Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for November 2015
30/11/2015
Chancellor George Osbourne has announced the high speed rail (HS2) route from Birmingham to Crewe is to open six years early in 2027. The government has set out a total of £55.7 billion for the whole HS2 programme in its 2015 Spending Review. Once Phase 2a has opened in 2027, reduced journey times
30/11/2015
Balfour Beatty is to deliver pre-construction services for a £130 million residential scheme in London. The firm will work with Northacre and Palace Revive Development to deliver works for the new-build scheme on No. 1 Palace Street in St James' Park. The full project involves refurbishing the exi
30/11/2015
REL has secured a £2.5 million contract to deliver mechanical works for a new leisure centre in east London. The deal forms part of the £25m Waltham Forest Leisure Centre project being built by ISG in Chingford. The new facility was designed by AFLS+P Architects. It will include a 25 metre swimmi
30/11/2015
Work is continuing on an improvement scheme on the A45/A46, Highways England has announced. A series of overnight road closures will take place on the A46 Kenilworth bypass and the A45 Stonebridge Highway as work continues on the Tollbar End upgrade project. The A46 northbound carriageway bypass i
30/11/2015
A new £14.3 million educational academy has been built in Suffolk. Staff and pupils at Chantry Academy moved into the new building on Friday, 27 November. Features of the project included replacing the academy's existing buildings with a new three-storey building which provides light, bright class
30/11/2015
Graham Interior Fit-out (GIFO) has been selected to build a new Primark store in Chester. The news follows on from successful contract awards in Wakefield and Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh. Overall, the three deals are worth £10 million. The 39,100 sq ft project in Broughton Park will be completed ove
30/11/2015
Demolition works have taken place at a housing development in south-east London. Nearly 700 homes, 239 of which will be 'affordable', are to be built on the former Connaught Estate in Woolwich. The works are part of the £300 million Woolwich Estates Regeneration, comprising of the phased demolitio
30/11/2015
A construction site manager has been fined after a worker was injured while using an excavator bucket as a substitute mobile elevating work platform. Edwin Heaney, 43, of How Wood, Park Street, Hertfordshire breached Section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. He was fined £1,000 with £3,13
27/11/2015
Balfour Beatty has secured a £104 million contract to complete works on the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NNDR) project. The contract was awarded by Norfolk County Council. A new 19.6km dual carriageway will be built, including nine new roundabouts, seven new bridges, an underpass and a more
27/11/2015
Work is underway to develop a new £14.2 million visitors facility at Northumberland National Park. Construction firm Sir Robert McAlpine have now began building 'The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre'. The new facility aims to open up the national park and its surrounding landscape to more
27/11/2015
Expansion plans for a Birmingham City University campus in Edgbaston have been approved by city planners. A new 10,500m3 building has been designed by architects Sheppard Robson and is to be built at the University's City South Campus on Westbourne Road. It will form part of the University's inves
27/11/2015
Berkeley Homes has been selected by Mayor of London Boris Johnson to build a housing development in the east of the capital. A total of 3,500 new homes will be developed on the site of a disused Parcelforce depot in Stephenson Street, Newham. The ten hectare site will also include space for a scho
27/11/2015
The Environment Agency (EA) has completed a £400,000 flood risk reduction scheme in West Yorkshire. Contractors spent seven months developing a new culvert screen on Ibbot Royd Clough where it passes under Keighley Road in Hebden Bridge. The works will reduce the risk of blockages which have in th
27/11/2015
Network Rail is due to begin a £25 milloon signalling modernisation programme between Crewe and Shrewsbury. The scheme, part of the £38 billion Railway Upgrade Plan, will see the signal box at Gesty Lane decommissioned, with signalling control moved to Crewe's central control centre. New signallin
27/11/2015
Mace Group's fit-out provider has been selected carry out a project for the Mary Rose Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Como will remove the existing 'Hot Box' around the Mary Rose ship and install new permanent glazing to the viewing galleries. The works will provide visitors with unrestric
27/11/2015
Welsh renewable energy company Coast2Coast Group has announced the launch of its new construction division. Coast2Coast Construction Services will work alongside the Group's other business arms, Coast2Coast Energy and Coast2Coast Renewables. Based at the company's headquarters in Tonmawr, the cons
27/11/2015
A key slip road on the M56 is due to reopen in December, Highways England has announced. The road, off the southbound A556 after Bowdon roundabout, is to be open by Monday, 14 December. It was closed at the end of September as part of construction work on the new £192 million A556 link road betwee
27/11/2015
A Salford-based construction firm has been fined after an employee suffered severe burns to his knees after kneeling in wet concrete. DLP Services (Northern) Limited of Cobden Street, Brindle Heath Industrial Estate, Pendleton, Salford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 22 (1)(c) of the Construct
26/11/2015
Details of a new apprenticeships levy have been unveiled by Chancellor George Osbourne in his Spending Review. In his Autumn Statement, Mr Osbourne announced businesses will contribute 0.5% of their total wage bill towards paying for 'on-the-job' training from April 2017. A £15,000 allowance for e
26/11/2015
Construction of a new Advanced Manufacturing Centre facility in Wirral is underway, BAM has announced. The 6,500m2 facility was designed by DLA Architects and is being built for consumer goods company Unilever. The project involves developing a modern pilot plant at the company's Research and Dev
26/11/2015
Work is underway to demolish a former Royal Mail sorting office in Coventry. The site is to be levelled, cleared and will pave the way for a proposed £73 million regeneration project by Coventry University and Barberry Developments. Plans to create student accommodation buildings, courtyards and g
26/11/2015
House builder Persimmon Homes has announced plans to build 80,000 new properties and 1,000 jobs over the next five years. The announcement was made as Chancellor George Osbourne visited one of Persimmon's housing developments in Essex. Since 2012, the company has increased the number of homes comp
26/11/2015
Galliford Try has recorded an above industry average score concerning its reduction in carbon emissions. The company scored 98 out of 100 for its 'disclosure' (transparency in sharing data about emissions) and was placed in performance band B. On average, the industry scores 87 and C respectively.
