Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for November 2016
30/11/2016
Up to 215,000 potential construction jobs could be 'missed out' on if the UK Government pursues a 'hard Brexit' strategy, according to new research. Industry consultant Arcadis has forecast a potential 'hard Brexit' stance could result in the number of EU construction workers entering the UK "fall
30/11/2016
Chinese firm Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG) has won an £85 million contract to build phase one of a new residential neighbourhood in Manchester. The contractor was selected by Scarborough International Properties to develop the first £150m stage of the 24.5-acre Middlewood Locks sche
30/11/2016
Demolition work has started work on a £39 million regeneration project in Liverpool. A number of vacant retail units are being levelled on Lime Street to make way for a major mixed-use development. ISG has been selected for the regeneration scheme, which will comprise five retail units at ground f
30/11/2016
The University of Bristol has revealed plans to build a new £300 million campus. The Temple Quarter Campus will reside in the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone, with plans in place for the facility to open by the 2021/2022 academic year. The development will be built near Bristol Temple Meads train s
30/11/2016
Carillion has selected McMullen Facades to help deliver a new 11-storey office building in London. The new S2 building in King's Cross is being developed by Argent for one of the world’s largest internet companies, Google. McMullen has now been awarded the facade package for the BREAAM 'Excellent'
30/11/2016
Keltbray Group has strengthened its Surrey-based sheet piling division by expanding its operations into Scotland. The business, which was launched in Esher 12 months ago, has now established a new base at the Keltbray Structures offices in Bathgate, West Lothian. The move is part of the Group's bu
30/11/2016
Allgood has delivered its Contego range of antimicrobial ironmongery at the new Francis Crick Institute research facility in London. Designed by architects HOK with PLP Architecture, the facility was opened this year and built by Laing O'Rourke, with support from engineers Arup and AKT II. At 170
30/11/2016
UK CCTV security specialist Alltrax has installed new ultra-high definition cameras at Leicester Cathedral. The new equipment was installed to protect the tomb of King Richard III, as well as Leicester Cathedral's property, against vandalism and theft. The cameras are covered through a 24/7 monito
29/11/2016
A new 300-metre skyscraper is set to be built at the Square Mile in London. The City of London Corporation has approved plans by Aroland Holdings to develop the 73-storey structure at 1 Undershaft, which would make it the second tallest building in Western Europe after the Shard. Overall, the buil
29/11/2016
A new £400 million contractor framework has been unveiled by NE Procurement. A total of 18 companies have secured a place on the four-year programme, including Mears Group, Keepmoat Regeneration, Mitie Property Services and Wates Living Space. The framework will cover three main areas of a social
29/11/2016
Plans have been revealed to build thousands of new 'affordable' homes in London. Mayor Sadiq Khan has set out proposals for a £3.15 billion housebuilding investment, generating around 90,000 'affordable' houses over the next five years. In addition, the Mayor has outlined new planning rules; Suppl
29/11/2016
The UK Government has set out details of its £1.3 billion investment in the country's road infrastructure projects The fund, which was unveiled in the Autumn Statement, includes £1.1bn for the local road network and £220 million to relieve congestion on the strategic road network. Announcing the d
29/11/2016
Willmott Dixon has announced a 48% rise in half year pre-tax profits compared to last year. With profit before tax and amortisation at £12m (2015: £8.1m), turnover at £598m and a secured/probably forward order book of £1.15 billion, the firm has also unveiled plans to restructure the company in 201
29/11/2016
The National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has reached a record level of membership since the organisation was formed in 1945. With a total membership of 229, two companies are currently in the site audit process and overall membership is expected to reach 230 by the year end. The news
29/11/2016
A real estate lettings company has been prosecuted after a builder was electrocuted during work at an address in Harrogate. IPH Investments Ltd of Orchard House, Haywra Street, Harrogate pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was fined £53,000 with £
29/11/2016
Work is underway on a £1.5 billion road upgrade project in Cambridgeshire. Contractors have started upgrading 21 miles of the A14 to three lanes and completion is scheduled for the end of 2020. In June last year, Highways England appointed the Atkins CH2M joint venture (JV) to design the multi-mil
28/11/2016
Skanska has won a £60 million contract to deliver a new healthcare research facility in London. The scheme forms the third phase of London's Great Ormond Street Hospital redevelopment. Work is due to begin in January next year. The new Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Diseases in Children will
28/11/2016
Tata Steel UK has announced plans to potentially sell its Speciality Steels business to Liberty House Group. The company has signed a Letter of Intent on the £100 million deal, which is subject to due diligence and corporate approvals. The document covers several South Yorkshire-based assets inclu
28/11/2016
Willmott Dixon has won a £46 million contract to build a new housing development in Bristol. The contractor will deliver 194 Private Rented Sector (PRS) homes at Finzels Reach. The units will be developed across two blocks and are expected to be finished in early 2019. The scheme is backed by Palm
28/11/2016
A £4.3 million school extension project has been completed four weeks ahead of schedule in Rutland. The new sixth form building was delivered for Harington School by BAM Construction. Features included building a new two-storey, steel-framed building to house 300 students in Catmose College campus
28/11/2016
European rental group Loxam has entered the fray concerning the potential takeover of Lavendon Group. In a statement today, 28 November, Loxam said it has made a "preliminary approach" to Lavendon regarding a possible cash offer. "Discussions with Lavendon are ongoing and there can be no certainty
