Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for July 2015
31/07/2015
Clugston Construction has started working on a £10 million modern events hall at the Great Yorkshire Show Ground in Harrogate. The firm is underway with the demolition of existing exhibition buildings to make way for a new hall. The facility, designed by P+HS Architects, will provide 4,320m2 of op
31/07/2015
Balfour Beatty in a joint venture (JV) with NG Bailey has been appointed as preferred bidder for the £460 million Hinkley Point C power station electrical package. The JV will work across both proposed Hinkley Point C units for EDF Energy in Somerset. It will deliver the critical infrastructure th
31/07/2015
Energy firm Total UK has been fined £1.4 million with over £34,000 in costs after a worker was killed by a fire at an oil refinery in North Lincolnshire. Robert Greenacre, 24, from Grimsby, was working near a crude oil distillation unit just before the fire broke out at the Lindsey Oil Refinery (TL
31/07/2015
Taylor Wimpey has successfully handed over a new community centre to South Oxfordshire District Council. The £350,000 development is located in Great Western Park, Didcot. The council contributed £140,000 towards the project. Mary Beck, Project Manager for Taylor Wimpey Oxfordshire, said: "Commun
31/07/2015
Three restaurants have agreed to be part of intu Watford's £100 million Charter Place redevelopment extension scheme. The plans are in line with intu's £1.3 billion UK development pipeline. The scheme will see the redeveloped Charter Place Shopping Centre shopping centre integrated with the existi
31/07/2015
The number of new homes registered with the National House Building Council (NHBC) has increased from the previous year, according to new figures. In total, 41,268 new homes (30,462 private sector, 10,806 public sector) were registered during second quarter of this year, compared to 36,986 (27,388
31/07/2015
Finally! After a year of searching we have selected our new premises for our offices and are now officially announcing our plans to move. Currently our offices are based in Leigh, Lancashire and after much discussion the decision has been made to move to Leyland, Lancashire. Our new premises are mu
30/07/2015
Amey has been awarded a £113 million contract to deliver waste water services across the whole of Yorkshire Water's region. The company will repair and maintain approximately 20,000 miles of sewer pipe which transports waste water from nearly two million homes to over 600 waste water treatment work
30/07/2015
E.ON has announced demolition works are scheduled to take place at a power station in Kent. Three 55 metre high boiler houses and accompanying boilers will be levelled at Grain Power Station. The boiler houses contain three of the five oil-fired boilers that were once integral to generating electr
30/07/2015
Wates Group has announced plans to expand into new markets across North East England. This includes new-build development and property maintenance for social landlords across Durham and Newcastle. Wates will build on the presence of its Living Space business by targeting new sectors in regions suc
30/07/2015
Planning permission has been granted to develop the UK's tallest sculpture into a tunnel slide. The world's tallest and longest tunnel slide will be built from the top of ArcelorMittal Orbit on the Olympic Park in East London. A planning application was submitted on 28 July to create the attractio
30/07/2015
Work is underway on a £13.9 million redevelopment of a seven-storey office building in Reading. Boultbee Brooks Real Estate's (BBRE) has appointed Graham Construction to deliver 93,000 sq ft net internal area (NIA) of Grade A office space at the former King's House building. A key feature of the p
30/07/2015
An unregistered gas engineer has been fined £2,000 with £1,196 costs after carrying out unlawful work on a boiler in Colchester. Derek John Ringe, 64, serviced and repaired a domestic boiler at a property while not being recorded on the Gas Safe Register on two separate occasions in July 2013 and J
30/07/2015
British Gas owner Centrica has announced it is to cut 6,000 jobs by 2020. The announcement comes as the group reports a doubling of profits at the British Gas business in the first six months of 2015. In its annual Interim Results report, the company said half the jobs lost would be through redund
30/07/2015
U.K based hardware company Loxta are looking for hardware shops and distributors to become part of its distribution network. More and more businesses are looking for reliable suppliers in the door handle and lock industry, and now, thanks to Loxta Hardware, business owners will be able to provide a
30/07/2015
Its official! DCM Surfaces have joined forces after owners purchased well known tarmacadam company, H Compsty & Sons Ltd. With everything official the decision has been made to rebrand the company to give it a fresh appeal and a new lease of life. H Compsty & Sons Ltd has now been rebranded and the
29/07/2015
Canary Wharf Group has been given the green light for a residential tower at the estate's new phase, formerly known as Wood Wharf. The 57-storey building will comprise 486 apartments, ranging from studios to large three bedroom family units. It will be situated at a waterfront location of the edge
29/07/2015
A waste company has been ordered to pay £10,000 with £9,000 in costs after pleading guilty to operating an illegal waste transfer station. Feely Skip & Grab Hire of Worcester Park, Surrey, was charged after an Environment Agency (EA) investigation discovered the facility was operating without an en
29/07/2015
Development is underway on Phase 1 of the £28 million Perry Barr and Witton Flood Risk Management Scheme in Birmingham. The initiative aims to reduce the flood risk to over 1,400 properties, including 950 homes. The first phase of development involves rebuilding existing flood walls along Brookval
29/07/2015
New home planning permissions have passed the 200,000 mark for the first time since early 2008, according to the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and Glenigan. Permissions for the first quarter of 2015 increased by 19% compared to last year. Construction analyst Glenigan's latest Housing Pipeline re
29/07/2015
Galliford Try has reached financial close with the Education Funding Agency (EFA) for the £48.5 million batch of North and North East Lincolnshire priority schools. As part of the Priority School Building Programme, the batch includes two new secondary schools, The Vale Academy and Baysgarth School
29/07/2015
Altrad NSG has secured contract renewals worth £16.5 million with two UK chemical firms. The scaffolding and industrials specialist has renewed its contracts with INOVYN ChlorYinyls and Tata Chemicals. Altrad will provide access solutions, repair and maintenance services across several sites in th
29/07/2015
Miller Homes has announced it is to build a new multi-million pound primary school in Derbyshire. The house-builder will now begin developing the £2.2 million school in Brailsford. Features of the new school include four classrooms and specialist teaching facilities, including an IT suite, large m
29/07/2015