26/11/2015
Network Rail's planned £38 billion upgrade scheme can move forward with extra investment generated from the sale of non-core railway assets, it has been announced. The company's Chairman, Sir Peter Hendy, yesterday published his review into the five-year programme which runs until 2019. £1.8bn is
26/11/2015
EDF Energy is underway with maintenance works on a power station's nuclear reactor in North Ayrshire. During routine inspections, engineers discovered three graphite blocks were cracked on one of the two nuclear reactors at the Hunterston B power station. Known as keyway root cracking, the mainten
26/11/2015
A scaffolder has been prosecuted by the HSE after a worker was killed while carrying out roof repairs in West Yorkshire. Wayne Morgan (trading as Barnsdale Scaffolding) of Barnsdale Estate, Cutsyke, Castleford, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(a) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. He
26/11/2015
The QEII bridge at the Dartford Crossing is to be closed overnight later this week, Highways England has announced. The closure is to allow general maintenance work to be carried out, including bridge inspections, carriageway sweeping and cleaning, lighting maintenance, calibration of the ice senso
26/11/2015
Stroma Certification's drive to deliver credibility and competence for clients continues today with the launch of a new certification scheme for ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management Systems). The new scheme is an exciting opportunity for businesses to comply with a recognised quality standard at an af
25/11/2015
Private developers are to build around 400,000 'affordable' new homes by 2020, according to Chancellor George Osbourne. In his Spending Review and Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced the housing budget is to be doubled to over £2 billion a year. "First I am doubling the housing budget to £2
25/11/2015
Mouchel Consulting has won a £40 million framework contract to deliver consultancy services for North Yorkshire County Council. The Kier-owned business will provide a range of services, including estates management, property projects and highways services. The four-year framework is designed to he
25/11/2015
Plans for the second phase of the Lord's Cricket Ground redevelopment have been approved by the Mayor Of London Boris Johnson. Outline planning permission for the scheme was granted by Westminster Council last month. The Mayor has now given the green light for further redevelopment works, which in
25/11/2015
Drum Property Group has revealed further details of a £35 million shopping centre redevelopment in Ipswich. A new 12-screen Empire cinema will be located at the heart of the redeveloped Buttermarket shopping complex. Other features of the project include a new 20,000 sq ft gym, nine new restaurant
25/11/2015
Galliford Try has received an accolade at the Builder & Engineer magazine awards. The £6.8 million regeneration scheme at Colwyn Bay in north Wales won the Civil/Infrastructure Project of the Year category. The contract was awarded by Conwy County Borough Council. The project involved dredging an
25/11/2015
Work is underway on Esh Group's new construction training academy in County Durham. Foundation work has been started on the £3.6 million Esh Academy, which will draw together company services and group HR activities across the North East, Yorkshire, Scottish Borders and Cumbria under one banner. T
25/11/2015
The second phase of a road bridge upgrade project in North Tyneside is underway, Highways England has announced. Essential maintenance and strengthening work is being undertaken to the bridge which carries the A19 over Middle Engine Lane. The project has been extended due to issues with the struct
25/11/2015
An engineering company has been fined after it failed to act when asbestos was discovered at its factory premises in County Durham. Blue Diamond Engineering Limited, of Shildon Industrial Estate, Shildon pleaded guilty to offences under Regulation 4(8)(b) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
25/11/2015
A £750 million train station redevelopment project delivered by Mace has won prizes at two different industry awards ceremonies. The Birmingham New Street Station development won the 'Outstanding Large Project' category at Rail Exec Club's Most Interesting Awards. In addition, the project received
25/11/2015
Anthesis Group has appointed Katie Livesey as its Associate Director as it looks expand its construction and manufacturing services. Ms Livesey worked at the Building Research Establishment for over 11 years and was head of the responsible sourcing certification business. By recruiting Ms Livesey,
24/11/2015
M+W Group has secured a £150 million contract to deliver a new waste-to-energy facility in Kingston upon Hull. The new Energy Works facility will reduce the need for local landfill and will rely on fossil fuel generated power to meet local energy demand. When completed, the plant will generate up
24/11/2015
Planning permission has been granted for a £70 million office development in the west end of Leeds. The ten-storey Latitude Yellow project is being developed by BAM Properties. The development will comprise of 157,000 sq ft of Grade A office space with over 16,000 sq ft of floor plates. The basem
24/11/2015
Work is underway to develop a £1 billion extension of the London Underground's Northern Line, it has been announced. The Mayor of London Boris Johnson gave the signal to start major works yesterday, 23 November. Approximately 600,000 tonnes of earth will now be excavated from beneath South London
24/11/2015
The first phase of new market housing on Cambridge University's £1 billion development project has been granted planning consent. Housebuilder Hill is to deliver a mixture of 240 apartments, townhouses and family homes on the North West Cambridge Development. The scheme has been designed by archit
24/11/2015
Sustainability rating schemes BREEAM and CEEQUAL are to merge over proposals to create a single certification tool for infrastructure projects, according to the Building Research Establishment (BRE). CEEQUAL is to transfer its business operations to BRE Global and in future will be delivered by the
24/11/2015
A builder has admitted safety failings after one his employees was killed during work on a barn roof in Cambridgeshire. Michael Turner, 49, of Parley Beams Cottages, Earls Colne, Colchester, pleaded guilty to gross negligent manslaughter after Robert Bird fell 30 feet and died. He received an 18 m
24/11/2015
Steelwork contractor Severfield has announced a healthy revenue return however warned several major projects are to be delayed over funding and material concerns. CEO Ian Lawson said there was good growth in revenue, profits and cash generation, but revealed the results could have been better if no
24/11/2015
Galliford Try's Partnerships business has secured two new 'affordable' housing contracts and two new major housing frameworks. The business is to deliver an eighth extra care village at Hughenden Valley in High Wycombe in collaboration with the ExtraCare Charitable Trust. The £45m village is to co
24/11/2015
Overnight resurfacing works are scheduled to take place along A303 in Wiltshire, Highways England has announced. Contractors are due to resurface the westbound carriageway at Fonthill Bishop between Deptford and Chicklade. The work will take place between 8pm and 6am from 02 December to 12 Decembe
