East Manchester, and Manchester City Football Club
27/06/2013
A stonemason has been fined for serious safety failings after part of a poorly-installed fireplace toppled onto and killed a four-year-old boy at his Northamptonshire home. Kristian Childs, trading as KD Childs Stonework of Luton, had been sub-contracted to install stone fireplaces in new homes, in
27/06/2013
Cognition and project consultants, Leap Environmental were awarded Best Project Closure/Verification process at this year's Brownfield Briefing Awards. The award was for work carried out in remediating eighteen gardens under Part 2A of The Environmental Protection Act 1990 on behalf of Camden Boro
27/06/2013
The UK Green Building Council has reacted to the publication of the first quarterly Green Deal statistics by publishing a letter from construction industry leaders urging all political parties to come together to ensure the Green Deal doesn't fail. According to the statistics, 241 Green Deal Plans
26/06/2013
Walsall Town Centre could have its first cinema in 20 years after plans for two multi-screen cinemas were given the green light. Walsall Council's planning committee approved plans for two multi-screen cinemas, one of which would be built opposite the Tesco store at Wisemore known as the Littleton
26/06/2013
Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes has announced that the new police station in Barrow will be operational in 2015. The announcement comes after the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria has recently concluded a tender exercise in accordance with the EU Procur
26/06/2013
With construction output at its lowest level since 1999 and the continued reality of a flatlining economy causing long-term pain in the sector, the 2013 spending review must set out a clear path towards economic growth driven at both a local and a national level. That was the message from the chie
26/06/2013
Euan Burns has joined integrated support services provider Carillion in the newly created role of Chief Engineer for Carillion Services. Mr Burns joins from Goldman Sachs where he was Executive Director of Corporate Services. In his new role, he will take on the responsibility to further develop C
26/06/2013
A commemorative stone has been laid at the £100m Castleward redevelopment in Derby. Cllr Paul Bayliss, Margaret Allen and Dave Bullock lay a commemorative stone at the Castleward development in Derby Regeneration specialist, Compendium Living, hosted a celebratory event to mark the start of constru
26/06/2013
A showcase of six potential designs for a major new state-of-the-art office development, aimed at saving taxpayers millions and giving Northampton town centre a major cash injection, have been unveiled at a public exhibition. Northamptonshire County Council announced last year it planned to central
26/06/2013
The Chancellor must harness the productivity and creativity of the housing industry with the scale and power of government, according to the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). Speaking at Housing 2013, CIH's annual conference and exhibition in Manchester, CIH Chief Executive Grainia Long said:
26/06/2013
BAM Properties has sold its 930 Aztec West development in Bristol. The sale follows BAM letting the 30,600 sq ft building to technology firm NVidia, in May. It has been bought by investment and asset management company Threadneedle UK Property Trust. The transaction is expected to be completed on
25/06/2013
Crossrail has submitted plans for a major new property development in Farringdon. The new development will sit above one of London's biggest transport interchanges. Plans have been submitted to City of London Corporation for five floors (120,000 sq ft) of column-free new office space with a large
25/06/2013
Land Securities Group has appointed Skanska as its main contractor to design and construct its new mixed-use development in the City of London. The £109m construction contract will start in August 2013 and be completed in April 2015. It is designed to meet the BREEAM 'Excellent' standard. The 379,
25/06/2013
New research shows the Government's Green Deal is inspiring people across the UK to install energy saving home improvements. Research published today found that 47% of households who had received a Green Deal advice report, following a Green Deal assessment, said they either had - or were getting -
25/06/2013
An Ayrshire concrete manufacturer has been fined for safety failings after a worker suffered serious injuries to his arm when it became entangled in a machine. Christopher Fay was using a rolling machine to flatten concrete in a mould when his glove became caught in a metal D-ring connecting the ro
25/06/2013
A commitment by the onshore wind industry in Wales to maximise long term community and economic benefits for communities which host onshore wind developments has been welcomed by the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones. The Declaration on Community Benefits from Onshore Wind, supported by industry
25/06/2013
A planning application submitted by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to provide 120 homes on land to the south and east of Milford Specialist Rehabilitation Hospital, on Tuesley Lane, has been approved by Waverley's Joint Planning Committee. Some of the homes will be refurbished properties
25/06/2013
A consortium, which is being led by Liverpool City Council with support from Your Housing Group and Liverpool Football Club, has unveiled a vision to transform the Anfield area of the city close to the Reds' stadium. Local residents and businesses are now being asked to play their part in shaping a
25/06/2013
Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering recently joined 35 local businesses at Hampshire TeenTech, an event that aims to inspire children to choose a career in the Science, Technology and Engineering sectors. During 15 minute sessions at the Balfour Beatty exhibit, approximately 300 students were given
24/06/2013
Lovell has been chosen by Irvine Housing Association, part of The Riverside Group, to build a £2.1 million development of homes for social rent in Pennyburn, North Ayrshire. The design-and-build project will create 17 two-bedroom houses, four three-bedroom houses and a two-bedroom bungalow designed
24/06/2013
A contract to widen a 2.8-mile section of the A14 at Kettering, Northamptonshire, has been awarded. The £42m scheme will cut congestion, make journey times more reliable, improve safety and enable proposed developments to proceed. The scheme will provide an extra lane in each direction within the e
24/06/2013
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has revealed its latest list of sites set to be released for development to support housing, jobs and growth in local communities. The fourth Land Development and Disposal Plan provides an updated schedule of sites that the Agency expects to bring forward for