28/11/2016
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has awarded over £800,000 towards 11 industry projects in England and Scotland. The funding will be used towards helping firms, training groups or trade associations develop their various schemes. The National Federation of Builders (NFB) was awarded
28/11/2016
A new concept design which uses recycled plastic waste to develop roads instead of asphalt will go on trial next year. The PlasticRoad scheme was first introduced in 2015 by KWS, a subsidiary of VolkerWessels. The company has now signed a cooperation agreement with Wavin and Total to develop the fi
28/11/2016
Work is continuing on a £120 million improvement project at Portsmouth Naval Base. The multi-million pound investment at HMNB Portsmouth is being made by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to support a fleet of new aircraft carriers. So far, 276 metres of jetty has been reinforced with over 3,300 tonne
28/11/2016
Gatwick Airport has expanded its senior team by making a number of new management appointments. Ray Melee has been selected as Chief Construction Officer and will help deliver Gatwick's £1.2 billion Capital Investment Programme. In addition, Chris Woodroofe has been appointed as Chief Operating Of
28/11/2016
Network Rail is to begin a major railway upgrade project this weekend in Avonmouth. Engineers will start carrying out renewal works to the track as well as resurfacing the Gloucester Road level crossing on Saturday, 03 December. Overall, the works aim to allow this section of track to operate at a
25/11/2016
Work is to begin on Sirius Minerals' £2.5 billion potash mine project near Whitby in North Yorkshire. The company's shareholders approved details of a £1bn funding deal yesterday, 24 November. Preparations will now begin with further geotechnical studies on site. Highways improvements are also sch
25/11/2016
Pennon Group has decided to invest £252 million to build a new energy recovery facility (ERF) near Bristol. Planning permission for the Avonmouth facility had already been secured by Viridor, which is owned by Pennon. The commitment means construction is now expected to get underway in 2020/21. On
25/11/2016
Willmott Dixon has begun work to deliver a new £1 million sport rehabilitation centre in Leicestershire. The contractor is building the Get Busy Living Centre near Melton Mowbray with a number of local partners, many of which are offering their services, materials, time and expertise for free. The
25/11/2016
A Labour MP has raised concerns over industrial relations surrounding the Crossrail project in London. MP for Jarrow, Stephen Hepburn, has stated there are a number of issues surrounding the infrastructure scheme, such as blacklisting, breaches of data protection, and physical intimidation by a lor
25/11/2016
A company has been fined after a worker fell during work to repair the roof of a barn. Allen and Hunt Construction Engineers Ltd of Thorpe, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to Sections 4(1), 7 and 9 (2) of the Working at Height regulations. It was fined a total of £267,000 with £7,750 in costs and a vict
25/11/2016
Housing starts are at their highest level in over eight years, according to new research. The latest house building figures revealed completions have increased by 7% compared with the same quarter last year. The report comes at a time when Chancellor Phillip Hammond announced a new £2.3 billion Ho
25/11/2016
A joint venture (JV) between Nottinghamshire County Council and Scape Group has appointed Daniel Maher as the consortium's new Managing Director. Mr Maher will oversee the Arc Partnership's £200 million delivery programme of built environment projects and services for Nottinghamshire County Council
25/11/2016
Leading diaphragm pumps and spares supplier, Triark Pumps, has launched a new website - www.tri-ark.com. Designed 'from the ground up', the new site has been configured to complement a number of its existing online resources, and provide customers with a 'one-stop shop' for all of their AODD pump r
24/11/2016
J Tomlinson has started building a new £4.3 million training centre for car maker Volvo in Northamptonshire. The 2,825 m2 hub will be located in Daventry and is set to open in summer 2017. The facility, which will replace the existing training centre, will feature remote video and web-based techno
24/11/2016
Leeds City Council has started the hunt for a contractor to deliver its £116 million East Leeds Orbital Road (ELOR) project. Tender documents for the development have been published and the deadline for interested companies is Wednesday, 21 December. The project will be broken down into three phas
24/11/2016
Morgan Sindall has been selected to carry out a multi-million pound expansion project at Crawley Hospital in West Sussex. The contractor will re-model and develop two essential clinical units at the Hospital, which are scheduled for completion by early 2017. The £5m re-model of the Urgent Care Cen
24/11/2016
Thomson Habitats has been selected to help deliver the £25 million Shoreham Adur Tidal Walls scheme (SATW) in Sussex. The company will work alongside contractors J T Mackley & Co to upgrade both banks of the River Adur, stretching over 7km between Shoreham Fort and the A27 in Sussex on the western
24/11/2016
Midlands-based systems provider Biosite has secured £4 million of funding from equity investor Mobeus. The investment will support the company's expansion plans to develop new site-management tools, which allow site managers to oversee all aspects of a construction project under their control. Fou
24/11/2016
Kier Construction has started work to bring two vacant sites back into use in Leeds. The contractor will deliver 49 new homes at Garnet Grove in Beeston and at Broadlea Street in Bramley. Plans are also to be considered for 22 additional homes on the site of the former Whinmoor pub in Swarcliffe.
24/11/2016
Highways England is to begin a £1 million flood alleviation project in Cumbria. Work to redevelop a section of the A590 at Lindal-in-Furness will begin on Friday, 25 November. The 'Lindal dip' is known to frequently flood during heavy rain. Last December, traffic lights had to be deployed several
24/11/2016
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has welcomed plans by Chancellor Philip Hammond to commit £2.3 billion for a Housing Infrastructure Fund. In his Autumn Statement, the Chancellor outlined plans to spend £1.4bn on building 40,000 affordable homes as well as investing £1.3bn to upgrade roads.