FH Brundle has introduced its new Price Buster 11 Builders version. This Catalogue is specifically designed to suit the requirements of builders across the UK. FH Brundle's 'Price Buster 11' is packed full of glass clamps, fencing systems and some of its best sellers from Pro-Railing, PanelGrip a
28/07/2015
Groundworks on the £35 million Aerospace Integration Research Centre (AIRC) designed by CPMG are underway at Cranfield University. The three-storey building includes an open laboratory space with a 40 metre clear span. It is capable of housing large airframe integration projects, presentation and
28/07/2015
Deeley Construction has secured contracts worth over £6 million to develop research facilities at the University of Warwick. The company successfully bid for the work at Warwick Medical School and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), both part of the university. Work is already underway on the £2.8
28/07/2015
Birmingham-based Allen Construction Consultancy has helped develop affordable family eco homes for Ealing Council. Allen Construction was appointed by the council to oversee the whole process of surveying, designing, planning and building the scheme. The contractor was Sandwood Contruction. The £
28/07/2015
The ss Great Britain Trust has been awarded nearly £5 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for funding towards a new museum. Being Brunel: the national Brunel project, is set to open in easter 2017 and will be located on Bristol's waterfront. The new museum will feature galleries and interac
28/07/2015
Network Rail has announced it is on schedule to prepare a railway line for electrification in Bath. The £50 million six-week project began on 18 July and involves lowering 10km of track through Dundas Aqueduct, Box Tunnel, Middle Hill Tunnel and Sydney Gardens, along with the installation of 11 new
28/07/2015
University Technical College (UTC) Leeds has announced plans for the redevelopment of a Grade II listed building into a new college facility. The listed Braime Pressings factory on Hunslet Road will be rebuilt into a 5,200m² college with areas designated for heavy engineering, production lines and
28/07/2015
Simmons & Simmons (S&S) has expanded its construction practice by appointing Rob Horne as a partner in the firm's London office. Mr Horne joins the firm from Trowers & Hamlins and has over 20 years' experience in construction, engineering and infrastructure disputes. He will work closely with cons
28/07/2015
Arup has been appointed to undertake the outline design for Phase 1 of the MetroWest project in Bristol. The first phase marks the beginning of a £100 million investment in the area's rail infrastructure. Network Rail has contracted Arup to provide multi-disciplinary railway design services includ
27/07/2015
Carillion has completed the installation of a large 650 tonne roof truss over Liverpool FC's iconic Anfield Stadium. The operation, which began at 6am on 24 July, sees the redevelopment of Anfield reach a major milestone. The steel truss was raised onto two 28 metre high towers at either side of t
27/07/2015
Morgan Sindall has been appointed to deliver a £4.5 million expansion of a number of schools in Chelmsford. The Moulsham Infant and Junior School project is being delivered for Essex County Council and involves the expansion of the infant and junior schools. Together, the schools form the Moulsham
27/07/2015
Newhey Loft Conversions has been fined £40,000 with £20,000 in costs after one of its employees was killed while working on a loft conversion project. The Darwen firm was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Graham Readfern, a 56-year-old subcontracted employee from Bacup, was kille
27/07/2015
Wates Living Space has built a £4.3 million residential development in Hull. Working alongside the city council and social housing provider, Riverside, Wates has developed properties in Homethorpe, Orchard Park. Housing includes 16 one-bedroom flats and 36 two and three bedroom houses. A total of
27/07/2015
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has warned rising activity in the SME construction sector threatens to be 'undermined by the prevailing skills shortage'. The FMB stated this is despite the fact the building industry has been booming for more than two years. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of
27/07/2015
Cogress has launched a £2 million 'investment opportunity' for the development of five new apartments in London. The private equity platform is partnering with Fresh Lime Development to build the 7,265 sq ft of accommodation on Willesden Lane, NW6. The development will be located in the South side
27/07/2015
A planning application has been submitted for the multimillion pound upgrade and expansion of London Waterloo station. Network Rail and South West Trains are working to bring the platforms in the former Waterloo International Terminal back into use. The project will develop five new platforms for
27/07/2015
Tidal Lagoon Power has announced Mike Unsworth will join the company as Delivery Director for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project in August. He will support Andrew McNaughton in developing the world's first tidal lagoon power plant by leading the construction and commissioning activities of the pr
24/07/2015
Wates Construction has started a £15 million interior fit-out of the University of Birmingham and Rolls-Royce’s new High Temperature Research Centre (HTRC). The works mark a 'significant' milestone in the ongoing development of the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) campus on Antsy Park in Coven
24/07/2015
The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has approved development consent for two gas fired power stations in the UK. The Progress Power Station, located on the Eye Airfield Industrial Estate in mid-Suffolk, and the Hirwaun gas-fired power station, located on the Hirwaun Industrial Esta
24/07/2015
SPIE has announced the acquisition of Leven Energy Services. As a European leader in electrical, mechanical and HVAC engineering services, SPIE stated the move will expand its share of the UK Distribution and Transmission market. The company added the acquisition signifies its entry in the Gas, Wa
24/07/2015
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has been granted permission to develop two new apprenticeship standards by the Government. The bricklaying and plastering apprenticeships will form part of the Trailblazer programme. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: "We're determined that the n
24/07/2015
ECL Civil Engineering has invested in a fleet of 16 new JCB excavators in a deal worth over £1 million. Supplied by Watling JCB, the Bedfordshire-based company has ordered eight new 6.5 tonne JCB 65R-1 midi excavator models. The new fleet, including the JS290, JS220 and JS130 models, has been put
24/07/2015
Watt Power has secured planning consent from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to develop two gas-fired power projects worth £400 million. Development Consent Orders (DCOs) have been granted for the Hirwaun Power project near Aberdare in south Wales and the Progress Power project l