24/06/2013
Neil Longfellow has been appointed Costain's Sector Director for Nuclear, Hydrocarbons and Chemicals. He takes up the role on 1 July and will be based in Manchester. He was formerly Vice-President of Operations, European Fuels, with Westinghouse Electric company, a £400m revenue business manufactu
24/06/2013
The company building Portsmouth's Somerstown Hub, BAM Construction, has revealed that 87% of the orders for the recently completed Havant Academy were placed with local companies, as its work within the Hampshire area exceeds £300m over the past twelve years. A few final landscaping touches are bei
24/06/2013
Ecological and archaeological consultancy services and surveys for construction projects will now be available from a single professional source it has been announced. Top specialist businesses, Thomson Ecology and Wessex Archaeology will join forces to offer an innovative “one stop shop” for devel
24/06/2013
Aluminium Bending Specialists of Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottingham has announced the completion of a management buy-out. The £600,000 deal has allowed fellow directors Rob Gavin and Greg Russell to buy out a majority shareholder and gain full ownership of the company. Funding Circle and Actons Solict
24/06/2013
The facade of the Grade 1 listed, four storey high Bank of America building in Newgate Street London required extensive stone and concrete restoration. Concrete & Corrosion Consultancy Practice was appointed as technical project managers for the refurbishment works. The ornate stone and cornice b
21/06/2013
Mansell has been appointed to design and build new student accommodation buildings at Ravenscourt House, in Hammersmith, London. The development in Paddenswick Road will consist of three new buildings and will contain 234 self-contained studio bedrooms. Retaining the traditional brick styling of t
21/06/2013
EDF Energy Renewables has completed the construction of its Teesside offshore wind farm near Redcar. All 27 turbines at the 62MW windfarm have been installed and 13 of them are already generating electricity. The Teesside project is owned jointly by EDF Energy and EDF Energies Nouvelles and managed
21/06/2013
In its first year, the Supply Chain Sustainability School has gained 2,400 registered members, exceeding the original target of 800. The Supply Chain Sustainability School is a virtual learning environment that aims to help construction suppliers and subcontractors develop their sustainability know
21/06/2013
Willmott Dixon has appointed Stuart Belfield as operations director and Richard Sterling as sales and marketing manager as part of plans to grow its house building business in the north of England. The company already builds 1,500 homes a year, mainly in the South East, and has been growing its pre
21/06/2013
Developers are being sought to transform a derelict site in Portsmouth as part of the first stage of a regeneration project which aims to bring more than 1,500 new homes and jobs to the city. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is seeking a development partner to build and market the first 80 ne
21/06/2013
The Lord Mayor of Norwich poured beer on the roof of the Julian Study Centre to celebrate Kier reaching the highest point on the University of East Anglia's (UEA) latest low energy building. Coucillor Keith Driver used a bottle of ale specially brewed by Woodforde's Brewery of Woodbastwick to celeb
20/06/2013
Three council-owned buildings in Ealing, one of which is the Town hall, are undergoing major energy efficiency upgrades as part of an agreement between energy company E.ON and Ealing Council. The improvements to the three buildings, Ealing Town Hall, Perceval House and Greenford Hall, will see E.O
20/06/2013
Communities Minister Don Foster has announced that towns across England will benefit from £91m to refurbish and bring back into use over 6,000 empty and derelict homes and commercial premises, particularly in the Midlands and North where the problem is most acute. The funding will be spent on refur
20/06/2013
Housing developer Lovell has won a national award for its work on a new housing development in Mexborough. The Lovell team has been presented with a bronze Considerate Constructors Scheme National Site Award for its approach to the 39-home Kirby Street development for Doncaster Council. The indepe
20/06/2013
Merseylink has been announced as the preferred bidder for the Mersey Gateway Project by Halton Borough Council. Making the announcement together in the observatory in the Catalyst Museum in Widnes overlooking the River Mersey, the council and Merseylink also confirmed they have jointly identified s
20/06/2013
Birmingham City Council is set to approve a £58 million programme of investment into its stock of council properties at Cabinet on Monday 24th June 2013. This follows the allocation of £28 million for a redevelopment and new build programme approved earlier this year The Birmingham Council Housing
20/06/2013
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) planning application to provide 120 homes on land to the south and east of Milfrod Specialist Rehabilitation Hospital, On Tuesley Lane, has been approved by Waverly’s Joint Planning Committee. Some of the homes will be refurbished and ten plots are available
20/06/2013
A Kent father and granddad died after plunging six metres through a fragile skylight because safety measures were neglected both by his employer and a major drinks wholesaler, a court has heard. Robert Rogers, 61, was working for Richard Parker, trading as Ovenden Engineering, which had been contra
20/06/2013
Land Securities are committing to the £260 million development of 1 & 2 New Ludgate, EC4, an abstract mixed-use development of the City of London. The scheme occupies an island site not far from the St Pauls Cathedral and comprises two distinct buildings united by a new public piazza. Together they
20/06/2013
SipBuild UK, based in Castleford, has extended the educational facilities at Malham Youth Hostel as part of a £460,000 refurbishment project, which also added five en-suite bedrooms to the complex. The education building extension used Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and SipBuild UK was on site
20/06/2013
A North Tyneside gas training centre celebrates its 2nd anniversary this month having exceeded targets for training given to ex-forces personnel, local contractors and individuals looking to retrain for a new career. Lauched in June 2011, Gas Training at Kier is a state-of-the-art gas assessment ce
19/06/2013