24/11/2015
In order to minimise 'on-site' health and safety risk, reduce 'on-site' costs, speed up installation time and, in many cases, reduce disruption to the general public, Scottish Water have adopted Hydrok's solution for the 'off-site' manufacture of bespoke stainless steel CSO chambers for several new
23/11/2015
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has given the green light towards a large regeneration development in the Greenwich Peninsula. A revised plan has now been drawn up for the 80-hectare former gasworks site being developed by Knight Dragon. Over 12,000 homes will create a new district formed of fiv
23/11/2015
Tottenham Hotspur has appointed Mace as its construction partner for the club's £400 million stadium redevelopment project. It is understood other firms considered for the scheme included Brookfield Multiplex and Sir Robert McAlpine. In a statement, the club said Mace is to become "an integrated m
23/11/2015
A new health and safety guidance has been launched for the construction industry in a bid to encourage better management of health risks. The Occupational Health Risk Management in Construction guide has been written by the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (ConIAC) Health Risks Working Grou
23/11/2015
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Amber Rudd has refused plans for a 27-turbine wind farm in Wales. The proposed Mynydd y Gwynt scheme, by developer Renewable Energy Holdings (REH), has a generating capacity of up to 81.89.1MW. Plans for the development were submitted to The Pla
23/11/2015
Experienced construction executive Roger Robinson has been selected to head the HS2 joint venture (JV) between Morgan Sindall, BAM and Ferrovial. The former Laing O'Rourke Europe chief will act as independent Chairman of 'Fusion'. The Birmingham-based JV will bid for contracts on the high speed ra
23/11/2015
Police are appealing for information after a dumper truck was stolen from a construction site in Hertfordshire. It is understood offenders forced their way into the building site on Grange Road, Bushey between 4:30pm on 04 November and 7am on 05 November. The suspects entered the site via an acces
23/11/2015
Continued growth is forecast for the construction sector despite a slowdown during the summer months, the Construction Products Association (CPA) has announced. Between 2015/16, output is expected to increase 3.6% and 3.8%, revised down from previous predictions of 4.9% and 4.2%. However, the CPA
23/11/2015
A £500,000 project to tackle flooding issues along the A595 is due to begin, Highways England has announced. A section of the northbound carriageway in Cumbria is set to undergo repair works today, Monday 23 November. Drainage along the route between Lillyhall and its junction with the A66 at Dobi
20/11/2015
MP's have demanded a fundamental review of rail electrification improvements by Network Rail after a committee highlighted severe planning and budgeting issues with the projects. The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published the findings of its inquiry into Network Rail's 2014-
20/11/2015
A £14.8 million 'discovery centre' project in Northumberland National Park has won an accolade at the 2015 Planning Awards. Engineering consultants Cundall scooped the "Planning Permission of the Year" prize for 'The Sill' during the awards ceremony in London. Cundall's Planning Team acted as plan
20/11/2015
ScottishPower Renewables has submitted plans to develop a 'major' offshore windfarm in East Anglia. The 305km2 East Anglia THREE development is to be built off the coast of Suffolk. It will comprise 172 wind turbines with a capacity for 1,200mw, enough to power the electricity demands of over 850,
20/11/2015
Bouygues UK has secured a £45 million contract to deliver two phases of a regeneration project in west London. The contractor is to deliver 300 new homes on the Havelock Estate in Ealing. The project, for Catalyst Housing, involves spreading the homes across six new apartment buildings as well as
20/11/2015
Steelwork contractor Billington Holdings has purchased a new factory in south Yorkshire. The firm has acquired two large industrial buildings, along with all on-site steel processing equipment and machinery, in Shafton. The site was previously owned by Sherling Steel. With a combined usable area
20/11/2015
Essential bridge maintenance is due to be carried out on the A38 carriageway, Highways England has announced. The work, near Ivybridge in Devon, involves replacing bridge joints and resurfacing the bridge deck. In order to carry out the maintenance, the A38 will be closed overnight from 23 Novembe
20/11/2015
A Bristol-based scaffolding firm has been fined after a worker fell nine metres from a scaffold structure. Tubular Access Scaffolds Limited, of Duckmoor Road, Ashton, pleaded guilty to offences under Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It was fined £26,250. Bristol Magistrates
20/11/2015
The Queen has reopened the redeveloped Birmingham New Street Station, it has been announced. Accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, Her Majesty unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion on 19 November. The £750m development includes the new Grand Central shopping complex and took five years to complet
19/11/2015
Cardiff City Council has appointed Wates Living Space to deliver its target of building 1,500 new homes over the next ten years. The target, part of the Housing Partnership Programme (HPP),will include the building of up to 600 council houses. The council will invest £33m in the project. The HPP
19/11/2015
Two people have been killed and five people injured in an explosion at Celsa's steel plant in Cardiff. The blast occurred at the facility on East Moors Road on Wednesday, 18 November. Emergency services were called to deal with a fire in the bar and rod mill in the basement of the plant at 10:30am
19/11/2015
Simons Group has been selected to deliver a £25.8m development project in London. The contractor will help build a new Asda store for Citygrove in South Ruislip. Other features include a petrol station, an 11-screen cinema complex and five restaurant facilities. The works being carried out by Sim
19/11/2015
A £100 million office development in Leeds has entered its final phase. The 11-storey Central Square scheme has been designed by DLA Design for property developer Marrico LLP. It is being built on Wellington Street at the site of a former Royal Mail facility. Once finished, the scheme will compri
19/11/2015
Building contractor T Clarke is to close its offices in Bristol and Cardiff by the end of the year. The announcement was made in a trading statement today, 19 November. The firm said the move is in line with its intention to introduce a series of "planned structural changes". In addition, the Car
19/11/2015
The final phase of planning for a £315 million race track in Wales is now complete, the Heads of the Valleys Development Company (HOTVDC) has announced. The Circuit of Wales project involves redeveloping 830 acres of Blaenau Gwent into an international motorsport circuit, technology park and traini
19/11/2015