24/07/2015
Circle Housing has announced it is discussing the possibility of a merger with Affinity Sutton. The two housing associations (HA) are examining if the consolidation will enable them to develop more homes and 'provide greater investment in local communities.' If the merger goes ahead, it could pote
24/07/2015
A construction firm and glazing contractor have been sentenced after a worker fell to his death from a store front in Exeter. Philip Evans, from Penarth, South Glamorgan, was working for subcontractor London Fenestration Trades on the Sir Robert McAlpine job. The work involved undertaking repairs
24/07/2015
Skanska has reported a 'steady' performance for the first half of 2015. It is understood revenue from the firms UK construction business in the first six months of the year was £675 million. Operating income stood at £16.1 million, equating to an operating margin of 2.4%. Skanska UK's President a
23/07/2015
Burnley Football Club (FC) has been granted planning permission for a redevelopment of its Gawthorpe training complex. The club plans to develop a 73,000m2 area across the River Calder from the existing facility. Further proposals include building a dedicated new training centre bringing facilitie
23/07/2015
The Mouchel/Hyder joint venture (JV) has been awarded a £1.3 million contract to carry out feasibility studies for a Trans-Pennine Tunnel. The strategic research will take place alongside Highways England. The study is one of a number of studies which will help identify solutions to tackle congest
23/07/2015
Merthyr Developments has been fined £12,000 with over £1,400 in costs for safety failings during demolition works. Merthyr Magistrates Court heard how unsafe demolition was carried out on buildings at the former St. Tydfil’s Hospital site in Merthyr Tydfil in March 2015. The Health and Safety Exec
23/07/2015
BAM Facilities Management (FM) has won a £135,000 deal to supply services for South Wiltshire University Technical College (UTC) in Salisbury. The company will deliver cleaning, catering and grounds maintenance services for the UTC, which will open in September. BAM will also carry out mechanical
23/07/2015
Frese has been awarded a contract to deliver work for the Imperial College London on its Imperial West scheme. The project is a multimillion pound new campus which will co-locate researchers, businesses and entrepreneurs to the centre of London. Frese will supply energy efficient valves for two ne
23/07/2015
FTI Consulting has appointed Alastair Farr as Managing Director (MD) in the firm's Construction Solutions business. Mr Farr is a quantity surveyor with 29 years' experience in the engineerings and construction industries. He has extensive claims and dispute resolution experience across a wide vari
23/07/2015
Since 2008, when the Near Miss Hazard Alert (NMHA) scheme began at Stanton Bonna, accidents and incidents have reduced by over 90%. The NMHA initiative engages the whole workforce. It encourages the 150 employees to complete a NMHA card to inform the Health & Safety Department of a potential near
23/07/2015
A Norfolk‐based firm has received a business boost from retail entrepreneur Theo Paphitis. Last week, Glen Howard, owner of Carpet Tiles Next Day, tweeted Theo about Carpet Tiles Next Day during 'Small Business Sunday' (SBS), an initiative set up by Mr Paphitis that runs weekly. Theo re̴
22/07/2015
Highways England has appointed six joint venture (JV) companies to design and build ten 'Smart Motorways' across England. The project involves a £1.5 billion investment with three of the schemes to begin in autumn this year. The smart motorway initiative is part of the current £15 billion governme
22/07/2015
Vicaima Group has announced a multimillion-pound investment and expansion of its British operation. The Swindon based business will see its currently leased seven acre site purchased outright, with plans to refurbish and develop the facility for future growth. The investment follows a sustained pe
22/07/2015
Interserve has been awarded a £35 million contract to design and build a new clinical facility in Birmingham. Birmingham Children's Hospital has appointed Interserve to deliver the Steelhouse Lane facility. The development will provide new and improved patient facilities for cancer, haematology an
22/07/2015
Wandsworth Council has revealed plans for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the River Thames. The proposals for a bridge between Pimlico and Nine Elms were unveiled as part of a design competition on 21 July. A £26 million contribution for construction has already been identified from the d
22/07/2015
KPMG has announced the acquisition of High-Point Rendel (HPR). The international project consultancy company provides specialist delivery, commercial, contractual, programme and risk management services for large scale global infrastructure projects. A total of 35 staff from HPR will mostly join K
22/07/2015
Over 200 businesses from across the construction, property and renewable energy industries have written an open letter to the Chancellor. Senior leaders from 246 organisations have urged George Osborne to reconsider the Government's U-turn over the long-established zero carbon homes policy. In his
22/07/2015
Shepherd has reached a preliminary agreement for the sale of two of its Built Environment businesses to Wates Group. Shepherd Engineering Services and Shepherd FM will both be acquired by Wates in addition to a significant amount of contracts and frameworks. David Williams, Chair of Shepherd, said
22/07/2015
Kingspan Insulated Panels has launched IPN-QuadCore, a new insulated panel core that delivers the best thermal, fire and environmental performance of any closed-cell material. Invented with a bespoke technology process that creates a unique microcell structure, IPN-QuadCore is set to bring about a
21/07/2015
Financial close has been reached by Wates Construction and the Education Funding Agency (EFA) on the £22.8 million Little Ilford School in Newham. The school is the first in the Barking, Dagenham and Newham batch of the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP). The development, designed by CPMG,
21/07/2015
Balfour Beatty has started developing a new £38 million road scheme in Central Bedfordshire. The project involves diverting the Houghton Brook via two bridges and a culvert. Other features include a sheet piled retaining wall, noise barriers and drainage works along with facilities for cyclists an
21/07/2015
Trust Property Management (TPM) has been contracted to provide services for two developments to be located in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The company will act as managing agent for Windsor Court, a residential 24-flat building and Kensington House, a residential 22-flat building, both in the Co
21/07/2015
Osbourne has completed renovation work of the Victory Arch at Waterloo Train Station. The project included the replacement of four cracked stones on two of the columns, which is the only listed part of the station. Scaffolding was erected in place and lifting equipment was used to remove the stone
21/07/2015