24/11/2016
A metal supply company has been prosecuted after a worker sustained serious injuries to his hand on a drilling machine. Amtek Aluminium Castings (Witham) Limited, of Freebournes Road, Witham, Essex, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined
24/11/2016
Network Rail is to showcase plans for a major upgrade project at Bristol Parkway station. The scheme, which is part of the company's £40 billion Railway Upgrade Plan, is set to start in late December. Key features of the work includes: • Stabilising the embankment next to the Filton Line • Insta
23/11/2016
Chancellor Phillip Hammond has revealed plans to invest £2.3 billion in housing infrastructure during his Autumn Statement today, 23 November. The funding, part of a new £23bn National Productivity Investment Fund, will be used to support construction of up to 100,000 new homes in areas "where they
23/11/2016
Galliford Try Partnerships has won a £44 million contract to deliver a new retirement village in Bedford. The regeneration business will build 230 mixed-tenure apartments for ExtraCare Charitable Trust at Wixams. Features include a range of communal facilities, including a village hall, library an
23/11/2016
Willmott Dixon has been selected to carry out a major extension project for the University of Manchester. The contractor was appointed through Scape Group's National Major Works framework to build a £8 million extension to the University's Schuster Building. Designed by architects Hawkins Brown, t
23/11/2016
Balfour Beatty has completed a bridge demolition scheme as part of a £174 million M3 improvement project in Surrey. The contractor levelled the Woodlands Lane Bridge between junctions 2 and 3 in Windlesham during the early hours of Saturday, 19 November. The structure will be rebuilt as part of th
23/11/2016
VolkerHighways has secured a £45 million roads maintenance contract in Medway. The five-year deal will continue the contractors current agreement with Medway Council, which has been in place since 2007. The new contract, which has a possible extension of up to five years, will begin on 01 August 2
23/11/2016
Union Unite has pledged to support workers affected by the collapse of crane hire firm Hewden. The company called in administrators Ernst & Young earlier this week after failing to secure new financial backers for the business. The firm warned in October about "market uncertainty following the vot
23/11/2016
Belgian industrial equipment supplier, TVH, has launched a £348 million bid to takeover Lavendon Group. TVH said it is making the offer in order to create a "pan-European specialised equipment rental business", as well as the opportunity to target Middle Eastern markets. Pascal Vanhalst, a member
23/11/2016
Network Rail has expanded route services senior team by appointing Andy Haynes as its a new Contracts and Procurement Director. Having worked with the company for more than 16 years, Mr Haynes recently worked as project director on Network Rail's Greater West Programme. In addition, he has helped
23/11/2016
A project milestone has been reached on the £1.3 billion Rampion Offshore Wind Farm off the coast of Sussex. Fugro has finished laying 60 cables as part of the first phase of cable laying operations at E.ON's 400MW development. Subsea construction vessel Fugro Symphony began site operations in Aug
23/11/2016
A new survey has revealed just over 95% of offshore workers believe the UK and Scottish Governments are not doing enough to support the sector. Out of a survey of 779 Unite member workers, 24% said there was no future for the offshore sector, while 55% only saw the industry surviving with governmen
22/11/2016
Engineering group SCX has been selected by The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) to build a second retractable roof at Wimbledon's No.1 Court. The Sheffield-based company will install the roof as part of a £70 million redevelopment at No. 1 Court and completion is scheduled for 2019. Features i
22/11/2016
The Port of London Authority (PLA) has revealed plans to create a new cargo handling facility in Newham. The Peruvian Wharf site, which was recently acquired for £3 million by the PLA, has been protected since 1997 under the Mayor's policy to safeguard strategically placed wharves for cargo handlin
22/11/2016
Plans have been submitted for a new £60 million shopping centre development in Rochdale. Developers Genr8 are proposing to build around 24 retail/leisure units, a six screen cinema and 350 new parking spaces, as part of the new Rochdale Riverside centre Final work to clear the site is well underwa
22/11/2016
Ashtead Group has announced the acquisition a number of assets from Hewden. The £29 million deal was completed with EY, the administrator of Hewden, through Ashtead's UK business A-Plant. The acquisition includes Hewden's powered access and power generation, five 'on-site' depots servicing major p
22/11/2016
Severfield has reported a 'strong' performance in its results for the six month period ended 30 September. The company revealed revenue had risen slightly to £118.2 million compared with £117.1 million last year. In addition, underlying profit before tax rose 69% to £8.1m (2015: £4.8m). The compan
22/11/2016
Contractors are to begin resurfacing the northbound A1 in North Yorkshire as part of a £380 million carriageway reconstruction project. Work on the A1 Leeming to Barton scheme begun in 2014 and will see the existing dual carriageway replaced with a new three-lane motorway. Overall, a new continuous
22/11/2016
A project milestone has been reached on the £41 million redevelopment of Merrion House in Leeds. The 170,000 sq ft office space is being refurbished by BAM Construction on behalf of Town Centre Securities and the city council. The final concrete panel has now been removed from the building and wor
22/11/2016
Network Rail is continuing work on a £1.6 million viaduct maintenance project in Lancashire. Engineers are carrying out strengthening and flood alleviation works at the historic Whalley Viaduct after the structure was affected by severe flooding in Christmas 2015. Features include installing an ex
22/11/2016
An engineering firm has been fined after an employee died during maintenance work on an electricity pylon in Carlisle. Bilfinger Industrial Services (UK) Limited of Tudor Road, Manor Park, Runcorn, guilty to a breach of Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £200
22/11/2016
Meinhardt UK has appointed Paul Titley as Director of the company's London office. In his new role, Mr Titley will add further diversity to the multidisciplinary engineering consultancies business, as well as evolving the working methodologies at the firm. He has over 25 years' of industry experie
21/11/2016
Costain has won a £113 million contract to upgrade natural gas facilities for National Grid. The company will carry out detailed design, decommissioning, build and re-commissioning of Peterborough and Huntingdon compressor stations. The work, which is part of National Grid's Emissions Reduction Pr
21/11/2016
Work is underway on a new £20 million Teaching and Learning Hub at The University of Nottingham. The new 5,000 m2 facility is being built on the University Park campus and is due for completion in early 2018. Designed by architectural practice Make, the new building will be located adjacent to the
21/11/2016
Crane hire firm Hewden is reportedly on the verge of administration after failing to find new financial backers, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. Last month, the company said the UK's decision to leave the EU had "adversely affected" a number of large construction and capital investment projects.