Kier has won a £29.5 million contract to deliver a student accommodation project in Plymouth. The 22-storey Beckley Court scheme is to be built for property developer Threesixty Developments. At 78 metres high, the development will become Plymouth's tallest building. It will provide 507 beds acro
19/11/2015
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has opened the city's first segregated cycle 'superhighway'. The continuous two-way and separated cycle lane is 1.4km long and runs through Vauxhall gyratory and across Vauxhall Bridge. It links with the existing Cycle Superhighway 8 at Millbank and provides a con
19/11/2015
The boss of a stone masonry company has been fined after workers were exposed to materials which could cause life-changing health conditions. Thomas Bushby, of Castleside, Consett, pleaded guilty to offences under Regulation 7 (1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 an
19/11/2015
Essential maintenance works are being carried out along the A14 and M11 in Cambridgeshire, Highways England has announced. The £6.3m programme began on 16 November and will run until summer 2016. Features of the project include: • Refurbishing bridges. • Improving the road surface. • Introducin
18/11/2015
ISG has won an £80 million works package to develop two build projects in South Wales. The firm is to develop the new BBC Wales Broadcasting House and the Two Central Square office building adjacent in Cardiff. The scheme, for developer Rightacres, was designed by architect Foster + Partners. The
18/11/2015
Carillion has submitted a planning application for an £80m regeneration project in Leeds. The company has put forward proposals to redevelop the old industrial South Bank site of Tower Works in Holbeck. The project has been designed by architects Jestico + Wiles, alongside landscape architects Oob
18/11/2015
Breedon Aggregates is to purchase Hope Construction Materials for £336 million, it has been announced. It is understood the acquisition will create the UK's largest independent building materials group. Breedon's Chairman, Peter Tom, said: "We're creating a vertically-integrated business with one
18/11/2015
The construction of a new skyscraper in London will begin next year after planning permission was granted by the City of London Corporation (CLC). The 64-storey Brookfield Multiplex project is to be built at 22 Bishopgate and is being developed by Lipton Rogers for AXA Investment Managers – Real As
18/11/2015
All coal-fired power stations in the UK are to be closed by 2025, the UK Government has announced. In addition, plans have also been revealed to restrict power stations' use by 2023. The announcement was made by Energy Secretary Amber Rudd today, 18 November ahead of a major speech setting out the
18/11/2015
Laing O'Rourke has signed a £116m contract to develop an office building in London. The firm will build the Brunell Building on North Wharf Road, Paddington for developer Derwent London. The project involves creating 240,000 sq ft of office space fronting the Grand Union Canal opposite Paddington
18/11/2015
A £2.3bn investment programme to improve the existing railway on the Crossrail route has passed the halfway mark, Network Rail has announced. Contractors are carrying out work on the existing rail network that runs for three quarters of the route, above ground, through outer London, Berkshire and E
18/11/2015
The A1 carriageway has been reopened following bridge demolition works, Highways England has announced. Contractors levelled the Fort Bridge during a 34 hour closure as part of a project to upgrade the dual carriageway. A new bridge is to be rebuilt at a later date. The improvements are part of a
18/11/2015
Osbourne has delivered a £3.6m primary school in West Sussex, it has been announced. The Downview Primary School in Felpham took one year to build and saw Osbourne lead the project design and building work. The building has been expanded to a three form entry primary school and can now cater for 6
18/11/2015
A building contractor has been fined after a shard of metal hit an employee in the eye and caused permanent damage. Steele & Bray Limited, of Moore Street, Kingsley, Northampton, pleaded guilty to an offence under Regulation 4(1) of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992. The f
17/11/2015
Turner and Townsend (T&T) has been appointed to act as technical advisor for the Dutch BNG Bank on two building projects in the Netherlands. Working closely with the bank, T&T will operate on a public-private partnership (PPP) project for a new town hall for the Municipal Council of Westland. The
17/11/2015
A 'major' milestone has been reached in a £85m tunnel construction project in Glasgow. The Costain-Vinci Construction Grands Projets Joint Venture (JV) is developing the Shieldhall Tunnel for Scottish Water. Geotechnical specialists Bachy Soletanche has now installed the project's 675 piles over a
17/11/2015
Businesses in Wandsworth and Lambeth are being invited to register for the next supply chain round of the £15bn Nine Elms development in London. The Supply Nine Elms chain will give suppliers access to millions of pounds worth of new contract opportunities. In addition, the scheme gives businesses
17/11/2015
Suppliers in the construction industry are being invited by NHS London Procurement Partnership (LPP) to join its minor works framework system. The Minor Works Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) covers works valued up to £500,000. The DPS is being established by LPP to provide the NHS and other public
17/11/2015
Highways England has appointed WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff to develop ways of reducing noise along the M40. The £2 million design contract involves reviewing sites between junction 3 and junction 8 which have been identified as areas where road noise is an issue. Working in partnership with the M40 Ch
17/11/2015
ISG has been selected as lead contractor on a data centre project in Western Europe. The £141m (over €200m) scheme is the third the London-based firm has been awarded in this region over the past year. David Lawther, ISG Chief Executive, said: "As a leading international data center delivery partn
17/11/2015
Nottingham-based firm J Tomlinson has appointed Mel Sowter as the group's new finance director. As part of the company's expansion plans, Ms Sowter is the first female director to join the firm in the newly created post. She will be responsible for the financial and management accounts of J Tomlin
17/11/2015
A Wrexham-based manufacturer has been fined after a power press machine fell on a worker and killed him. Morgan Technical Ceramics, of Vauxhall Industrial Estate, Ruabon, pleaded guilty to offences under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £180,000 with £23,300
17/11/2015
WS Atkins is to acquire the nuclear services division of US-based EnergySolutions, it has been announced. The company has signed a £206m ($318m) deal to purchase the Projects, Products and Technology (PP&T) sector. The business currently employs 650 people in a wide range of services for the decon
17/11/2015
A new entrance for a 'bygone era' style restaurant has been delivered by Boon Edam in London. The new '45 Jermyn Street' restaurant at Fortnum & Mason is the latest addition to the high-end department store which has been successfully running since 1707.