Birmingham City Council is set to adopt the Birmingham Curzon HS2 plan at its cabinet meeting on the 27 July. The plan, which was launched for public consultation in 2014, sets out proposals for a 'world class' integrated city centre terminus station, Birmingham Curzon. Major regeneration will als
21/07/2015
Islington Council is discussing new rules to make it harder for developers to 'game' the planning system and avoid building affordable homes. Viability assessments are used to work out how much affordable housing developers can afford to build as part of new developments. However, since Government
21/07/2015
UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) and Equitix have announced a £14.6m investment to help develop a £30m green energy facility in Sheffield. The Equitix managed fund Energy Savings Investments (ESI), in which GIB is a cornerstone investor, is investing in the project. An additional £15m of private cap
21/07/2015
Stroma Certification and Greenworks have confirmed their programme of seminars for the forthcoming Heating & Renewables Roadshows in September. As official knowledge partners for the roadshows, Stroma and Greenworks have designed a diverse seminar schedule including new build, installer certificat
20/07/2015
A new £5 million community hospital has opened in Oxfordshire. The Bicester Community Hospital was officially opened at a special commemorative ceremony. The 'boutique' hospital, designed by architects IBI Group, comprises of 12 beds, diagnostic facilities, first aid unit, out-of-hours services, t
20/07/2015
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced creation of the Crossrail 2 Growth Commission to promote potential opportunities across the £20 billion project. Business leaders back the scheme and in an open letter to the Times newspaper, called on the Government to use the Comprehensive Spendin
20/07/2015
Construction union UCATT has announced its support for Andy Burnham for Labour Leader and Angela Eagle for Deputy Leader. The union has agreed to nominate both candidates. The decision was made by UCATT's Executive Council following interviews with all the candidates. The union are asking its mem
20/07/2015
Costa Coffee has announced it is to develop a new £36 million roastery to 'support its national and international growth ambitions'. The development will be located on Christopher Martin Road in Basildon and the site is a former Visteon automative plant. The new facility will work in conjunction w
20/07/2015
Gilbert-Ash has created 40 new jobs due to series of substantial contract wins across the UK. The awards include a £13 million project to extend and refurbish the National Army Museum and a £20 million refurbishment of the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London. The contract
20/07/2015
Network Rail has announced upgrade works are due to start this weekend on a stretch of railway between Clitheroe and Manchester. The improvements include an additional track installed for one mile either side of Darwen station, providing capacity for a more efficient service. Due to the upgrade wo
20/07/2015
BDP and Rural Office for Architecture (ROA) have been appointed to design the Canolfan S4C Yr Egin building for the University of Wales. The development, to be located on the Carmarthen campus, will be the headquarters for Welsh broadcaster S4C. It will also be home to a range of creative industri
20/07/2015
Hampshire County Council has secured grant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a conservation project at Royal Victoria Country Park. The £1.68 million grant aims to conserve a Grade II listed chapel, which is all that remains of the former Netley Military Hospital. The project will a
17/07/2015
VolkerFitzpatrick has been appointed by Siemens to build its wind turbine blade factory in Hull. The company stated VolkerFitzpatrick's bid was the most 'competitive and robust' for development of the 40,000 sq m facility. Siemens is investing £310 million in the Hull project along with partner As
17/07/2015
Demolition works have taken place at the Low Level Waste (LLW) Repository in Cumbria. Magazine 4's Retrieval Facility (MRF) has been safely levelled, setting the template for the future demolition of such facilities on site. MRF's are purpose built engineered facilities, developed to allow the ret
17/07/2015
Keltbray Group has announced a 50% increase in turnover for the financial year ending 31 October 2014. The increase, from £144.7 million to £219.9 million, is the company's best performance in its 39 year history. Gross profit increased by 40% from £26.9 million to £37.6 million, while operating p
17/07/2015
Over 4000 metres of Riva pipe boxing has been used by Salix Homes during an extensive redevelopment programme in Salford. The piping, from Encasement, was utilised by the social housing provider during a refurbishment and upgrading programme at two 16-storey tower blocks in Salford. The 182 flats
17/07/2015
Three new senior appointments have been made at Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK. Hefin Lloyd-Davies has been appointed regional manager for north Wales and the north west of England. He will be responsible for the management and performance of all projects within his region. Both Garod Evans and
17/07/2015
The first half of 2015 experienced a 'big shed' development boom which is still continuing, according to recent research. The data published today 17 July by BNP Paribas Real Estate states an undersupply in the logistics market sparked the upturn. The Big Shed report reveals that design and build
17/07/2015
Work on a new retail destination in Oxford is officially underway. The £440 million Westgate retail development is a joint venture between Land Securities and The Crown Estate. Building work is already underway and will play host to a number of major retailers, with Michal Kors, H&M, Schuh, Next,
17/07/2015
Joint venture (JV) partners Grosvenor and The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) have submitted proposals for a new 190-room hotel in London. The JV submitted the plans to Westminster City Council for the development, which is to be known as The Peninsula London at 1-5 Grosvenor Place, Belgravia in
16/07/2015
A recent report has revealed over £400 million was invested in independent renewable energy generation projects last year. Independent generation saw investment of over £1.1 million every day. The 2015 Energy Entrepreneurs Report, compiled by SmartestEnergy, reveals the total invested in the secto
16/07/2015
Esh Group has announced a strong set of results in turnover for 2014. In total, turnover was £277 million, a 43% increase from the previous year and an improved Profit before Tax (PBT) of £9.5 million against £2.3 million in 2013. The figures were presented at an annual shareholder meeting at Durh
16/07/2015
Turner and Townsend (T&T) has joined with consulting engineers Ramboll to survey and assess the earthquake damage in Nepal. Four teams of structural engineers and surveyors have been deployed across Nepal to assess the damage at nine hospitals hit by the twin earthquakes of April and May 2015. The
16/07/2015