21/11/2016
Engineering consultancy BDP has won a multi-million pound contract to refurbish a number of historic buildings for the House of Commons. The firm was selected for the Northern Estate Programme (NEP) to deliver architectural and lead design services. Features of the NSP include a series of signific
21/11/2016
Work to build a new £1.7 million police custody suite in Barnsley is now complete. SES Engineering Services worked in partnership with Willmott Dixon and South Yorkshire Police to build the 20-cell suite on Churchfield. The contractor was responsible for the design, supply and installation of a ra
21/11/2016
Energy services firm Mitie has reported a £100 million loss for the six months to 30 September 2016. In its half-year results, the company revealed it is withdrawing from the domiciliary healthcare market and written off £107.1m of goodwill in the sector. In addition to operating profit being down
21/11/2016
Balfour Beatty has delivered a £42 million RAF maintenance and repair facility in Oxfordshire. The contractor was appointed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) to build the centre at RAF Brize Norton. Early stages of the project included levelling the site, diverting underground pipes
21/11/2016
A new report has called for around £2 billion to be invested into upgrading the UK's transport system. The 'Bang for Buck: the economic value of inter-city connectivity improvements' study was carried out by Mace. The report found targeting spending on improving transport connection times between
21/11/2016
Amicus Property Finance is delivering three new developments worth over £20 million in Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester. The specialist short term property lender is helping to fund a £12.2m part-new build scheme in the Northern Quarter of Leeds city centre. Features include converting an existing o
21/11/2016
Network Rail has completed a flood alleviation project in Yorkshire. Engineers have installed new pumps and pipes at Goole subway to reduce the risk of flooding at the site. The scheme will create a more reliable method of pumping water out of the subway system and make the system more resilient,
18/11/2016
Bowmer & Kirkland (B&K) has been selected to build a new distribution centre for UK logistics firm Great Bear in Derbyshire. The 479,000 sq ft development would be the company's second distribution facility on the Markham Vale regeneration site and is set to create up to 400 new jobs Henry Boot De
18/11/2016
Speller Metcalfe has started work on a £2.5 million school expansion project in Gloucestershire. The scheme will see Grangefield Primary School in Bishops Cleeve expanded from a one-form entry primary to a two-form entry facility. Completion is scheduled for September 2017. In addition, a new eigh
18/11/2016
The UK Government has approved plans for a £369 million redevelopment project at Buckingham Palace. The 10-year scheme will see electrical wiring replaced, as well as water pipes and the heating system, which were installed in the aftermath of the Second World War. The overhaul will also help to s
18/11/2016
Plans have been approved for a new multi-million pound office project in Manchester. Henry Boot Developments is proposing to build the eight-storey Silk Works scheme on the edge of Spinningfields in the city centre. Designed by Northmill Associates, the 50,000 sq ft office accommodation project wi
18/11/2016
A £26 million flood protection project has won a national accolade. The Morpeth Flood Alleviation development received the Project of the Year prize at the Constructing Excellence Awards in London. The multi-million pound scheme, a joint project between the Environment Agency and Northumberland Co
18/11/2016
Galliford Try's Non-Executive Chairman, Greg Fitzgerald, has stepped down from the board. The company confirmed Mr Fitzgerald formally left his position on Friday, 11 November, as previously announced in July this year, Non-Executive Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director, Peter Ventress,
18/11/2016
Nottinghamshire-based firm Robert Woodhead is continuing work on a £2.2 million redevelopment project in Lincoln. The contractor is building an extension to Constance Stewart Hall at Bishop Grosseteste University, with work now complete to erect the steel frame. Designed by Lincoln-based architect
18/11/2016
Civil engineering company Keltbray has won an environmental award for its work on a railway regeneration scheme in East London. The contractor and Network Rail secured the Bronze Green Apple prize at the 2016 Green Apple Environment Awards for the Queen Mary Viaduct regeneration scheme. The award
18/11/2016
Work has begun on a £2 million road maintenance scheme on the A64 in North Yorkshire. Contractors are underway with resurfacing over two miles of the route between Rillington and East Knapton near Malton. Features include replacing 800 reflective road studs, including repainting road markings and
18/11/2016
Able Skills has revealed the demand for its Level 2 Electrical course and other electrical courses "just keeps on coming". With its up and coming courses fully booked, the company have scheduled more start dates that are now available on its website. As there is currently a push for more affordab
17/11/2016
The UK Government has revealed plans to boost rail resilience in the South West with an extra £10 million. The funding will be used to help better protect the line from Exeter to Newton Abbot via Dawlish, which was significantly damaged by extreme weather in the winter of 2014. With a section of s
17/11/2016
A report on the UK's housing sector has called for a "long-term strategy" to be drawn up across all political parties to alleviate pressures on the industry. The review, by Chief Executive of Taylor Wimpey Pete Redfern, revealed the rate of home ownership has "fallen significantly" by 7.3% since it
17/11/2016
A legal challenge to building a proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport is being backed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Speaking at Mayor's Question Time yesterday, 16 November, Mr Khan said he was "ready to play an active role" in joint legal action against the £18.6 billion development. Critics ar
17/11/2016
Leeds City Council has extended its highways and transportation services contract with Mouchel. The engineering firm was recently acquired by WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff and will continue to work with the local authority until August 2018. It has been working with the council since 2003. Mouchel wi
17/11/2016
Powys County Council has selected Kier as its preferred bidder on a ten-year £100 million property maintenance contract. In a trading update today, 17 November, the contractor revealed it will carry out a maintenance services for the local authority across its social housing stock, as well as other
17/11/2016
Industry contractor T Clarke has reported "steady, but cautious" improvements in its core markets despite uncertainty surrounding the UK's decision to leave the EU. The company revealed it has a "strong order book" of over £300 million as its performance "continues to be in line with the Board's ex
17/11/2016
Work to reinforce the bank of the River Windrush near Standlake in Oxfordshire is now complete. A routine inspection by the Environment Agency (EA) of an embankment near the River and Newbridge Cut revealed the site was at high risk of failing during high flow conditions. A total of 110 tonnes of
17/11/2016
Water treatment specialist Siltbuster has selected Russell Bright as its new Group Managing Director (MD). As an experienced engineer and water industry leader, Mr Bright has previously worked as MD of Water Industrial Outsourcing. In his new role, Mr Bright will continue to support Siltbuster's c
17/11/2016
Precast concrete producer Stanton Bonna has invested £3 million to expand its production facilities in Derbyshire. The Midlands-based business has built a new Magic Manhole production plant at its site in Stanton-By-Dale, Ilkeston. In addition, a new building to house the equipment was also develop
17/11/2016