16/11/2015
New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed a 2.2% fall in construction industry output in the third quarter of the year. The decrease follows a predicted trend, which saw output fall by 0.1% in the period of July to September. The ONS also found that downward pressure
16/11/2015
Construction of the new headquarters for BBC Wales' in Cardiff city centre will begin on 07 December. The announcement follows the final sign-offs between the broadcaster and developers Rightacres. Announcing the news, Director of BBC Wales, Rhodri Talfan Davies, said that he was "delighted" and t
16/11/2015
David Allvey, Chairman of Costain, has announced that he will stand down from the firm in 2016. Mr Allvey has been Chairman of the company for the last seven years, prior to which he was a non-executive Director for fourteen years. Following the news, Costain announced that it will be seeking to a
16/11/2015
Manchester building contractor Brierstone Limited has been fined after unsafe excavations at a care home site put workers and members of the public at risk. Brierstone Limited was issued with an immediate Prohibition Potice (PN) by an inspector from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stopping wo
16/11/2015
Major resurfacing and road improvement works are to be carried out 3.5 miles of the A64 in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, Highways England has announced. As part of a £1.4 million scheme, 3,000 reflective road studs will be replaced and road markings will be repainted. The work will be carried out ove
16/11/2015
Construction firm Willmott Dixon Partnerships has helped develop an autism friendly community centre Highcroft Community Centre, Erdington. Highcroft Community Centre will become a vital resource for Autism West Midlands and local support parent support group Autis to enable those with autism to th
16/11/2015
Bristol-based Tubular Access Scaffolds Ltd has been fined more than £26,000 after a worker was seriously injured in a fall. Bristol Magistrates' Court heard how an employee was dismantling a scaffold structure when he fell, causing life-changing head injuries. An investigation by the Health and S
16/11/2015
ISG has been awarded a contract to fit out the new QBE Business Insurance offices on Fenchurch Street in Central London. The multi-phased scheme will see ISG upgrade and enhance QBE's existing first and second floor office space, approximately 100,000 sq ft of accommodation, at the 16-storey Planta
13/11/2015
Queensberry Real Estate (QRE) has completed a £117m city centre development in Newport, it has been announced. The 390,000 sq ft Friars Walk scheme was designed by Leslie Jones Architecture and is located between the River Usk and Newport's retail sector. Along with 35 retail units, the developmen
13/11/2015
Fire crews were called to a construction site in London on Thursday, 12 November, after a major fire broke out. Eight fire engines and 58 firefighters attended the incident at Old Street on 12 November. Five floors of the six-storey former Post Office building were affected. Contractor Cantillion
13/11/2015
The Environment Agency has appointed the VBA joint venture (JV) to work on a £21m flood defence scheme in Ipswich. VBA is a JV between VolkerStevin, Boskalis Westminster and Atkins. A 30 metre wide tidal barrier gate is to be built along the River Orwell and construction is due to begin later this
13/11/2015
A total of 46% of construction sites fell below health and safety standards during a recent inspection drive, the HSE has said. It is understood small refurbishment sites were targeted by the monitor during the month long initiative. Overall, 692 enforcement notices and 983 notifications of contra
13/11/2015
Three regional construction contracts worth £89.5 million have been secured by Kier Construction, it has been revealed. The company has been awarded a £29.5m contract to design and build a 22-storey student accommodation scheme in Plymouth for Threesixty Developments. The 78m high Beckley Court pr
13/11/2015
An umbrella company has been prosecuted after it unlawfully deducted wages from a UCATT union member. An employment tribunal judge found Paystream My Max were not "open and transparent" in its agreement with the employee. The North West member was awarded just under £4,000 as the judge ruled the e
13/11/2015
ISG has won a fit-out contract for an office scheme in London. The firm will upgrade and enhance QBE Business Insurance's 16-storey Fenchurch Street offices. The existing first and second floor office space will be improved, along with 100,000 sq ft of accommodation. The project aims to increase
13/11/2015
Leeds City Council is holding a public consultation on plans to develop a £75m link road for Leeds Bradford Airport. Passenger numbers at the airport are forecasted to rise from 3.3 million this year to nine million by 2050. To improve the local road network, three options have been proposed. The
13/11/2015
Carillion has secured a number of support services contracts worth over £100m in Canada. The London-based firm, along with its subsidiary business 'The Bouchier Group', has won contracts for a number of oil sector customers including Shell and Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL). In addition
13/11/2015
A £1.2m refurbishment of an Army Reserve Centre in Northampton is now complete, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has announced. The project was completed by the DRIO and the East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadet Association (EMRFCA). The Grade II listed building, in Clare Street, req
12/11/2015
Vinci Construction UK has been awarded a £22.5 million contract to develop a new facility at a college in East Sussex. The firm will build a four-storey sport and teaching facility at Eastbourne College. The development will include a 25 metre pool, a sports hall, dining facilities and will link t
12/11/2015
The UK Government has merged two treasury units to 'manage and deliver' major infrastructure projects in the country, it has been announced. The Infrastructure UK (IUK) and the Major Projects Authority (MPA) will combine to create the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) The new organisatio
12/11/2015
Gloucestershire County Council has approved a revised contract for the construction of a £500 million waste incinerator in the region. Development of the facility at Javelin Park is to begin next summer after being delayed for three years due to legal challenges from campaigners. The council's Con
12/11/2015
EDF Energy Renewables (EDF ER) is to develop a wind farm in Moray, it has been announced. The Dorenell Wind Farm is located near Dufftown and is one of the largest onshore wind projects to be built in Scotland. EDF ER will build and develop the scheme alongside renewable energy company Infinergy.