Roofing firm Watershed and its Director have been prosecuted after a worker fell to his death. Barry Tyson, 52, suffered fatal head injuries as a result of the fall whilst he was working to refurbish the flat roof of Aspin Park School in Knaresborough. Watershed Roofing and one of its Directors, S
16/07/2015
CNM Estates has appointed Ardmore to design and build a £90 million mixed-use project in South London. The development will provide 332 new residential units with 40,000 sq ft of office and retail space along with a 139-bedroom hotel. Work has already begun demolishing the existing Sutton Point To
16/07/2015
A recent study has revealed over two thirds of British owners have suffered a costly accident due to a failure regarding a DIY project. The average cost of DIY accidents total up to £1,830 per year, with the most common accidents emerging as a result of 'breaking something with a hammer' and 'not f
16/07/2015
Recent research from Barbour ABI has revealed just 32% of planned projects from the 'big four' supermarkets across the UK have been completed. The latest data from the construction research firm shows there were 556 applications submitted for the development of new stores by the 'big four' since Ja
16/07/2015
Building and civil engineering contractor Britcon has completed a £2.6 million contract to deliver a new state of the art In-Vessel Composting (IVC) facility near Hull in East Yorkshire. Britcon has successfully managed the design and build, acting as principal contractor for the entire £4.5 millio
15/07/2015
Newbury Racecourse has submitted planning proposals for a racecourse redevelopment which forms part of the ongoing development project. The proposed infrastructure enhancement's are estimated to have a total cost of approximately £20 million. Features in the phase one of works include: • A new we
15/07/2015
Turner and Townsend (T&T) has appointed its new Managing Director (MD) for Infrastructure in the UK. Patricia Moore will take over from Murray Rowden, who will assume the role of Global Managing Director Infrastructure, having led the UK division for four years. Ms Moore, who was previously Head o
15/07/2015
Interserve has began carrying out specialist repair work to Sandhurst's Grade 2 listed Royal Military Academy. The £18 million renovation project for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is due to be completed in May 2016. The contract was awarded to PriDE, a joint venture between Interse
15/07/2015
Lovell has been appointed by Cross Keys Homes to build a £9.1 million extra care housing development in Peterborough. The Lapwing Court scheme will create 54 two-bedroom apartments for over-55's on land to the north of Matley Primary School. Development work is underway on the project, designed by
15/07/2015
Northcot Brick has been fined £18,500 with costs of £7,500 after one of its employees was seriously injured. The incident on 27 February 2014 occurred at the brick manufacturer's site at Station Road, Blockley in Gloucester. Stroud Magistrates' Court heard that a 45-year-old worker sustained serio
15/07/2015
The UK nuclear new-build developer NuGen has signed a land contract for Moorside in Cumbria to develop three nuclear reactors. The deal was signed with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) following the successful completion of site studies by NuGen, which validated the north and west of the
15/07/2015
The National Grid has announced contracts totalling €1.5 billion have been awarded to build the world's longest electricity interconnector. The NSN link project is a joint venture between National Grid and Statnett SF. It will be the first electricity link between the UK and Norway. The contract w
15/07/2015
Skanska has been given funding worth over £700,000 to develop the use of robots for on-site and off-site construction. The funding was granted by the UK's innovation agency, Innovate UK, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), as part of its collaborative R&D programme.
15/07/2015
Casella has launched Apex2, a range of next generation personal sampling pumps that provides accurate and reliable monitoring of exposure to dust in a variety of industrial workplaces. These advanced pumps are ergonomically designed to ensure better wearer acceptance, whilst providing exceptional
15/07/2015
Mitchells Scaffolding has won the Health and Safety Award at the 2015 North West Regional Construction Awards ceremony. The company had been commended for the award on three previous occasions. A small company among a number of large organisations, Mitchells Scaffolding knew receiving the award wo
14/07/2015
A topping out ceremony has been staged to mark the progress of the £44 million Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC). The new building is the second phase of Cardiff University's Science and Innovation Campus at Maindy Road. The first was the Hadyn Ellis Building (HEB), with bo
14/07/2015
A new visitor and development centre has opened to the public at EDF Energy's West Burton B gas power station in Nottinghamshire. The facility will allow visitors to see how electricity is produced first hand and also includes new training facilities for the power station. The centre is located ne
14/07/2015
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has joined a global coalition to create the International Construction Measurement Standards (ICMS) coalition. Over 30 professional bodies from across the globe are taking part in the initiative, representing a landmark moment for construction. The scheme
14/07/2015
The Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES) has appointed Paul McLaughlin to the post of chief executive. Mr McLaughlin has spent most of his career in the food and drink industry, beginning his career with international food group Mars. He eventually rose to become the manufacturing ma
14/07/2015
Willmott Dixon has been appointed to deliver a new £25 million high school in Cardiff. The new Eastern High School will be located on land formerly used by Cardiff and Vale College's Trowbridge campus. The new school and college for 11 to 18-year-olds is being jointly funded by the City of Cardiff
14/07/2015
Lakehouse has announced the acquisition of energy services firm Orchard (Holdings) UK for an initial £7 million. A further £3 million will be paid depending on Orchard's financial performance over the next two years. The energy broker provides advice to corporate clients in relation to managing th
14/07/2015
Thames Water has selected its preferred bidder to deliver the £4.2 billion 'super sewer' Thames Tideway Tunnel. The special purpose company Bazalgette Tunnel is in line to own, finance and deliver the project in the position of Infrastructure Provider. The company is made up of a consortium of inv
14/07/2015
According to this years CBI/Pearson Education and Skills survey, the demand for higher-level skills in British industry is set to grow. Sectors central to future growth, including manufacturing and construction, will be particularly 'hard-pressed'. The survey of 310 companies reveals: • Two in th
10/07/2015
Cruden Construction has been awarded a contract to develop new office headquarters for Asons Solicitors in Bolton. The £5 million four-storey scheme will be located in the All Saints district on Clarence Street, adjacent to the major intersection of St Peter's Way and Topp Way. Cruden will work wi