Work is to begin on a two-week £50,000 bridge repairs project in Lancashire. Engineers will start repairing the bridge which carries the M6 over Westfield Brook on Sunday, 20 November. Maintenance work will take place from 8pm – 6am on both the northbound and southbound carriageways between juncti
16/11/2016
New figures have revealed over 189,000 new homes have been built in the past year. The latest Government housing supply report states the number of new homes has risen 11% this year, contributing towards its one million new homes target by 2020. Out of the 189,650 new additions to the housing supp
16/11/2016
US technology giant Google has confirmed plans to build a new headquarters building at King's Cross in London. It is understood the new 10-storey building will create up to 3,000 new jobs by 2020. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2018. Speaking during his visit to the UK yesterday, 15 Novemb
16/11/2016
Work is underway to install the facade for a new £48 million office headquarters (HQ) in Cambridge. Kier Construction is building the facility for global technology company ARM at the Peterhouse Technology Park. McMullen Facades, part of the Lakesmere Group, has started to design, fabricate and in
16/11/2016
Speedy Hire has reported its Group revenue rose by 13.4% to £187.1 million for the six months ended 30 September 2016. The plant hire services firm also revealed its pre-tax profit was £5.4m, compared making a £57m loss for the year to March 2016. Restructuring at the business saw the Group dispos
16/11/2016
Keepmoat has started the next phase of a £500 million regeneration project in Hull. The Hull City Wide Regeneration scheme involves building 4,000 new homes across the city over a 13-year timeframe. The second phase will see 142 new homes built at Portobello Street in the city. 93 of the homes wil
16/11/2016
Britcon has completed the second expansion phase at a £15 million luxury lodge development in Lincoln. The project was carried out for Arbor Living at Lakeshore, Burton Waters. The development consists of a series of high specification park homes for over 55's set in a luxury retirement park. Orig
16/11/2016
A £2 million extension project has been completed at Hamilton School near Birmingham. The project was delivered by Morgan Sindall as part of the £44.5 million Constructing West Midlands (CWM) framework. The new two-storey 12,000 sq ft annexe increases the total number of available school places to
16/11/2016
Network Rail has drawn up proposed upgrades for the railway line between Exeter and Newton Abbot. The study was undertaken as part of the company's £40 billion Railway Upgrade Plan and will be presented to the public in a series of public engagement events. Exceptional weather at the beginning of
16/11/2016
Highways England is to begin a £480,000 resurfacing scheme on the A66 in Cumbria. Work to repair a mile-long section of the eastbound route between Hutton and Dacre junctions will start on Monday, 21 November. Resurfacing will be carried out between 8pm – 6am. Traffic management will also be in pl
16/11/2016
AnyScale has won an industry accolade for its QuickScale software. The company secured the Best PDF Design Scale Measurement Software award at Build's Construction and Engineering Awards 2016. The QuickScale team added it would like to thank all its customers for their continued support over the y
15/11/2016
A trio of construction consortiums have secured up to £900 million worth of contracts on phase one of HS2. The enabling works deals include archaeological investigations, site clearance and the setting up of construction compounds ahead of the start of the main civil engineering work. The successf
15/11/2016
Interserve has announced its Chief Executive, Adrian Ringrose, is to step down next year. The Board has started hunting for a new Chief Executive Officer and Mr Ringrose will remain in his role until a suitable successor has been appointed. Glyn Barker, Group Chairman, said: "I would like to thank
15/11/2016
Plans have been approved for the latest phase of Cardiff University's £300 million Innovation Campus. The £135m scheme involves developing two new buildings each covering 12,000 sq m including a bridge linking Cardiff Business School with the Campus. The proposals, which include the Innovation Cen
15/11/2016
The UK Government has announced that it will provide £138 million to the Welsh Government from the upcoming Apprenticeship Levy. The new levy is being introduced from 06 April next year and is payable by all employers operating in the UK with an annual pay bill over £3 million. Overall, it aims to
15/11/2016
A project milestone has been reached as part of the £12 million industrial park development in Stockport. Cranes have started lifting steelwork into place for the 145,000 sq ft Aurora Stockport scheme, which will comprise of 10 light industrial units once completed next year. The development is be
15/11/2016
A self-employed contractor has been prosecuted, along with a company and its director, after a man was killed when he fell through a roof light in Cheshire. Leigh Bakewell, contractor, pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was sentenced to six m
15/11/2016
Work is continuing on a new £192 million link road project in Cheshire. Highways England will host a final consultation event on the new A556 route between the M6 and M56 on Sunday, 20 November. The scheme is part of a £15 billion government investment in motorways and major A roads by 2021. Prog
15/11/2016
A public consultation is being held over plans to create a major mixed-use development in Lancashire. Eric Wright Group, Brookhouse Group and the council are running the events before submitting proposals to develop the Cuerden site in Chorley. The multi-million pound scheme will see up to 4,500 n
15/11/2016
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has expanded its senior team by appointing Mark Noonan as its Industry Relations Director. With extensive experience in the construction and retail sectors, Mr Noonan will help the organisation engage with the industry and gain a better understanding
15/11/2016
Instarmac's Latvian partner, Delta Urban, have supplied world renowned reinstatement materials to repair over 500 manhole covers and frames on three of Riga's most beautiful Art Nouveau streets. Riga's historical centre is a World Heritage site, noted for its Art Nouveau architecture, with over a t
14/11/2016
Interserve has won a five-year deal to carry out facility management (FM) services across six central UK Government departments. The £40 million contract, known as the 'Affiliate Cluster', will see the contractor provide a range of services including security, catering, front-of-house, as well as m
14/11/2016
Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron has been selected to design a new £108 million building for the Royal College of Art (RCA). The practice was chosen after winning a competition to design the structure at the College's new Battersea South campus. The 15,000 sq m building will sit alongsid
14/11/2016
A new survey has revealed nearly half of UK contractors cite a lack of skilled tradespeople as one of the main reasons why they cannot fill vacancies. In Build UK's State of Trade survey for 2016, 47% of respondents said a lack of required skills made it difficult to fill posts, while 44% said anot
14/11/2016
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has called on Chancellor Philip Hammond to allow councils to borrow funds to deliver thousands of new social homes. The organisation stated the initiative could "significantly boost housing output" and provide a "welcome shot in the arm" to the sector. Brian
14/11/2016
Environmental consultancy Thomson Ecology has been working alongside Network Rail and BAM Nuttall during flood alleviation work in Oxford and Leeds. The company has carried out 'fish rescue' projects on each scheme which involves relocating fish to a new location if their habitat is likely to be af
14/11/2016
The National House Building Council (NHBC) is being urged to introduce new health and safety guidelines for construction staff who work during extreme weather. Union UCATT has called on the organisation to introduce new rules as there is no legal minimum or maximum temperature for working outside.