12/11/2015
A new app has been released which aims to boost CSCS skills cards and tackle problems caused by counterfeit documents and illegal workers. The app, called SkillSight, has been launched by Reference Point and aims to improve card monitoring by contractors. It allows cards to be easily read while ad
12/11/2015
A man has been prosecuted by the Environment Agency (EA) due to operating a waste facility without an environmental permit. William Wellings, 37, from Telford, pleaded guilty to regulation 12 and 38 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. He was fined £3,200 with over
12/11/2015
Northern Powerhouse Minister James Wharton has announced Blackpool is the latest place to host an 'Enterprise Zone'. The seaside resort is to become 'centre of excellence' for the energy sector while also boosting the economy. Plans are in place to develop an Energy HQ at Blackpool and Fylde Colle
12/11/2015
Plans to build nine new prisons across England and Wales are set to create a raft of new construction jobs, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has said. The £3bn prison proposals aim to replace outdated Victorian jails, which will be sold off to free up space for approximately 3,000 ho
12/11/2015
A self-employed worker has been fined after carrying out illegal gas work at a property in Manchester. Paul Gregory of Hollin Lane, Middleton, Manchester pleaded guilty to Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Re
12/11/2015
A Bolton based business is urging the government to take further steps to protect the UK steel industry. Geoff Gibson, Managing Director of Select Garage Doors, is calling for action to be made after recent news that steel production is falling due to decreasing demand. Select Garage Doors, one o
11/11/2015
Building a third runway at Heathrow Airport could run the risk of 'grinding London to a halt', according to Transport for London (TfL). The transport authority has raised concerns around the Airports Commission's (AC) Final Report and its impact of a third runway at Heathrow on London's road, rail
11/11/2015
Morgan Sindall has been awarded a £2.7 million primary school expansion contract in Norfolk. Work on the project for St Martha's Catholic Primary School in King's Lynn is already underway. The firm will deliver a new teaching block, comprising of eight additional classrooms, an extended kitchen fa
11/11/2015
A contract award has been reached on the final school of the Barking, Dagenham and Newham batch of the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP). Wates Construction and the Education Funding Agency (EFA) have agreed a deal worth approximately £48m for the Eastbrook School in Dagenham. The EFA's ba
11/11/2015
Communities Secretary Greg Clark has revealed £5m in funding to help councils tackle rogue landlords. Up to 65 councils will use the funding to tackle rogue landlords who let out substandard homes and make tenant's lives "a misery". Worse off councils will be able to bid for a share of the fund to
11/11/2015
Tata Steel has been fined after an employee was showered in molten metal during an explosion at a steel plant in Rotherham. The steel giant, based in Millbank, London, was fined £180,000 with costs of nearly £83,000 after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
11/11/2015
Frozen food manufacturer KK Fine Food is investing £833,000 to expand its production facilities in Wales. The company has announced plans to open a third production hall at its base in Deeside Enterprise Zone, Flintshire. Work on the facility is already underway and will be completed by March 2016
11/11/2015
A section of the Central Expressway in Runcorn is to be closed for approximately seven months, it has been announced. The closure of the southern section between Halton Lea and Lodge Lane interchange is part of ongoing work to develop the approach roads for the new bridge on the Mersey Gateway Proj
11/11/2015
Balfour Beatty has announced it is to hold a 'meet the buyer' event for local companies to find out more information about the new Dundee Railway Station project. The exhibition will be hosted in partnership with Dundee City Council at the Invercarse Hotel on Tuesday, 17 November. The event aims t
11/11/2015
Horizon Nuclear Power (HNP) has appointed Carl Devlin to its Leadership Team, it has been announced. The former Laing O'Rourke bid director will join the company as Programme Director. Devlin has vast experience in leading major infrastructure projects and programmes in both operational and greenf
11/11/2015
Contractors are to remove three overhead gantries from the M62 over the next four weekends, Highways England has announced. A two mile stretch of the motorway near Rochdale between junction 19 and junction 20 will need to be closed overnight on 14, 21, 28 November and 05 December. Specialist 500 t
10/11/2015
Work is underway on a £18 million housing development in Dudley, Wates Living Space has announced. The site of the former Guest Hospital on Tipton Road is set to house 157 new homes in partnership with the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) and Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC). Wates will b
10/11/2015
High Speed Two (HS2) has appointed a new independent design panel to help deliver 'key design principles' of the project. It will be chaired by Sadie Morgan, who will be be the scheme's independent advisor. Experts in fields such as urban; landscape; EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) ; digit
10/11/2015
Office construction in London has increased by 18% over the past six months, according to new data from Deloitte. The latest London Office Crane Survey shows that construction in the capital has now returned to peak levels of 2009. Overall, 11.1m sq ft of space has been under construction across c
10/11/2015
Balfour Beatty has appointed Hector MacAulay as MD of the company's regional construction and civil engineering division in Scotland and Ireland. He will replace Murray Easton, who is stepping down after 37 years. MacAulay has spent 26 years with the London-based Balfour. His previous roles inclu
10/11/2015
Safety inspectors have praised the management of BAM's multi-million pound construction development in Cambridge. The £80 million lots one and three schemes of the North West Cambridge Development was rated as 'exceptional' by inspectors from the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS). The appointm
10/11/2015
The salary of a civil engineer varies from region to region across the UK, new research has revealed. According to recruitment consultancy Maple Resourcing, an experienced UK civil engineer typically commands a fee of £45,300, while graduate workers receive just under £24,500 on average. However,
10/11/2015
Work to upgrade facilities at Caerwent Training Area in Wales is now complete, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has announced. The building improvements cost £150,000 and will help make training more efficient while also saving money. Features of the project included installing electr
10/11/2015
National Grid has announced plans to sell a majority stake in its gas distribution business. The company said its Board believes there is an opportunity to 'rebalance' National Grid's portolio and "realise the value it has created" in its networks. Steve Holliday, National Grid's chief executive,
10/11/2015