10/07/2015
Network Rail has announced work is underway on a £5 million project to link two quarries together. The quarries, near Horton in Ribblesdale will be linked with the Settle to Carlisle railway line. The move will help remove up to 16,000 lorry journeys from the local road network. The project is be
10/07/2015
Coventry City Council has selected a team to design the regions new £36.7 million city centre water park, swimming pool and leisure centre. FaulknerBrowns has been appointed to draw up plans for the development. The building will house a 25 metre swimming pool, a water park with slides, 120 statio
10/07/2015
Chancellor George Osbourne has announced developers will automatically be given permission to build on suitable disused land. The decision is part of a major reform to boost housebuilding. New powers would be made available to seize disused land, while major housing projects could be fast-tracked
10/07/2015
Titan Group has announced the appointment of a new national construction team. The team will be lead by Steve Willis, a former account director at Longcross Construction. Whilst at Longross, Mr Willis and his team were principally responsible for the company's expansion into new-build residential,
10/07/2015
Planning permission has been granted for a six storey development in Wimbledon. The site is located at a run-down car park at the junction of Milner Road and Morden Road. The residential project will comprise of fifteen apartments, three townhouses and a commercial unit at street level. The build
10/07/2015
Devon is an area of growth with approximately 80,000 new homes planned over the next 15-20 years. The East Devon new community of Cranbrook is situated to the east of Exeter city. Approximately one kilometre separates the new community from major new employment hubs comprising the strategic busine
10/07/2015
Oak View Tree Specialists has been fined £3,000 with costs of £1,500 after a skip loading dumper truck overturned and injured a worker. The victim, who was an employee of the company, was working at the rear of a house in Benfleet, Essex on 26 September 2014. The 19-year-old worker had only a few
09/07/2015
Football club Tottenham Hotspur has revealed designs and plans for a development project which includes a new stadium. The updated proposals for the Northumberland Development Project will be submitted to the London Borough of Haringey in the coming weeks. The new stadium will have an increased ca
09/07/2015
House price inflation reached an eleven month high in June, according to a recent residential market survey. The average stock of homes per surveyor fell to a record low since data series began in 1978. According to the latest Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) June Residential Market S
09/07/2015
The final stage of development for the new A556 link road from Knutsford to Bowdon in Cheshire is now underway. Work has began installing three of the routes eventual seven bridges. The £192 million Highways England project, which will bypass the existing A556 to provide an improved connection bet
09/07/2015
A bridge building machine is being assembled in Widnes marking a key development milestone for the Mersey Gateway Project. The equipment, known as a self-launching movable scaffolding systems (MSS), is being put together at Merseylink's Catalyst site. The machine will be used to build the elevated
09/07/2015
Chancellor George Osborne has announced the creation of a new national roads fund. The Vehicle Excise Duty will be used to pay for the upkeep of strategic highways in England. Revealing his Budget at Parliament yesterday 8 July, Mr Osbourne said that money raised through the duty would, by the end
09/07/2015
Network Rail is applying the 'finishing touches' to an upgrade project at Nottingham Station. Heritage terracotta comices will be replaced as the £60 million upgrade scheme is being completed. The mouldings in the porte-cochere of the Grade II listed building will be made by a specialist Dutch fir
09/07/2015
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has stated the Government is refusing to address a "major source" of carbon emissions. In response to the recent Budget announcement, the FMB has called on the Government to make existing homes a 'national infrastructure investment priority'. Brian Berry, Ch
09/07/2015
The executive board of Royal BAM Group has appointed James Wimpenny as executive director of BAM Construct UK. Mr Wimpenny will take up the position on 1 September. He has 29 years' service with the company and has been regional director of BAM Construction in the North East of England since 2006.
09/07/2015
A joint venture (JV) project between Costain and Laing O'Rourke has won an accolade at an awards ceremony in London. The Bond Street Station Upgrade (BSSU) scheme scooped a Silver Award at the Green Apple Environment Awards. The project, delivered on behalf of London Underground, was commended for
09/07/2015
Protec International has launched TecDura, a new temporary protection solution which not only protects any surface from all sorts of damage, but also contributes towards reducing slips and trips on construction sites. Around one thousand construction workers get fractured bones and dislocated join
08/07/2015
A new checklist has been released by the Solar Trade Association (STA) to give businesses the confidence to install solar technology on their roofs. UK commercial roofs account for only 5% of all solar deployment to date. However, as part of the DECC's 2014 Solar PV Strategy (2), the emphasis is n
08/07/2015
An excavator has been used to rescue a workman from a four metre hole on a construction site in Oxfordshire. The worker fell down the hole at the site on the Great Tew Estate, near Chipping Norton on 6 July, suffering breaks to his leg. Fire crews improvised a excavator to rescue him, tethering a
08/07/2015
Capita has acquired GL Hearn in a £30 million deal. GL Hearn provides commercially driven advice to land owners, developers, house builders, investors, retailers and the public sector. The agreement includes a cash consideration of £25 million on a cash free, debt free basis plus a deferred consid
08/07/2015
Highways England has announced work is scheduled to take place completing a major upgrade at junction 17 of the M6 in Cheshire. The scheme is designed to tackle congestion and boost safety. It has already improved the flow of traffic between the M6 and A534 with a new roundabout and traffic lights
08/07/2015
Galliford Try has announced it expects record full-year results for 2015. The company published a trading update on 8 July, with the group expecting to announce its results for the full year on 16 September. Construction has seen a growth in revenue profits, with a strong order book of £3.5 billio
08/07/2015
BAM Construction has been appointed to develop a village school that was previously badly damaged by flooding. The contractor will build Countess Gytha School on higher ground in Queen Camel next to a medical centre. The existing building next to the River Cam sustained significant damage in 2008.