The concept design for a new office building in Limassol has been revealed, promising an instantly recognisable landmark in Cyprus’ most dynamic city. Designed by Atkins, The Oval, which has recently received planning permission, is a sustainable development located in the heart of Limassol’s dy
19/06/2013
May Gurney has been awarded a new 16-month contract with Bristol Water which is worth £20m per annum. May Gurney is already working successfully with Bristol Water on a number of significant projects. In October 2010, Bristol Water awarded May Gurney a new AMP5 contract for the New Lay Trunk Mains
19/06/2013
Work has started on enlarging a roundabout on Junction 21 of the M5 at Weston-Super-Mare. The £4 million contract, jointly funded by the Department of Transport and North Somerset Council, promises to bring substantial improvements to the area. The project is the first that Costain has won under a
19/06/2013
Miller Construction has been named Best Developer at the international 2013 Partnerships Awards. The Partnerships Awards are the leading industry awards for the Partnering/PPP sector and reward innovation, inspiration and collaboration. The awards recognise high calibre projects and companies tha
19/06/2013
Wates Construction has commenced a strategic expansion of its Northern Home Counties and East region with the appointment of Peter Whitmore as Regional Business Unit Director. In a significant move to strengthen its senior team, the appointment comes as Wates prepares to grow its presence in the co
19/06/2013
More than 40% of construction SMEs are failing to win nine out of ten public sector contracts and over half have seen their success rate fall when bidding for public sector work over the past five years, according to a new report by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). 'Improving public procure
19/06/2013
JPG has completed works on two new office buildings at Daresbury Park near Warrington on behalf of client Marshall CDP The two buildings within Cinnabar Court, which is the latest speculative phase on the 225 acre site, have been pre let to Diocese of Chester and Gene Health occupying 10,000 sq ft
19/06/2013
Communities Minister Baroness Hanham formally announced almost £5.4 million of European investment, match funded by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to build business facilities which will act as catalysts for further development on Enterprise Zones. Lady Hanham confirmed that the European Re
19/06/2013
Requests for four areas of the city to be designated neighbourhood areas have been approved by Peterborough City Council's Planning and Environmental Protection committee. The designations mean that residents will have the opportunity to take part in neighbourhood planning. Applications from Deep
19/06/2013
EDF Energy has backed proposals for energy suppliers to offer a single unit price for gas and electricity - to help consumers compare different tariffs and identify the cheapest deals. The introduction of petrol forecourt-style pricing would mean customers would only need one price - the unit price
18/06/2013
The redevelopment of Liverpool's Everyman Theatre on Hope Street has reached a milestone. The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson joined theatre chiefs, funders, builders Gilbert Ash and architects Haworth Tompkins to celebrate the Topping-Out of the new building. The main structure of the building now
18/06/2013
Newydd Housing Association has opened a new housing development named after the Llety Shenkin Colliery in Cwmbach near Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Ffordd Llety Shenkin, a development of 24 new affordable homes, was opened by Cllr Craig Middle, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council's Cabinet Member for Housing
18/06/2013
Galliford Try, Carillion and BAM Construction have been selected as preferred bidders for the Manchester Airports Group (MAG) capital delivery framework, potentially worth up to £500 million in value over the next five years. The framework will initially operate for three years with the option for
18/06/2013
International law firm, Wragge & Co LLP, is on track to make the move to its new Birmingham premises with the appointment of Wates Construction and Rider Levett Bucknall to deliver the high quality fit-out of the offices at Two Snowhill. The work will see the international law firm occupy eight of
18/06/2013
Willmott Dixon's role in the creation of over 500 homes at Orchard Village in Rainham, Essex, continues after Old Ford Housing Association awarded it a £14.5 million contract to deliver phase three. Old Ford Housing Association, part of affordable housing provider Circle Housing Group, is responsib
18/06/2013
Children at Llanhari Primary School swapped the classroom for a construction site during an action-packed visit organised by local housing developer Lovell. The Llanhari pupils, who have been working on a project exploring the building process, asked Lovell if they could get a closer look at homes
18/06/2013
Plans to build a further 1,200 homes and create thousands of new jobs at the £400m Locking Parklands development in Weston-super-Mare have been submitted by developer St. Modwen and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The partners have submitted an outline planning application to North Somerset
18/06/2013
Ronacrete has proved its commitment to the environment by being awarded ISO 14001 Accreditation Certificate Number E8342. Managing Director, Daniel Osen stated: "Ronacrete has been making efforts to reduce its carbon footprint in line with the Ronacrete Environmental Policy. A significant amount o
18/06/2013
A haulage company has been fined after an employee sustained injuries falling from a wooden pallet carried on a fork lift truck. The worker, from Waenbridge, St Asaph, who does not want to be named, suffered serious fractures to both his heels when he fell two metres while carrying out repairs to a
18/06/2013
Having previously provided flooring solutions for the Snowdome, Remmers were again contacted to provide a flooring system to the newly refurbished ski hire centre. The client required a seamless, hard wearing non slip surface that was easy to maintain. 600m2 of Remmers Floormix DQ was installed t
18/06/2013
Following their appearance at the Master fitter final, YES Glazing Solutions Paul Casbolt and Tom Miller reflected on their experience. Paul said: "I've been in the industry for over 30 years and the Masterfitter challenge has been by far the most nerve wracking thing I have ever had to do with the
17/06/2013
Carillion Alawi has been awarded a £130 million contract by the Oman Tourism & Development Company (Omran), the company set up by the Government of Oman to deliver major projects in the tourism sector, to construct exhibition halls, an energy centre and a three-storey car park. This contract forms