A sub-contractor from Nottingham has been prosecuted after an employee injured himself when he fell from an unsafe ladder. Hardev Gutheran Singh, 32, of Park Street, Lenton, Nottingham was found guilty of breaching regulation 7(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and regulation 5(1) of the Pr
10/11/2015
Essential resurfacing work is due to take place on the A628 Woodhead Pass near Sheffield and Barnsley, Highways England has announced. Contractors will resurface a 14 mile stretch of the route between the A616 Flouch roundabout and the A57 Gun Inn junction. The work will take place between 8pm and
09/11/2015
Nine new prisons are to be built in England and Wales as part of Chancellor George Osbourne's spending review, the UK Government has announced. Details of the proposals will be revealed by the Chancellor on 25 November. A total of five prisons are scheduled to be built by 2020, with cash for the £
09/11/2015
£450m has been spent by local communities in the past three years to cover the cost of planning applications, new research has revealed. The Local Government Association (LGA) study shows nationally-set planning fees prevent councils from being able to recover the full cost of processing 467,000 ye
09/11/2015
More than 6,000 skills card holders have been ordered to re-sit their health and safety tests by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), it has been announced. The move comes after widespread cheating was discovered at test centres in a BBC London/Newsnight investigation. Hidden camera fi
09/11/2015
A Mace and CPC Project Services joint venture (JV) has been appointed by Transport for London (TfL) on a project to upgrade the London Underground. The JV has been selected as TfL's Programme Support Partner for the modernisation of the District Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City Lines of
09/11/2015
Bowmer & Kirkland (B&K) has been appointed to develop a £65m mixed-use scheme in Sheffield. The New Era Square project involves building a 21-storey mixed leisure, commercial and residential development near St Mary's church on the site of a Chinese supermarket. Approximately 700 student rooms wil
09/11/2015
The next phase of a Railway Upgrade Plan is to begin in the East Midlands, Network Rail has announced. The £35m resignalling project will get underway on 16 November. Bingham and Aslockton level crossings in Nottinghamshire and Orston Lane level crossing in Leicestershire are to be upgraded. The
09/11/2015
A slip road from the A556 onto the westbound M56 in Cheshire is to remain closed until early December, Highways England has announced. This is due to the roads agency bringing forward planned construction work and cancelling a second closure in February. The road was closed at the end of September
09/11/2015
A pharmaceutical company has been fined after a worker was electrocuted while carrying out refurbishment work at a pharmacy in central Lodnon. At Southwark Crown Court, Medpharma Ltd was fined £60,000 with £40,000 in costs after being found guilty at an earlier trial to breaching the Construction (
06/11/2015
Construction has been suspended on a £100m energy-from-waste (EfW) plant on Teesside, it has been announced. Developer Air Products is building two advanced EfW plants in a £300m scheme at North Tees Chemical Complex in Billingham. However, work has been halted on the second plant 18 months into c
06/11/2015
Work is underway on a new £36 million roastery facility for Costa Coffee in Essex, it has been announced. VolkerFitzpatrick is developing the 85,000 sq ft project at the Prologis Park Basildon. Works include the construction of a single storey production unit to house Costa's coffee bean roasting
06/11/2015
Morgan Sindall has won a contract to develop a £9.7 million care home in Enfield. Work is already underway to build the new facility for the council on Old Road. The Enfield Care Home project includes 70 bedrooms, 17 community rooms, a landscaped garden, hairdressing salon and a modern kitchen. T
06/11/2015
British Land has appointed Roger Madelin to lead a 46 acre mixed-use development in southeast London. He will join the company in February 2016 and also gains a seat on the developers executive committee. Previously, Mr Madelin was with rival developer Argent, joining in 1987 and acting as Chief E
06/11/2015
More recognised qualifications are the key to tackling the skills gap in construction, according to a new study. A report from the Construction Products Association (CPA) has revealed thousands of training programmes ran by manufacturers and construction product distributors are mostly informal 'on
06/11/2015
A self-employed plumber has been fined after a boiler was left with numerous faults and in a dangerous state at a property in Exeter. The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted Michael Dunn, of Luscombe Crescent, Paignton, who pleaded guilty to two breaches of gas safety regulations. He was fined
06/11/2015
Workspace has received planning permission to redevelop a business centre in Hoxton. The existing 41,000 sq ft Cremer Business Centre is to be replaced by a new six floor business centre with 57,000 sq ft of space to let. The project is expected to cost £21m. The new centre will be alongside Hoxt
06/11/2015
Dutch company Van Oord has secured a contract to transport and install the 87 foundations for an offshore wind farm in the UK. The contractor reached an agreement with DONG Energy of Denmark for the works at Walney Extension offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea. The wind farm, which consists of 40
05/11/2015
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has approved a planning strategy which is to deliver over 25,500 new homes in the west of the city. In addition, up to 65,000 jobs are to be created at Old Oak and Park Royal. Old Oak is set to become a new hub for High Speed 2 and Crossraill Station by 2026, hand
05/11/2015
Almost 300 jobs are to be axed at JCB, it has been announced. In September, the digger manufacturer revealed 400 jobs would have to go across the UK due to a slowdown in the world market. The firm has begun discussions with GMB union over the proposed redundancies. The company has eight factories
05/11/2015
Procurement agency Fusion21 has announced the list of the 44 contractors appointed to its Whole House Framework. Over £100m worth of work will be awarded over the next four years, which adopts a 'whole house approach' to planned maintenance. In total, 11 lots are offered, from Whole House, Windows
05/11/2015
Over £100m of new buildings have been delivered by BAM Construction in the East Midlands, it has been announced. The developments were all completed inside the last three years. Eight new buildings were handed over in October 2012 when BAM completed the sustainable Orchard Hotel for the University
05/11/2015
Network Rail is to upgrade a railway bridge in Cambridgeshire as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan. The bridge over Ermine Street in Huntingdon carries the East Coast Main Line through the town. The structure is to undergo strengthening work, minor repairs and receive a special protective coating t
05/11/2015
A West Midlands-based builder has been fined after ignoring enforcement notices from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Meadowdale Homes, from Oak farm, Firebrick Works, Oak Lane, Kingswinford admitted two breaches of Section 33(1)(g) and one breach of Regulation 4 (1) of Work at Height Regulat
05/11/2015
