Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for August 2008
29/08/2008
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has welcomed record train punctuality figures, but said that Network Rail must work more efficiently to minimise the disruption its engineering work causes to all rail users. In its National rail review, ORR comments on a positive set of indicators which show tha
29/08/2008
Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesman Vince Cable has made a number of proposals to halt what he described as the "downward spiral" of the housing market. Mr Cable suggested that councils should be able to buy empty properties and unused land from developers at discount rates to use for social housin
29/08/2008
Following community consultation events earlier this year English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, is now looking to select a development partner for the Ralph Allen Yard site in Combe Down. The site has, until now, been used as a storage yard for the Combe Down Land stone mines Stab
29/08/2008
Properties remain over-priced and unaffordable for the vast majority of first-time buyers, despite a 10.5% fall in house prices over the last 12 months, the National Housing Federation (NHF) has warned. The Federation's Chief Executive, David Orr, said: "It would be a grave mistake to think that be
29/08/2008
A decision has been made by the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) to extend the green provisions within its contracts following an industry-wide consultation. JCT Secretary-General, Peter Hibberd, said: "JCT has a huge significance in the construction industry. Almost three-quarters of all projects be
29/08/2008
The green light is set to be given for work to start on Liverpool's very first Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme. The city council is expected to give the go-ahead today for Morgan Ashurst to be awarded the contract to rebuild Alsop High School Technology College in Walton. It paves the
29/08/2008
Engineering works are to be carried out on part of the London Overground network starting next week. The work, which includes upgrading tracks, strengthening bridges and widening a tunnel, will enable the more efficient routing of both freight and passenger services at points where the two share tr
29/08/2008
E.ON has announced that it is appealing against the refusal of Midlothian Council to grant planning permission for a wind farm of up to 45MW at Auchencorth Moss. The initial planning application for the construction of 18 wind turbines on the site south of Penicuik was submitted in January 2006 and
29/08/2008
With fuel costs continuing to rise, the logistics' industry has some welcome news - two new innovative trailers have been designed that are set to cut the number of trucks needed by nearly a third, thanks to two research and development grants from Yorkshire Forward. The new trailers, designed by S
29/08/2008
A grant of £90,000 has been made to Bath & North East Somerset Council to contribute towards the cost of redeveloping displays and improving access at the Roman Baths in Bath. The Council is spending over a million pounds this year on plans to improve the site, which is a scheduled ancient monument
29/08/2008
Invicta Forks and Attachments have announced a special offer which is taking place until 30 September 2008. Delivery is free and all customers will receive a further 5% discount on all orders of fork extensions and access platforms. Please quote the following reference IFF2608 to receive your spec
28/08/2008
House prices have dropped by 10.5% over the last year, according to the latest research by Nationwide Building Society. The price of a typical house has fallen to £164,654, the fastest annual rate in almost 18 years. Commenting on the figures Fionnuala Earley, Nationwide's Chief Economist, said: "
28/08/2008
Progress on the London 2012 Olympic Park became clearly visible this week as new images reveal the columns of the Olympic Stadium emerging from the ground. Over 100 columns, each five metres tall, have already been constructed and act as the support for the podium of the Stadium's west and south st
28/08/2008
Construction and Management consultancy Turner & Townsend has been appointed as Cost and Commercial Advisors on the North West project in Sydney. The A$12 billion project will be Australia’s largest transport project and is the first major transport initiative under the NSW Government’s Sydney Link
28/08/2008
With thousands of would-be apprentices struggling to find employers ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the industry, is urging employers across England to continue to take on apprentices in order to remain competitive throughout the downturn. The UK construction industry has recently
28/08/2008
Warner Estate Holdings PLC, Warner Estate, and Aylesbury Vale District Council have entered into a formal Development Agreement for the mixed use Waterside Shopping regeneration project in Aylesbury town centre. The Development Agreement provides a comprehensive legal and financial framework, unde
28/08/2008
Residents are celebrating the start of building work on a new roof for a well-used community centre on Bradford's Clayton Estate. Lovell has teamed up with Incommunities to carry out much-needed external refurbishment work at the Friendship Centre in Thornaby Drive. As part of its support for comm
28/08/2008
B&Q has exchanged contracts with Henry Boot Developments Limited to take 51,000 sq ft at Northfields Retail & Business Park, Parkgate, Rotherham. Construction work is due to start in the Autumn and the B&Q unit is expected be open for trade in Summer 2009. Adjacent to the established Retail World