08/07/2015
A builder has been fined after carrying out illegal gas work at a home in Suffolk. David Liptrott, from Stonham near Stowmarket, was hired to extend a kitchen and replace an LPG-fired boiler at a house in Charles Tye, Ringshall in August 2013. Mr Liptrott undertook the work even though he was not
08/07/2015
The Chief Executive of Hermes Real Estate has became the President of the British Property Foundation (BPF). It is understood Chris Taylor will succeed Legal & General's Bill Hughes. The BPF has also appointed Paul Brundage, Executive Vice President and Senior Managing Director - Europe at Oxford
08/07/2015
Mabey Bridge has announced the proposed closure of its Renewables division in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. The company said efforts to sell the business to potential buyers were 'exhaustive'. In a statement released on 7 July, Mabey Bridge said: "Following contact with over 50 companies from the UK an
08/07/2015
Renewable energy specialist Euro Energy Services has had it's most successful month ever, breaking over £1,000,000 turnover in June 2015. The company, which supplies and installs renewable energy technologies for domestic and commercial customers across England and Scotland, managed this outstandin
07/07/2015
Gilbert-Ash has created 40 new jobs following a series of contract wins. The deals include a £13 million contract to refurbish and extend the National Army Museum and a £20 million refurbishment of the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London. The recent success has seen Gilber
07/07/2015
The Government has announced plans to give small house builders a £100 million cash injection as it looks to improve housing delivery in the country. The Housing Growth Partnership will act as a dedicated initiative that will invest alongside smaller builders in new development. It will help provi
07/07/2015
ISG has won a £24 million office upgrade and extension contact for 'The Bower' at Stockley Park near Heathrow. The company will redevelop the existing three-storey property into one of the largest and highly-specified new office development in the Thames Valley region. The project involves major s
07/07/2015
The National Trust has announced it is to invest £30 million in renewable heating and power for more of its historic sites. The announcement on 6 July follows the successful completion of five renewable energy projects at National Trust properties, part of a £3.5 million pilot launched with Good En
07/07/2015
Bouygues UK has won two contracts with Nicholas James Group to deliver a new hotel-led mixed use development in Southampton. The project includes building a 85 bedroom spa hotel along with 12 apartments. The deal marks Bouygues fourth hotel contract it has announced in the space of the last six mo
07/07/2015
Toppesfield has continued its expansion in London by opening a new office. The new site will provide the company with a city hub to continue its development and enable it to 'enhance strategic relationships with clients based in the capital'. In the past two years, Toppesfield has increased its tu
07/07/2015
A major milestone in a development project for The University of Exeter has been marked with a topping out ceremony. The University and partners including contractor BAM Construction held an event to mark the development of the highest aspect of the new building at 40 metres. The new £52.5 million
07/07/2015
Propbook Engineering has been fined £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of over £1,000 after a workers arm became tangled in machinery at its site. Brendan Hayes, 32, broke bones in his left arm and both wrists after they were entangled in the prop shaft of a high-powered lathe he was polishing on 14
07/07/2015
Casella has launched a new ground-breaking, next generation noise dosimeter, enabling employee noise exposure monitoring and reporting in real time and without disruption to workers. dBadge 2 significantly enhances the productivity of onsite noise measurement and boosts confidence in collected dat
07/07/2015
In May Caroline Hicks, the head of enforcement at the DVSA, spoke to delegates at the Microlise transport conference, saying she wanted to 'completely transform' the way the DVSA carries out enforcement on both HGV's and LGV's. Hicks said: "As soon as you choose to be non-compliant the costs will i
06/07/2015
Mace has been appointed to deliver a £33 million scheme in London. The One Bedford Avenue project was awarded by Exemplar, who are working in partnership with AshbyCapital. The scheme is scheduled for completion in early 2017 and has been designed by architects Bennetts Associates. The project in
06/07/2015
BAM Construction has been awarded a £9.3m project to create a second University Technical College (UTC) in Sheffield. The firm will construct UTC 2 Sheffield on the Olympic Legacy Park, Don Valley, which will specialise in human sciences and computing. Work is expected to start on site in October,
06/07/2015
Graham Construction has began work to expand and refurbish the operating theatres and intensive care unit (ICU) at Monklands Hospital in Lanarkshire. The £19 million project will see the contractor develop a ten bed ICU next to the main building, which will be linked to the hospital's current opera
06/07/2015
ISG has won three regional leisure projects by Alliance Leisure worth a combined total of £10 million. The three contracts are located in Selby, Wigan and Prestatyn. The Selby Leisure Village project will see ISG develop a 13,000 sq ft steel frame building next to the Selby Leisure Centre, which r
06/07/2015
This year is being heralded as a year of international success for UK-based Instarmac, following its recent attendance at the PPRSummit in Paris, Pollutec in Algeria, Outdoor Design & Build Show in Dubai, Stone+tec in Germany, Traffex in the UK and Intertraffic Istanbul in Turkey. In April, Instarm
06/07/2015
Stainless UK have supplied 650m² of stainless steel reinforcing mesh and nearly 3000 stainless steel bars for use in repair works to the causeway and sea walls at historic St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall. St Michael’s Mount is a small tidal island off the Cornish coast that can only be accessed by a
03/07/2015
Workspace has been granted planning consent to redevelop an studio office site in London The company will redevelop the Holywell Centre building on Phipp Street, EC2A in Shoreditch. The existing structure, comprising 21,000 sq ft of studio office space valued at £9 million, will be replaced by a n
03/07/2015
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has stated the SME housebuilding sector could deliver more homes per year if it had better finance. The FMB suggests with better access to funds, the sector could deliver an additional 20,000 homes per year. This would therefore put a 'significant dent' in t