17/06/2013
Representatives from Cowlin, a Balfour Beatty brand, and the University of Bath recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark the completion of the main construction work for the first phase of 1 West Building. Martyn Whalley, the University's Director of Estates, officially topped out the building
17/06/2013
National construction specialist Seddon has been chosen to build an £11 million housing project in Telford, Shropshire, for leading social housing and care provider Sanctuary Group. The development in Ketley, Telford, will create 86 extra care apartments for residents aged over-55 plus 12 apartment
17/06/2013
Derby's £100 million Castleward redevelopment has become only the second development project in the country to scoop accreditation from BRE for its overall sustainability. Castleward, which is currently undergoing redevelopment by specialists Compendium Living (a joint venture between Lovell and th
17/06/2013
Kier North Tyneside is helping to tackle unemployment across the region by recruiting nine new apprentices. With the latest unemployment figures standing at 2.52 million, and a new industry report revealing a 32% increase in applications for apprenticeship schemes, Kier is providing high quality t
17/06/2013
Making energy saving improvements to your property could increase its value by 14 per cent on average - and up to 38 per cent in some parts of England - new research released today by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) reveals. For an average home in the country, improving its EPC (
17/06/2013
The First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, has stressed the importance of devolving stamp duty to Wales to boost the housing market and support the hard-pressed construction sector. The Silk Commission recommended that a range of financial powers should be devolved to the Welsh Government in the ne
17/06/2013
Written contracts for building work is the best option for consumers wanting to protect themselves from unscrupulous tradesmen, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to the publication of the Draft Consumer Rights Bill. Brian Berry, the Chief Executive of the FMB, said: "The Gov
17/06/2013
A site supervisor has been fined after a co-worker was left paralysed after falling ten metres from the roof of a Tyneside warehouse. Temporary employee Phillip Giles fell from an unprotected and fragile roof after supervisor Paul Burke allowed workers, who were removing cement sheets, to go onto t
17/06/2013
With the acquisition of the British door manufacturer IG Doors, German door manufacturer Hörmann hopes to continue growing in the British market within the area of entrance doors. According to Hörmann, the acquisition of the door manufacturer IG Doors, headquartered in Cwmbran, South Wales, United
14/06/2013
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has appointed Kier Partnership Homes as preferred developer to deliver a £60m housing development in Northampton, secured through the HCA Developer Partner Panel framework. The mixed tenure regeneration project, on Ransome Road, will comprise approximately 400
14/06/2013
Energy company E.ON is launching a new fund to support worthwhile causes and is calling on members of the public to submit nominations. Local community centres which need to improve their energy efficiency and schools or charities looking to add a spark to the area through energy education, can all
14/06/2013
Specialist London housing contractor United House has completed a £3 million contract to build a luxury residential development on Tadema Road in Chelsea on behalf of property company Goldpenny. Comprising four triple storey high specification houses and one duplex apartment, the development includ
14/06/2013
Sizewell B power station, part of EDF Energy, has been brought safely back into service after a successful refuelling outage. The refuelling outage has seen an additional 1,200 specialist workers on site who have assisted Sizewell B staff complete some 14,000 tasks in addition to refuelling the rea
14/06/2013
The team behind the proposed Rhiannon offshore wind farm has announced their support for Coleg Menai's engineering apprentices in Anglesey and North West Wales. Starting in September, Celtic Array will be investing a total of £85k to support six new apprentices through a three year engineering appr
14/06/2013
Willmott Dixon's team of energy efficiency experts will be giving advice at the CIH conference in Manchester to help landlords and households access millions of pounds for home improvements under the government's Energy Companies Obligation (ECO). ECO was introduced in January 2013 to reduce energy
14/06/2013
Everton Football Club and Liverpool City Council have announced a new rental arrangement over the Club’s Finch Farm training base. The City Council has purchased Everton's training and Academy facilities in a property deal which generates long-term benefits for both the Council and the Club. Evert
14/06/2013
The demolition of Tom Rain Lifehouse, a hostel in Darlington, has now been completed and work is underway on the foundations of 26 smart new apartments. The scheme, designed to refresh and revive the area and to replace the disused, out-dated building which was surplus to need, is being built by Es
14/06/2013
UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre picked up two awards at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awards. The Skanska project was presented with a National Award – beating off stiff competition from a shortlist of around fifty projects. University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust won
14/06/2013
A Norfolk plumber has appeared in court for illegally carrying out gas work for a landlord in Norwich. Gary Dunne-Bathurst, age 54 from North Elmham, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after he installed a gas boiler without being registered with Gas Safe - a legal requirement
13/06/2013
The Quest Academy, Coloma Trust in Selsdon, Croydon, has been given the go-ahead for a new school building with the announcement that planning permission for the £16m development has been granted by Croydon Council. Contractor, Wates Construction, is now set to commence the building works, which wi
13/06/2013
Planning officers will be recommending that a decision on the Morris Fen solar farm application is deferred until matters raised about archaeology on the site are resolved. The Planning and Environmental Protection Committee is due to meet on Monday (17 June 2013) to consider the planning applicati
13/06/2013
7Costain's Carl Mason recently helped to save the life of an elderly man after he collapsed outside Costain Skanska JV's Crossrail worksite at Bond Street, in central London. Carl, a General Foreman on the site, responded to a radio call for assistance and arrived to find the man on Davies Street u