28/08/2008
Osborne has been appointed by Associated British Ports (ABP) to carry out the redevelopment of an area of land near the 1930s, Dry Dock No. 7 on West Bay Road in Southampton. The £1.4 million project will convert the area into a cargo handling berth with access to an adjacent berth that is also un
28/08/2008
Carmarthenshire Council's partner organisation Miller Pattison will be visiting properties in the county to assess homes for insulation work - including loft and cavity wall insulation. This will be free to many people, including over 70's and those on wide range of welfare benefits. The council w
28/08/2008
CORGI has released its second report that highlights the areas and groups of people who are most at risk of gas-related carbon monoxide poisoning. The report shows that between April 2007 and March 2008 there were 52 gas related carbon monoxide poisoning incidents resulting in 21 fatalities and 12
28/08/2008
Space Workplace has been awarded the fit-out contact for Alexander McQueen's new 13,275 sq ft office at the Metro Building at 76 Clerkenwell Road London EC1. The eight floor project will complete in eight weeks and create offices, design spaces, creative studios and a PR/VIP showroom complete wit
27/08/2008
Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has reported that its first-half underlying profits have slumped 96% to £4.3 million, compared to £119.8 million in the same period last year. The London-based company said it has £1.54 billion in writedowns, after writing off £690 million from the value of its land bank
27/08/2008
An annual charge should be levied on energy suppliers to fund a national home insulation programme to fight fuel poverty and combat climate change, council leaders have argued in a joint letter to six cabinet ministers. In their letter, the leaders of the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and
27/08/2008
Buy-to-let repossessions have significantly increased compared to this time last year - making people who rent their home just as vulnerable to the effects of repossession as homeowners according to new figures released by Shelter. The figures show the number of buy-to-let repossessions has increas
27/08/2008
An Edwardian townhouse in Llandeilo, Wales, has been transformed into a luxury B&B, after receiving a cash windfall. Major conversion works have been carried out at Fronlas in Thomas Street. The property is now a contemporary boutique style destination, which is attracting visitors from near and f
27/08/2008
Lovell has been chosen to carry out a £2.9 million scheme to modernise a tower block in West Bromwich in the West Midlands for management organisation Sandwell Homes. Lovell will transform Mountford House, in Glover Street, West Bromwich, through the introduction of new external cladding, rendering
27/08/2008
Members of construction union UCATT will this week extend their campaign to win justice for victims of pleural plaques by campaigning in the Blackburn constituency of Justice Secretary Jack Straw. Every year hundreds of people in Blackburn and throughout Lancashire die of asbestos diseases. Many de
27/08/2008
New research into the properties of alternative timbers will help those in the marine and freshwater construction industry make their work more sustainable. This message comes as the Environment Agency, HR Wallingford and TRADA Technology work together to provide better, clearer information on comm
27/08/2008
Local shopfitting contractor, du Boulay Contracts Ltd, made a successful splash at the Anthony Nolan Trust Dragon Boat Regatta on Thursday 5th June in the picturesque setting of Wimbledon Park Lake. The weather gods were kind on this rare occasion to provide a perfect late spring evening for the or
27/08/2008
The long-standing vision to transform the Derwent Forest site in west Cumbria into a prestigious leisure and commercial development has taken a huge stride forward. Allerdale Borough Council and Cumbria County Council officially purchased the former armaments depot from the Ministry of Defence (MoD
27/08/2008
Knightsbridge Mechanical Handling, a Cheshire-based forklift specialist, has enlisted Grayling Products' expertise to maximise its use of space when storing drums in its warehouse. Grayling supplied a four-drum plastic bund tray with twin galvanised dispensing stands. Grayling's plastic drum sumps
26/08/2008
Housebuilder Bovis Homes has reported an 80% drop in half-year profits. The company announced that its profits slumped to £149.3 million of revenue in the first half of 2008, a fall of 43%. It is believed to be the toughest period of trading it has ever experienced. Commenting on the results, Davi
26/08/2008
The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), the residential sales arm of the National Federation of Property Professionals (NFOPP), is calling on the Government to help the property market by finally taking action on Home Information Packs (HIPs). Peter Bolton King, Chief Executive of the NAE
26/08/2008
Older people are being urged to claim their Winter Fuel Payments, increased for this winter, to help them with higher energy costs. For households with someone aged 60-79 it will increase from £200 to £250 and for those with someone aged 80 and over, it will increase from £300 to £400. Those who h
26/08/2008
The architects, HOK, have been chosen to design a world-leading medical research centre to fight disease in London. The four consortium partners behind the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI) - the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust and UCL (Un