14/11/2016
The Environment Agency has submitted plans to build new flood defences in Totnes. The £3.8 million development includes improving existing defences along the River Dart to protect over 400 homes and businesses from flooding. Features of the scheme involve updating defences from the mainline railwa
14/11/2016
Amber Precast has received the Barratt's Pride in The Job Awards 2016 NHBC nomination presented by Craig Robson at Longford Park in Banbury. NHBC (National House Building Council) is the organisation behind the Award Scheme, which aims to improve construction standards of new homes in the UK and pr
14/11/2016
Everything 'clic'd into place' for the BA Clic Components ClicBox team at this year's W16 Elements Show. This was the first appearance for ClicBox's team at the show, held at the NEC in Birmingham, with the event hailed as a huge success. Showcasing the ClicBox carcass to stand visitors, the team
11/11/2016
New figures have revealed the UK's construction output fell by 1.1% between July and September. The ONS report states while the sectors decline was not as bad as the 1.4% fall predicted last month, the figure is still the lowest industry reading for four years. The majority of the decline is contr
11/11/2016
Building materials supplier SIG has announced Chief Executive Stuart Mitchell is stepping down after the Group issued a profit warning today, 11 November. Mr Mitchell will be replaced by former Amey Chief Executive Mel Ewell, who is currently a Non-Executive Director at the company. He will act in
11/11/2016
G F Tomlinson has started work on a new multi-million pound manufacturing research facility in Nottingham. A ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on the Advanced Manufacturing Building (AMB) for the University of Nottingham was held on Thursday, 10 November. The 9,011m2 train
11/11/2016
Willmott Dixon has announced it plans to generate £100 million of work by 2020 with the opening of a new office in Farnborough. The company is targeting growth in Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire and Dorset having already delivered successful projects in southern counties. A total of 25 full-time s
11/11/2016
A £4 million transport scheme developed by Pick Everard has won an industry accolade. The Colchester park and ride project won the Civic Building of the Year prize at the SPACES Awards. The facility's usage has almost doubled since its initial opening and has "revolutionised" commuter traffic in t
11/11/2016
Proposals to support employers on developing new Apprenticeship Standards have been approved by the Department of Education (DfE). The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has drawn up the plans to replace existing frameworks and is it expected all construction Apprenticeship Standards will
11/11/2016
Bovis Homes has opened a new regional office in Milton Keynes. More than 80 people will be based at the new facility at the Pinnacle on Midsummer Boulevard. The opening is part of the house builders plans to further support site teams based across the area. The region covers locations in Bedfordsh
11/11/2016
Wates Developments has strengthened its senior team by selecting Matthew Tunley as a new land director. Mr Tunley will be based in Surrey and is responsible for business land activity as well as identifying and securing new opportunities across Southern UK. Having joined Wates from CEG in October,
10/11/2016
UK civil engineering firms are calling for "more streamlined approaches" in the way they procure tenders from clients. The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) has worked alongside its members to look at issues contributing towards the higher costs of procurement, which have been attrib
10/11/2016
Police have arrested 10 men in connection with the theft of around £2 million of railway track from across South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the West Midlands. The suspects were detained as part of Operation Ultimatum after British Transport Police (BPT) executed search warrants at
10/11/2016
Chinese investors are being offered billions of pounds worth of opportunities on the Northern Powerhouse scheme. A portfolio of 13 projects totalling over £5 billion will be unveiled today, 10 November, by Chancellor Phillip Hammond to a delegation led by Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai. The group wil
10/11/2016
Associated British Ports (ABP) has awarded Morgan Sindall a £24 million project to expand facilities at the Port of Southampton. The two contracts will see car storage and handling facilities redeveloped as part of a £50m investment programme by ABP. The overall scheme will see Morgan Sindall buil
10/11/2016
A new report from Balfour Beatty has stressed the importance of 'shovel-ready' small and medium scale infrastructure schemes for the UK's economy. The 'Small Scale, Big Impact: Infrastructure and Economic Regeneration' study states such projects will provide the construction industry with the pipel
10/11/2016
A new level crossing junction is taking shape at a railway station in Suffolk. Network Rail engineers have almost finished moving the signal at Oulton Broad North to a new location 50 metres down the track and completion is scheduled for Monday, 28 November. In addition, the passenger shelter is a
10/11/2016
A new £4 million sports facility has been opened at a university campus in Exeter. The new Penryn Campus centre was unveiled by olympic gold medal winner Sally Gunnell OBE on Tuesday, 08 November. The building was delivered by Midas Construction in partnership with the University of Exeter, Falmou
10/11/2016
US engineering company Louis Berger has selected James Rousell to lead its UK operations. He will be based at the Group's London office and report to Jesper Damgaard, Louis Berger's senior Vice President and Managing Director for Europe. Previously, Mr Rousell worked for 15 years at Jacobs in a ra
09/11/2016