13/06/2013
Centrica has acquired a 25% interest in the Bowland exploration licence (PEDL165) in Lancashire from Cuadrilla Resources Ltd (Cuadrilla) and AJ Lucas for £40 million in cash. Centrica will also pay exploration and appraisal costs of up to £60 million. The Bowland licence is operated by Cuadrilla, a
13/06/2013
Kier Construction was named Contractor of the Year for the second consecutive year at the North West Regional Construction Awards 2013. The awards, now in their seventh year, celebrate outstanding examples of best practice in the north-west built environment sector. They recognise exceptional compa
13/06/2013
BAM Construction has won a £12.5 million job to build new facilities for Adel Beck Secure Children's Home in Leeds. The contractor, which has offices in the Yorkshire city, will construct the new accommodation adjacent to the site of the out-dated existing buildings. BAM will create 24 bedrooms, a
13/06/2013
Ed Miliband the leader of the Labour party has backed a campaign to reverse the Tory-led government’s attacks on health and safety and ensure construction workers are safe at work. Mr Miliband backed the campaign following a highly successful lobby of parliament organised by Ucatt and Unite when ov
13/06/2013
A £4.8 million housing development that has transformed the derelict former college site on St Mary's Road in Kettering has been officially opened with the laying of a stone plaque. Forty affordable homes at St Mary's Road and Tresham Close have been provided by Waterloo Housing Group working in p
13/06/2013
Galliford Try, the housebuilding and construction group, have announced that its Partnerships business has finalised a new £38 million contract to regenerate the Brook House site in North London. Registered Provider Newlon Housing Trust has chosen Partnerships to complete a major new project on the
13/06/2013
JT Cranes, one of the UK's leading minicrane hire firms serving the East, South and Midlands, has added a new Hoeflon C605 mini crane which will prove to be an important addition to its existing fleet. To celebrate the arrival of this new versatile minicrane, JT Cranes is offering special introduc
12/06/2013
ISG has been appointed to the £16 million redevelopment of the New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth – a joint venture between the theatre and University of Portsmouth. The project will see the reinstatement of a 30m fly tower at the rear of the theatre, some 40 years after the stage house burned down a
12/06/2013
An event in Belle Vale, Liverpool, marked the start of construction work on an £8 million housing complex for older residents. Representatives from social housing provider Riverside, housing developer Lovell and Liverpool City Council joined residents to celebrate the start of construction at the s
12/06/2013
The amount of homes sold in the UK over the past three months reached its highest level since January 2010 as buyers across the country began to return to the market, says the latest Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors residential market survey. Chartered surveyors in the UK sold on average 17.9
12/06/2013
The Highways Agency has awarded leading highways service provider EnterpriseMouchel (EM) the prestigious Area 3 Asset Support Contract (ASC). The appointment will see EM operate, maintain and improve the strategic road in South Central England. EM is the current service provider in Area 3 having be
12/06/2013
Mansell, a Balfour Beatty brand, has unearthed ancient relics dating back to the Bronze Age on an Aster Group affordable housing development site in Amesbury, Wiltshire. Six Saxon skeletons dating back 1,000 years and round barrows dating back to the Bronze Age have been discovered a few miles from
12/06/2013
Leeds College of Building is investing circa £15 million to create a new state of the art 8,000 m2 facility on land purchased from Yorkshire Design Group at Hunslet Lane and Black Bull Street in Leeds City Centre. The deal will enable the College to build an exciting new education and training faci
12/06/2013
The Homes and Community Agency's Deputy Chief Executive, Richard Hill, will leave the organisation in September to become Chief Executive of Spectrum Housing Group. Andy Rose, HCA Chief Executive, said: "Richard has played a huge part in the Agency's success in his role as Executive Director of Pro
12/06/2013
Business and Energy Minister, Michael Fallon has announced the creation of an Offshore Wind Investment Organisation (OWIO) to boost levels of inward investment and to further stimulate jobs in the UK offshore wind industry, alongside Government support for three offshore wind innovation projects. M
12/06/2013
Much-needed homes, jobs and training opportunities are being created in Telford as part of an £11 million project by Sanctuary Group. The housing and care provider is developing 86 extra care apartments for over 55s as well as 12 apartments specially designed for people with learning difficulties,
12/06/2013
A new play area is opening in Abbey Ward at Peverel Road, Cambridge, on Thursday 20th June. The new play area replaces the existing one that had become worn and rundown after serving the local community for over 20 years. The Mayor, Cllr Paul Saunders will also be in attendance. The new play desi
11/06/2013
A £9.1 million development of 77 new affordable homes by Waterloo Housing Group in Burton Latimer in Kettering Borough has been officially opened by the town's mayor, Councillor Roger Knight. The mayor planted a tree on open space at the new development off Bridle Road, which is made up of four new
11/06/2013
BAM Construction is to refurbish the 10-storey Calverley Building for Leeds Metropolitan University. The contractor, which has offices in the Yorkshire city, will modernise the 1970s teaching block. Works under the £6.3 million contract will include replacing windows; cleaning the concrete façade;
11/06/2013
Altrincham-based affordable housing developer and regeneration specialist Lovell has received a Gold Medal from national charity RoSPA – the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents – for its safety performance. The accolade for the company, based on Park Road, Altrincham, recognises its conti
11/06/2013
The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, is giving housing developers an opportunity to team-up with the City Council and help build the city’s future. A search has been launched for an official housing partner for Liverpool, to deliver 1,500 new homes for local people, and bring a further 1,000 prope
11/06/2013