03/07/2015
Lendlease has been appointed as the preferred contractor to develop a £40 million office building next to East Croydon Station in London. Schroder UK Real Estate Fund (SREF) and Stanhope Plc has appointed the company to build the first of five developments at the partnerships £500 million businesse
03/07/2015
Euro Dismantling Solutions has been fined £80,000 after a worker lost his life during demolition works. Bristol Crown Court heard how work was taking place at the former Cadburys Somerdale factory near Bristol on 9 November 2011. James Stacey, 31, was operating a mini digger when he accidentally d
03/07/2015
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) has said that modular off-site building could be the key to solving the UK's 'broken' housing market. In its report, IMechE is calling on the government to provide more incentives for the off-site development of homes. The organisation recommends th
03/07/2015
A project to install structural steelwork reinforcing a Victorian arch has been completed. Britcon Engineering Services (BES) completed the scheme for the Dark Arches in Leeds. BES fabricated bespoke steel plate girders fixed to the underside of the existing Victorian arches to support the structu
03/07/2015
A topping out ceremony has been held for a development in West London after it reached significant milestone. Development Securities and Aberdeen Property Trust's 12 Hammersmith Grove office project has reached an elevation of 11 storeys. The topping out ceremony comes in the wake of data publishe
03/07/2015
Green Building Design (GBD) are implementing M&E design for a 28,000 sq. ft trading floor in one of London’s newest skyline additions, the Walkie Talkie building. Land Securities and Canary Wharf Contractors started building work on the new 37-floor skyscraper, located at 20 Fenchurch Street, in 20
02/07/2015
Graham Construction's North of England division has won three contracts worth over £13 million. The deals all fall within the higher education sector. The Salford-based Northern division has won new build and refurbishment contracts with the University of Manchester, University of York and Univers
02/07/2015
Hull City Council has approved plans for a new £36.2 million venue in the city. A procurement process will now begin, finding a partner to operate the facility alongside a contractor to build the development. The main auditorium will have the capacity to hold an audience of 3,500 people, while als
02/07/2015
The Solar Trade Association (STA) has warned a cut to the Feed-in Tariff will inordinately hurt large solar roofs and small solar farms. From 1 July, any new small solar farms built under the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) will receive 28% less for every unit of electricity they generate, from 6.16p/kWh to 4
02/07/2015
Recent industry data has revealed the construction sector output growth has experienced a strong rebound in June. The latest Markit/CIPS UK Construction PMI index jumped from 55.9 in May to 58.1 in June. Research proposes this is due to a sharp upturn in both commercial and civil engineering growt
02/07/2015
ISG has secured a fit out scheme for Zurich Insurance in London. The company will build a new London base for Switzerland's largest insurer at the 70 Mark lane development. The project involves the Cat B fit out of 70,000 sq ft of office space to enable the insurer to relocate staff from three exi
02/07/2015
Kier has sold its Fleet and Passenger Services (FPS) for £17.9 million. The service was offloaded to a management buy-out (MBO) funded by private equity investor Endless. FPS developed an efficient fleet management and funding model due to its extensive knowledge, experience and scale in the suppl
02/07/2015
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed 35 construction workers were killed between April 2014 and March 2015. The figure represents a rate of 1.62 deaths per 100,000 workers. However, this number has decreased from 44 fatalities recorded in 2013-2014, with an average of 45 deaths over
02/07/2015
Planning permission figures released by the Government does not equate to homes actually being built, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). However, the organisation stated the latest announcement reveals a 'welcome' increase in permissions being granted. The Department for Communi
01/07/2015
Clegg Construction has completed a new sports and community centre in Oakham, Rutland. Works on the £700,000 facility includes upgrading the existing steel framed building and developing a new sports hall along with changing rooms. The redevelopment also included providing new facilities for femal
01/07/2015
Highways England has announced a major road improvement programme for roads in the North East. The £600 million scheme will take place over the next five years, aiming to cut congestion and improve journey times for motorists. The government-owned company has a five year budget of over £11 billion
01/07/2015
Larkfleet Group has established two new subsidiaries to extend its operations across England. The groups South Western arm will develop primarily in Devon, Cornwall and parts of Somerset. Larkfleet Homes Suffolk and Norfolk will build properties in England's eastern counties, with an option for a
01/07/2015
Medway Council in partnership with Fort Amherst Heritage has secured funding for a heritage regeneration project. The scheme involves demolishing Riverside One which resides in the walls of the historical Barrier Ditch. The programme is possible via a £214,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund
01/07/2015
LondonMetric has exchanged contracts with CDP to purchase and forward fund the development of a new retail distribution centre. CDP, the build arm of Marshall Construction Group, will deliver the 524,000 sq ft warehouse in Wakefield for over £39 million. The 30 acre site is located near J.31 of th
01/07/2015
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has awarded a £31 million harbour dredging contract to Boskalis Westminster. Boskalis will dredge the approach channel of Portsmouth Harbour and the inner harbour area along with the berth pocket. The works are due to the new Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC
01/07/2015
Recent figures have shown the number of homes granted planning permission is now higher than before the 2008 economic crash. From the beginning of 2015 until March, councils across England granted permission for 261,000 new homes, the highest annual total for eight years. Housing Minister Brandon
01/07/2015
Sugar Construction has been fined £1,500 with costs of £1,543 after a worker was injured whilst using a Flip Over Saw. George Warren Heath, 19, was part of a team refurbishing a house on 7 July 2014. He was preparing wooden door stops to be installed onto door frames and the length of door stop wa