Keepmoat has been selected to carry out a £80 million city centre restoration project in Leicester. The company will redevelop an 18-acre brownfield site in the Waterside area to create a new neighbourhood, shops and workplaces. The development will include 302 new city centre homes, 67,500 sq ft
09/11/2016
The UK Government has revealed plans to spend £730 million each year on supporting renewable electricity projects until the end of Parliament. In an announcement today, 09 November, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) set out proposals for the next Contracts for Differe
09/11/2016
Off-site building specialist Premier Modular has been appointed to the £18 billion Hinkley Point C project in Somerset. The contractor will provide a series of modular building office spaces totalling 38,000 sq m to house all the management and technical personnel required during the construction s
09/11/2016
A window installation company has been fined for work at height safety failings. Kevin McLean, trading as South Coast Installations, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations. It was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs. Brighton Magistrates' Court heard how M
09/11/2016
Morgan Sindall is continuing work to build a new £15.4 million special educational needs school in Essex. The contractor is delivering the Glenwood School for Essex County Council and completion is scheduled for 2017. Features of the facility will include 26 classrooms, a hydrotherapy pool and spe
09/11/2016
Work has begun on a 'round-the-clock' project to complete upgrade Oxford railway station. The 24-hour scheme got underway today, 09 November and completion is scheduled for Sunday, 11 December. Engineers will build new platforms and install new railway tracks to develop a direct route from Oxford
09/11/2016
A new Chair has been announced for Derby College's Professional Construction Employment & Skills Academy. Architect Peter Newman, an Associate Director at Morrison Design, will lead an Advisory Board of representatives from ten other local and regional companies who specialise in all aspects of pro
09/11/2016
Plans have been revealed to invest £5 million in upgrading Scunthorpe and Ashby Markets in North Lincolnshire. The proposed improvements form part of wider £45m regeneration scheme for Scunthorpe town centre. A recent inspection of the markets revealed major upgrades are needed to bring them both
08/11/2016
Larkfleet has revealed plans for an experimental flood-proof house in Lincolnshire which in the future could help unlock land for new homes. Plans for the initiative have been submitted to South Holland District Council. If approved, the blueprint could provide a model that would allow housebuildin
08/11/2016
Spie has announced the acquisition of British long-term facility and property related services provider, Triosgroup. The move will enhance Spie UK's Technical Facility Management division as well as growing its presence in the retail and leisure markets. With a revenue of circa £61 million in Marc
08/11/2016
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has wound down its UK output forecasts over the next five years due to the aftermath of the EU referendum vote. The organisation is predicting output will average 2% per year until 2021, down from 2.5% in January at the beginning of his year. In addi
08/11/2016
Morgan Sindall has won an £11 million deal to build a new school in Norfolk. The contractor will deliver a new Chapel Road School on Abbey Road. Completion is scheduled for the start of the new school year in 2017. The two-storey Chapel Green School will include 14 classrooms as well as several sp
08/11/2016
Industry consultancy GHPC Group has selected Helena Knight as its new Managing Director (MD). With over 25 years experience, Ms Knight has been working as Operations Director at the company for two years and will take over from Paul Davies, who will become the company's Chairman. In addition, she
08/11/2016
A new interactive pay trends index has revealed self-employed tradesmen in Wales are benefiting from a year-on-year increase in earnings compared with colleagues in England. The 'Construction Pay Trends' index, developed by Hudson Contract, shows that Welsh workers have experienced a 5.3% rise year
08/11/2016
A builder has been prosecuted after unsafe gas work was carried out at a house in Cardiff. Brian James, of Llandudno Road, Cardiff pleaded guilty to breaches of Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was sentenced to 32 weeks in prison, suspended for two years. In addition,
08/11/2016
Network Rail has completed a £100 million track and signalling upgrade project in Worcestershire. The scheme involved developing a new railway station at Bromsgrove as well as reconfiguring the track, points and crossings in the area around the station. New signalling has also been installed betwe
07/11/2016
Plans have been submitted for a £300 million retail expansion project in Sheffield. British Land is proposing to extend the Meadowhall shopping centre to create a multi-million pound Meadowhall Leisure Hall. The 330,000 sq ft scheme forms part of a five-year plan to extend the centre's leisure off
07/11/2016
A new multi-million pound Remembrance Centre has been unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The £15.7 million facility was designed by Glenn Howells Architects and built by Stepnell. The building, which has helped improve visitor facilities at the Arboretum, was delivered o
07/11/2016
Willmott Dixon is targeting new markets by rebranding its repairs and maintenance (R&M) division as 'Fortem'. The change at Willmott Dixon Partnerships is being made as part of the company's growth plans to create a "fresh, modern identity that better positions the company to grow its specialist se
07/11/2016
ISG has selected its regional Managing Director (MD) for Scotland, Andy McLinden, to also lead the company's Northern division in England. With over 25 years' experience in the industry, Mr McLinden joined the company in 2010 and was instrumental to establishing ISG's brand in the Scottish market.