Mechplant, the plant hire business which is part of Esh Group, is investing over £3.5 million in new capital equipment. This year the investment programme involves over £1m being spent bringing the total spend to date to over £1.8m with the remaining amount earmarked to be spent in the next 18 mont
11/06/2013
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has invited developers to submit plans to regenerate 22 hectares at the site of the historic Metropolitan Police Peel Centre training headquarters at Hendon, creating a thriving new neighbourhood with more than 1,650 new homes and releasing capital to plough back
11/06/2013
Two new Welsh Government-backed housing schemes in the South Wales valleys are creating local jobs and training opportunities, boosting the local economy and creating much needed affordable housing, Finance Minister, Jane Hutt has said. The Minister visited the schemes a day before she publishes th
11/06/2013
Telford & Wrekin Council has announced a partnership with support services provider Carillion to create the Telford Energy Savers (TES) programme. The contract is valued at up to £30 million over the next eight years. Telford & Wrekin Council is the first neighbouring authority to follow the Birmin
11/06/2013
A self-employed builder from Swindon has been fined for carrying out unsafe work on a boiler that exposed an elderly and vulnerable resident to potential danger. Raj Kumar Bagga was re-roofing a garage at a property on Ashbury Avenue in Swindon between 21 September and 5 November 2012. He removed t
11/06/2013
A report before Northamptonshire County Council's cabinet will hear how the authority and utilities company British Gas will work together to bring economic and environmental benefits to Northamptonshire. Ideas which are being investigated include helping householders improve insulation so their en
10/06/2013
Mansell has been appointed through the Liftco Framework to undertake the design, build and fit out of a new £23.6 million hospital in Welwyn Garden City. The new QEII healthcare facility will provide a local A&E, outpatient, diagnostic and therapy services, improving healthcare provision in Welwyn
10/06/2013
UCATT have appointed Denis Doody as their new Regional Secretary for the Northern Region. Mr Doody began work as a bricklayer by trade. Prior to his appointment he was the Chair of UCATT's Executive Council where he represented the union’s Yorkshire region. Mr Doody was previously employed by Wakef
10/06/2013
The Shard has won ENR's Global Project of the Year award. Hosted in New York, ENR Global Best Projects Awards is dedicated to honoring the best global construction projects and the companies that designed and built them. Turner & Townsend project managed the 310m vertical city, which has transform
10/06/2013
Marks & Spencer (M&S) and DP World London Gateway have jointly-announce that M&S will build a major new distribution centre at the new deep-sea container port and logistics park, which opens later this year on the Thames, 25 miles from central London, in South Essex. Locating M&S' new distribution
10/06/2013
The benefits to the local economy of a £23 million investment to deliver new retirement accommodation in Derbyshire continues with contractor Willmott Dixon providing six apprenticeships. Josh Hobley, Callum Hurt, Luke Yeomans and Nathan Mills from Chesterfield, Andrew Bond from Sheffield and Ross
10/06/2013
Three British companies have today been given a boost of £1.34million to test cutting edge designs in bioenergy. The winning companies - AB systems, AMW IBERS and Natural Synergies - were selected from an initial list of seven to go through from the project design stage to the testing phase of the
10/06/2013
AMEC, the international engineering and project management company, has been awarded a two-year contract extension from BG Group to continue to provide engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and project management support for all of BG Group's facilities in the central North Sea. The
10/06/2013
The £3.1m creation of Leeds Jewish Free School in Alwoodley has been given the go ahead with the announcement that planning permission for the development has been granted. Plans for the scheme were subsequently showcased at an open evening for parents and pupils, hosted by the Directors of Leeds J
10/06/2013
Kier has reached a significant stage in the construction of the Royal United Hospital's new Pathology Laboratory and Mortuary, with the completion of the roof structure. Kier operations director, David Snell, and RUH director of estates and facilities, Howard Jones, tightened the last bolts on a be
10/06/2013
Balfour Beatty has been awarded a contract in excess of £110 million to construct the 43-storey Providence Tower residential scheme for Landor - a wholly owned subsidiary of The Ballymore Group. Upon completion, the structure will be the tallest building constructed by Balfour Beatty in the UK. Ba
07/06/2013
Construction of the new municipal and academic building in Elmer Square has resulted in a significant boost to local employment and training. Wates Construction's delivery of The Forum Southend-on-Sea has seen the appointment of four project apprentices and the provision of 160 hours of work experi
07/06/2013
The new Energy Bill will save families up to £158 on their utility bills by helping people to switch to the cheapest tariff, according to the government. Under the new Bill, the most vulnerable households will see the greatest benefit. These savings are on top of the £64 average saving that househo
07/06/2013
Denne, part of the Leadbitter Group, has begun construction of the Cheneys, a new development of 35 self-contained extra care apartments for older tenants in Seaford, East Sussex. The Cheneys, which includes 25 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom apartments in a three-storey building, is located next to
07/06/2013
Views on how local communities can take charge of managing and generating their own energy are being sought by the Government. This will also deliver a commitment in the Coalition Agreement to encourage community-owned renewables schemes where local people benefit from the power produced. The news
07/06/2013
In this year's East Midlands Directors of the Year Awards, Stephen Martin, Chief Executive of the North Lincolnshire based Clugston Group, was announced as the overall IoD East Midlands Director of the Year and also winner of the Large Business company category. At a luncheon held at Nottingham Tre
07/06/2013
The Skanska team at Aldersgate Street, one of its London offices, is going the extra mile to become greener. Recently named as winner of Skanska's annual Green Workspace Award – the team works in partnership with its suppliers to improve the green credentials of the office and monitors energy use c
06/06/2013