Improvement work on the A14 and M11 in Cambridgeshire is to begin this month, Highways England has announced. The four phase £6.3m scheme was announced last month and is to start on Monday, 16 November. The first phase of the project will focus on embankment and bridge works on the A14/A1307 both
05/11/2015
22 Hanover Square, the transformation of a 1920's office block into a mixed-use apartment and hotel scheme in Mayfair, has secured planning consent. Led by Roger Stirk Harbour and Partners (RSHP), 22 Hanover Square will comprise 41 flats, a 51-bedroom five star hotel, a restaurant and a luxury spa
04/11/2015
Speller Metcalfe has been selected as the main contractor on a £20m shopping centre redevelopment project in Worcestershire. Salmon Harvester Opportunity Fund (SHOF) appointed the firm to transform the Cathedral Shopping Centre in Worcester. The project includes redeveloping the southern end of th
04/11/2015
Britcon has won a £800,000 contract to refurbish a listed building for the University of Huddersfield. The Grade II Sir John Ramsden Court building is to be redeveloped into 6,785sq ft of office accommodation from 12 existing residential flats. The project is part of an overall redevelopment of th
04/11/2015
Plans for a £100m mixed-use scheme in Newcastle have been approved by the city council, it has been announced. McAleer & Rushe's proposals for the Newgate Street area include a 270-bed hotel, student housing and 2,000 sq m of commercial space. The developer also announced that the 575-bedroom stud
04/11/2015
Construction activity is still continuing to rise, according to the latest statistics. The latest Market/CIPS UK Construction PMI survey reveals the industry experienced its fastest rise in new work for 12 months. Commercial building was the main driver of growth as it saw a faster increase than i
04/11/2015
Crane hire company Ainscough has been told to revise its pay offer after union members rejected a 'pitiful' two-year pay deal. Over 500 crane operators employed by the company rejected the 1.5% and 1.75% two-year deal. Last ditch talks are now due to take place tomorrow, 05 November to avoid furth
04/11/2015
Work is continuing on a £73 million project in Manchester, BAM Construction has announced. The first of three tower cranes has been erected to build the No1 Spinningfields building for developer Allied London. The 117 metre tall crane will remain in place for 63 weeks, helping to develop the 24-st
04/11/2015
A planning application has been submitted by Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) to ensure the future of its radioactive waste disposal site in West Cumbria. If successful, the application will secure the site near Drigg until 2050. The submission follows new that LLWR has been granted a revised per
04/11/2015
Three companies who were developing residential apartments in Essex have been fined after a large scaffold collapsed and narrowly missed injuring workers. Parkland Developments of Witham Road, Black Notley pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 22(1)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) R
03/11/2015
An agreement has been reached on the public funding contribution from Transport for London (TfL) towards the construction of a bridge over the River Thames. The deal, between Lambeth Council and the Garden Bridge Trust, limits TfL's construction contribution of the Garden Bridge to £10m rather than
03/11/2015
Delivery company UPS has announced plans to build a new package sorting and delivery facility at a logistics site in London. The £120m facility will be developed at the DP World London Gateway site in Thurrock, Essex. The development will act as a UK hub and distribution centre, able to process ap
03/11/2015
Graham Construction has been selected to undertake work on a £18m primary school expansion project in London. The firm will carry out the second stage of works to expand Kingsgate Primary school in West Hampstead. The project includes the construction of a new two-storey building for students aged
03/11/2015
Two firms have been fined after a worker was killed on a construction site in London. 777 Environmental admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. and was fined £90,000. 777 Demolition and Haulage Co. of Beddington Lane, Croydon, Surrey denied the safety breach
03/11/2015
Construction firm Sir Robert McAlpine has promoted Tony Aikenhead to Chief Executive of the company. In addition, he will act a leader of the businesses Construction Board. Mr Aikenhead is the company's first Chief Executive and is the first non-family member to be appointed in a leading position
03/11/2015
Highways England has announced a contractor for a £3m road improvement project in Essex and Suffolk. Tarmac will carry out a package of works on the A12 and A14 through Marylands interchange, Copdock Mill and Seven Hills interchange. Works include resurfacing, replacing and installing new signs, r
02/11/2015
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has revealed new neighbourhood planning powers are increasing plans for housebuilding by over 10%. The plans allow people to decide the future development of their area, including where new homes and businesses should be built, what they should look like and if local
02/11/2015
Construction workers in the engineering sector have agreed a 6% pay deal over three years between 2016-2018. The deal was brokered under the National Agreement of the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI). It covers 8,600 engineering construction workers and applies to major engineering constr
02/11/2015
The UK Government has published new procurement guidelines for departments to apply on major projects in a bid to support UK steel suppliers. The 'Procurement Policy Note: Procuring steel in major projects' aim to help suppliers compete on a 'level playing field' with international suppliers for go
02/11/2015
Both domestic and export orders dropped in the three months to October as output among small and medium-sized (SME) manufacturers fell, according to the new data. The latest CBI SME Trends Survey of 434 smaller firms reported that output growth fell at the fastest pace since January 2013. Domestic
02/11/2015
The Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has progressed to the final assessment stage of Hitachi-GE's UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) design. The UK ABWR is planned for deployment by Horizon Nuclear Power at two sites: Wylfa Newydd on the Isle of Anglesey, and Oldbury-on-Severn in South Glou
02/11/2015
Social housing contractor Lakehouse has acquired Aaron Heating Services for £6.7 million. Aaron is a heating services/installations company, providing services primarily for Housing Associations and Council's in East Anglia and the surrounding regions. Founded in 1985 and based in Ipswich, the fir
02/11/2015
A self-employed roofer has been fined after a man fell from the roof of a house and suffered serious injuries. Adam Menzies, 43, of Falkirk Road, Larbert, Falkirk, pleaded not guilty to health and safety offences. After a trial, he was found guilty at Falkirk Sheriff Court. He was fined £8,000. T
02/11/2015
Consulting engineer WYG has purchased North Associates (Cumbria), along with is subsidiary Taylor & Hardy, for £5m. WYG stated the acquisition will allow the company to expand its Asset Management and Planning offering across Cumbria and Northern England, including Scotland. North Associates is a