07/11/2016
IBI Group has appointed Andrew Fursdon as its new lead to design science and academic research buildings in the Higher Education sector. Having worked for international US, Japanese and European firms, Mr Fursdon will work as part of the Group's UK Learning+ team. He has extensive industry experie
07/11/2016
DCM Surfaces Wet Pour is available in a variety of colours ranging from reds, blues, green, purple, yellow, black and mixed colours. It can be laid as a single colour or can be designed to create a themed play area. Popular themes include aquatic and beaches – using blue and yellow to create a beac
04/11/2016
The Chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), David Edmonds, has resigned amid a row over financial costs relating to the multi-million pound conversion of the Olympic Stadium. Mr Edmonds, who originally joined the board of the Olympic Park Legacy Company in 2010, offered his re
04/11/2016
Plans have been approved for the first phase of a £160 million mixed-used development in Durham. Developers Arlington Real Estate, Carillion and Richardson Capital LLP are proposing to regenerate Durham City's Riverside by redeveloping the Milburngate House site. Features for Zone One on the proje
04/11/2016
Wates is continuing refurbishment work on a major heritage project in London. The contractor is underway with redeveloping the House of Lords' Millbank House in Westminster. The scheme includes the renovation of the six-storey building in Great College Street and completion is scheduled by autumn 2
04/11/2016
New research has revealed the UK's decision to leave the EU has impacted business for nearly a third of engineers in Ireland and the UK. The Engineers Ireland survey states over 38% of respondents have had commercial deals paused or unfavourably altered as a result of Brexit. While one in 10 parti
04/11/2016
Skanska has reshuffled its senior management team and announced three new executive appointments. Martin Neeson, a 15-year veteran of the company, will become an executive vice president (EVP) and is responsible for the company's services operations. Existing EVPs Gregor Craig and Thomas Faulkner t
04/11/2016
Fusion Building Systems has been selected by Willmott Partnership Homes (WPH) to supply light gauge steel structures for its residential housing projects. Fusion said the framework agreement, which will run for an initial three years, will help to demonstrate the capabilities of offsite constructio
03/11/2016
Severfield has secured a raft of new contracts worth £72 million, including a steel package on the 22 Bishopsgate project in London. The group will support main contractor Multiplex by providing superstructure structural steelwork and metal decking for the 1.4 million sq ft scheme. The five other
03/11/2016
Planning permission has been granted for a new affordable housing development in West Thamesmead, London. Designed by architects Pitman Tozer, 'The Reach' will feature a 66-home mixed-used development as part of the Greater London Authority's £47.5 million investment for Thamesmead in line with its
03/11/2016
City Gate Construction (CGC) has completed a £1.5 million refurbishment project in West Yorkshire. The Paisley-based firm has redeveloped the iconic Wardley House in Bradford city into a student accommodation facility. The building, which is located close to the University of Bradford and Bradford
03/11/2016
Plans have been approved for a major development project at Waterloo Station in London. Proposals by London and Continental Railways (LCR) and Network Rail include creating 135,000 sq ft of retail space at the former Eurostar terminal. The development will create a mix of independent, high street
03/11/2016
A property developer has been prosecuted along with two other companies after a worker was killed when a temporary platform collapsed at a construction site in south-west London. St James Group Limited, of Berkeley House, Surrey, the project's Principal Contractor, pleaded guilty to breaching Regul
03/11/2016
Architectural consultancy LK2 has helped deliver a new village hall project in Lincolnshire. The company provided various services for the Toft Newton scheme after the project secured an almost £800,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund. A further £75,000 was provided by West Lindsey District Council
02/11/2016
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has ordered an investigation into the financial costs of converting the Olympic Stadium into a football ground for West Ham. The probe has been launched after it was revealed the original £272 million cost of the conversion has now risen by £51 million to £323 milli
02/11/2016
New figures have revealed the UK's construction output rose slightly last month last due to an increase in residential activity. The Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose up to 52.6 in October, an increase from 52.3 in September. Housing activity remained the key growth
02/11/2016
Ucatt and Unite are set to merge after union members voted overwhelmingly in favour of combining the two organisations. Ucatt members voted by 85.5% to 14.5% for the move, which paves the way to combine both memberships and form a "strong progressive voice for Britain's construction workers and the
02/11/2016
A new report has revealed thousands of construction jobs are set to be created in the Leeds City Region. The research, by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), reveals around £13 billion of construction projects are scheduled to begi
02/11/2016
Mears Group has started building a new council housing development in Welwyn Hatfield. The company is delivering 22 new homes on a disused brownfield site in Garden Avenue, Hatfield. The project marks the first local authority housing to be built in the borough for 25 years. The 15 two-bedroom apa
02/11/2016
Persimmon has revealed plans to build a new brick manufacturing facility in South Yorkshire. The 'Brickworks' project will provide up to 88 million bricks each year and is due to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2017. Howard Civil Engineering is underway with developing foundations at the 1
02/11/2016
Contractor CML has completed a major embankment repairs project in Northumberland. The company was called in by Network Rail after a section of hillside near Farnley Haugh between Carlisle and Newcastle spilled onto the track in January. The 10-month scheme included removing over 50,000 tonnes of
02/11/2016
The MiniTec modular aluminium profile system can be found in many diverse applications covering aspects of safety-guarding, testing and inspection services to assembly lines and workbenches. Beyond typical industrial applications the simplicity of the modular profile system lends itself to many app
01/11/2016
Interserve has won a £10.6 million contract to build new student accommodation facilities in Warwickshire. The company will design and build two four-storey buildings for Alumno Developments beside the Grand Union Canal in Leamington Spa. Each building will comprise of 187 bedrooms, featuring a mi
01/11/2016
T Clarke has revealed millions of pounds have been "misappropriated" by an employee at one of its subsidiaries, DG Robson Mechanical Services Limited (DGR). The company is underway with an investigation into the accounting function of DGR and revealed funds in excess of £2.8 million have allegedly
01/11/2016
Morrison Utility Services (MUS) has secured a £80 million framework contract with Affinity Water. The contractor will carry out mains renewal and developer services programmes over a four-year period for the company. The deal is scheduled to commence in January 2017. Features include delivering de
01/11/2016
Carillion's joint venture (JV) with American engineering firm KBR has secured a £1.1 billion contract to support an Army Basing Programme in southern England. The Aspire Defence Capital Works JV will carry out construction and facilities management support services for the programme, which is being
01/11/2016
Renew Holdings has announced the purchase of Giffen Holdings for £5 million. The St Albans-based company specialises in mechanical, electrical and power services within the railway environment. It currently has four frameworks with Network Rail, as well as six frameworks with London Underground,
01/11/2016
Only 1% of British civil contracting firms reported their infrastructure workloads increased during the third quarter of 2016. New research by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) revealed 4% of Scottish firms and 27% of Welsh firms stated their workloads had declined during the qua
01/11/2016
A project milestone has been reached on the £750 million redevelopment of Birmingham New Street station. A new southern hub has been opened at the station, which provides exit only access to Hill Street from all platforms via the Navigation Street footbridge. The overall development is part of Net
01/11/2016
Willmott Dixon has strengthened its residential business by appointing Richard Blakeway as a new strategic advisor for the division. Mr Blakeway is a former Greater London Authority (GLA) deputy mayor for housing and has vast experience in the industry. After leaving the GLA in 2016, he spent a num