200 new British Gas apprenticeships have been announced today at the GMB Congress. The apprentices, who will graduate to jobs installing, servicing and repairing energy efficient boilers and central heating systems in homes across the UK, will benefit from two years of training, rated 'outstanding'
06/06/2013
London Gatwick has marked a key milestone in its £1.2 billion transformation as demolition commences on the airport’s second oldest pier, Pier 1. In partnership with Vinci Construction UK, the new and innovative design will deliver easier access from the departure lounge and spacious departure gate
06/06/2013
A new scheme is helping residents to slash their energy bills by offering free loft and cavity wall insulation. Warm and Cozy has been created by Hillingdon Council and Dyson Energy Services to make homes in the borough more energy efficient. The Warm and Cozy scheme is funded by energy companies
06/06/2013
Liverpool firms can bid for a slice of millions of pounds of work as part of the Mayor's school rebuilding programme. A 'Getting Connected' event is being held at Liverpool Town Hall on Wednesday 12 June where organisations can meet with representatives from construction firms Kier, Morgan Sindall
06/06/2013
Trade unions UCATT and Unite are organising a lobby of Parliament on Tuesday 11th June. The event titled Save our Safety, focuses on the Government’s persistent attacks on safety rules, which are placing workers in danger. Prior to the lobby MPs who support the aims of the Save Our Safety lobby wil
06/06/2013
The UK Government will become one of the first in Europe to implement a European Union Regulation to protect wholesale gas and electricity markets from abuse. Under the EU REMIT Regulation, Ofgem will have new powers to require access to information, inspect premises and impose unlimited fines for
06/06/2013
A Wigan roofing firm has been fined after an employee was severely injured when he fell ten metres through the roof of a school sports hall. Lee Byrne, 29 from Ince, was working on a project to replace the raised roof on the sports hall at Loreto High School in Chorlton with a flat roof when the in
06/06/2013
Adrien Godard, a French mason and painter, recently downed tools in his home town of Besancon, France, for a chance to work as an English apprentice with affordable housing developer Lovell on its new 123-home, Six Streets development in Hyde Park, Doncaster. Adrien joined Lovell as part of the Eur
06/06/2013
Willmott Dixon has appointed Paul Smith, former Group Chief Executive at Morgan Sindall, to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) at its Support Services division. Paul will work alongside the Support Services CEO Chris Durkin as part of a planned transition that will eventually see him become
06/06/2013
The British Property Federation (BPF) has welcomed research revealing office construction in the capital provides a £1.1bn boost to the UK's regions a year - and £1.7bn nationally. Research by PWC and London First finds that the development of iconic buildings such as 20 Fenchurch Street (the Walki
05/06/2013
Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Lord Deighton has visited the development works at the new Terminal 2 at Heathrow to mark a major milestone of the Top 40 project. Lord Deighton, who was accompanied by officials from Infrastructure UK (IUK), launched the 'One year to go' event, and gave a speec
05/06/2013
Construction unions have signed a ground breaking industrial relations agreement to build the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. The project will be the largest single site construction project in Britain with 5,000 workers employed at the peak of construction. After months of negotiating
05/06/2013
Mansell has completed Maggies North East Cancer Care Centre in Newcastle. Designed by designers Edward Cullinan Architects, the centre provides a landmark building within the grounds of the Freeman Hospital and is also highly sustainable. Bespoke design features have been used to achieve the highes
05/06/2013
The Costain Skanska joint venture (CSJV) team working on the new Bond Street station for Crossrail has been awarded "Inspirational" status in Crossrail's Gateway Health and Safety scheme; a first for a contractor working on the new £15 billion rail link. Gateway is a bespoke health and safety schem
05/06/2013
Willmott Dixon Partnerships is inviting SMEs and sole traders specialising in plumbing, electrical work, carpentry and multi-skilled operations in Thurrock and across Essex to join them at a special 'drop-in' day. The company also wants to meet 16-25 year olds to talk about apprenticeships. The f
05/06/2013
Interserve has finished construction on the first of two new facilities in Plymouth that will benefit military personnel and veterans undergoing recovery. Help for Heroes is supporting the initiative with a £21 million commitment. Celebrating the occasion, the co-founders of Help for Heroes, Bryn
05/06/2013
Councillor Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council and Phil Morgan, Director of Operations at Balfour Beatty, 'broke the ground' to officially start work on the project to realign local roads to prepare the Vaux site in Sunderland for future development. The pair were joined by partners Ne
05/06/2013
A Wolverhampton building firm has been fined for neglecting basic construction safety after it dug a trench that caused the partial collapse of a house next door. Wolverhampton magistrates heard that Astbury Design and Build Ltd had been employed to build an extension at a property in Blackburn Ave
05/06/2013
Berkhamsted Lawn Tennis and Squash Rackets Club aims to provide its members with the very best in playing facilities and have developed a partnership with Playrite to help them achieve that. Having first installed Playrite's Matchplay 2 in 2003 it was a natural choice when they came to resurfacing
05/06/2013
The Beauty Shop in Huddersfield required an upgrade to the flooring of the ground-floor treatment and tanning rooms. Although the existing floor was still in relatively good condition, the Salon required a change to the original colour scheme and selected a two coloured Remmers Colorid Flake system
04/06/2013
Galliford Try, the housebuilding and construction group, has announced that its Building business has been appointed to refurbish the Alphabeta office building in Central London in a contract worth £36 million. Owners Resolution Property have selected Galliford Try to complete a full refurbishment
04/06/2013
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has welcomed the announcement by Edwina Hart, Wales's Minister for Economy, Science & Transport Minister, of a £10 million Property Development Fund aimed at supporting smaller scale property ventures and providing a boost to the Welsh construction industry.
04/06/2013
Residents will be asked for their views on the East Riding council's proposals for a £20 million redevelopment of Leisure World, Bridlington, with plans going on display this month. As part of the council's £123 million capital investment programme for 2013-14, a commitment has been made to create
04/06/2013
The deadline is approaching for householders to sign up to the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Collective Switch to save on their energy bills. Organised by charity Energy Projects Plus, together with the Liverpool City Region local authorities, the scheme aims to reduce people’s energy bills by using
04/06/2013
New Which? research has found Government plans to simplify energy tariffs are still too complex for consumers to identify the cheapest deal. Just three in ten (28%) got the right answer when asked to identify the cheapest deal from a range of tariffs using Ofgem's Tariff Comparison Rate (TCR) propo
04/06/2013
Costain has secured funding from the Government linked Technology Strategy Board's £18million competition to develop the civil nuclear supply chain. Costain has been selected to develop three innovative technologies to reduce the cost of treating and storing nuclear waste. This competition brings
04/06/2013
GMB, the union for construction workers, today lodged claims in the High Court in London seeking compensation for 70 GMB members blacklisted by Carillion and other construction employers. Law firm Leigh Day, acting for GMB, is seeking compensation and injunctions for workers kept out of work as a d
04/06/2013
Leeds City Council has approved further funding for improvements to commercial properties based within housing estates across the city. The council has committed to invest £130,000 to maintain these premises which are occupied by businesses such as post offices, grocers and takeaways. The work wil
04/06/2013
A £30 million scheme to create new homes in South Shields on land formerly owned by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has moved forward with work starting on the site. South Tyneside Council is working with housing and regeneration specialists, Keepmoat Homes and the HCA to redevelop the Trin
04/06/2013
A Bury roofer has appeared in court for putting workers’ lives at risk, despite previously being prosecuted after a man was paralysed in a fall through a warehouse roof. Tony Massey, who trades as Massey Roofing and Building Contractors, was photographed with two other men sitting on the ridge of t
03/06/2013
Costain has announced that it has been awarded one of four places on Transport for London's (TfL) framework for Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) and Construction, initially worth approximately £200m overall. The Group is working on its first project within this framework: the Hammersmith Flyover
03/06/2013
Plans for a new railway £11 million station in Kenilworth were given a major boost today as Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced that he was minded to fund the new station at Kenilworth, with the department providing up to £5 million towards the project. The station would be part of £37
03/06/2013
Local construction businesses can find out about work opportunities being created through a major estate regeneration programme by attending an event organised by affordable housing developer Lovell on Friday, 14 June, in King's Lynn. Lovell is looking for supply chain partners to work on the four-
03/06/2013
The Leicester Miller Education Company (LMEC) has signed contracts on a further 13 schools in the Leicester BSF (Building Schools for the Future) Programme, totalling £139 million in construction and ICT value. LMEC, a partnership between Miller Construction, Leicester City Council, Semperian and B
03/06/2013
Corby residents are being asked to have their say on plans for two former school sites. Northamptonshire County Council is preparing to submit outline planning permission for the former Beanfield college site on Glastonbury Road and Kingswood upper school site on Gainsborough Road. Councillor Bill
03/06/2013
The next phase of Birmingham City University's City Centre Campus is set to provide a £28 million boost to local businesses after Willmott Dixon was confirmed as contractor. Willmott Dixon has a £46 million contract to build phase two of the University's new campus in the city centre at Eastside, a
03/06/2013
The Board of Eleco has announced that its subsidiary, ElecoBuild Limited, has sold the businesses and assets of its four building products manufacturing businesses to Omnis Industries Limited. The businesses sold comprise SpeedDeck Building Systems, Prompt Profiles, Stramit Panel Products and Downe
03/06/2013
The Crossrail project has celebrated its biggest milestone so far as one of its huge 1,000 tonne tunnelling machines has broken through into the new Canary Wharf station box. At an event, Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin, Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Crossrail Chief Executive A