26/08/2008
Miller Construction and Coventry New Deal for Communities (NDC) are offering a helping hand to local students interested in construction. Miller, the company building the NDC-funded Moat House Leisure and Neighbourhood Centre, is offering school leavers in the NDC areas of Wood End, Henley Green, M
26/08/2008
International Construction and Management Consultant, Turner & Townsend, has been appointed by Fujian Daimler automotive (FJDA) to provide project management services on the construction of the new Fuzhou Manufacturing Plant. Fujian Daimler Automotive is a joint venture between Fujian Motor Industr
26/08/2008
Young people from across the country have taken the current housing reform debate onto 'YouTube' and are sending some clear messages to Government on a range of housing issues including homelessness, benefits and support agencies. The videos were made by members of the National Youth Reference Grou
26/08/2008
The second round of funding from the £400,000 Farm Resource Efficiency Programme (FREP) has been launched by Yorkshire Forward Regional Development Agency – building on the success of the pilot programme which closed to applications earlier this year. The FREP programme aims to improve the economic
26/08/2008
GVA Grimley, JM Architects and the British Property Federation (BPF) have released dates for their new joint green offices seminar programme in October. The seminars, called Old Buildings, New Futures, will take place throughout October at the following locations: Birmingham; Manchester; London an
26/08/2008
In the recent decision in CJP Builders Ltd. v William Verry Ltd., an adjudicator refused to extend the time for the service of a response, finding that he did not have the jurisdiction to do so. The adjudicator had, consequently, refused to take into account the response in his decision. This was
25/08/2008
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) is calling for urgent Government action to revive mortgage lending before the UK economy slides into recession. The Federation's announcement follows the Office of National Statistics figures for the 2nd quarter of 2008 showing UK economic growth grinding t
25/08/2008
Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis announced a £1 millon grant to help build the world's first purpose-built institute for research into end of life care. The Cicely Saunders Institute for Palliative Care will enable leading researchers to work alongside each other in a purpose built building for th
25/08/2008
Following a public inquiry, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, has approved Coin Street Community Builders (CSCB) proposals for a public swimming, indoor leisure centre and residential development. The plans also include a 43-storey tower, on London's South B
25/08/2008
The Government should inject £8 billion into building new homes to help kick start the flagging house building industry, Shelter has announced. Ministers have already set aside £8 billion to be spent over the next three years to build more than 100,000 social homes. But Shelter Chief Executive Ada
25/08/2008
The National Housing Federation (NHF) has welcomed E.ON's decision to equalise the tariffs charged to prepayment meter customers with those on standard credit, but is dismayed the company has hugely increased its energy prices across the board. While the NHF is pleased E.ON has decided to cease dis
25/08/2008
HBG, one of the major building companies in the UK, has been awarded a £47.5m contract to build a new college campus in Watford for West Herts College, consolidating the current two campuses in the town into one. The work involves demolition of college buildings at Hempstead Road and the constructi
25/08/2008
Savills have successfully secured planning permission for a student accommodation led mixed use scheme at 556 Holloway Road, London. Following detailed negotiations with planning and design officers at the London Borough of Islington permission was granted at committee for a scheme comprising comme
25/08/2008
Award-winning developer, Simons Developments, would like to reiterate that the new multi-storey and open-air car park on the St Catherine's Walk development, Carmarthenshire, is underway and will comprise of approximately 960 car parking spaces when complete. Service work is currently underway on t
25/08/2008
Major improvements designed to make the Chelson Meadow Recycling Centre in Plymouth safer and easier to use are due to start in September. The centre is visited by around 450,000 people every year who use the site to get rid of a wide range of recyclable and reusable waste such as cans (steel and
25/08/2008
U-Roof has announced the successful installation of it latest project, as with most modern construction sites access can be constricted and the site itself is often tight for space. After assessing the construction details and site requirements it was decided to use the U-Roof system but to assemb
22/08/2008
Crossrail, the new railway for London and the South East, has announced the shortlisted consortia and companies for the competitive tender process for its programme partner, project delivery partner and design framework agreements. The five companies shortlisted for the project delivery partner are
22/08/2008
UK Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks, has visited Nigeria this week following HE President Yar'Adua's London meeting with the Prime Minister in June, where energy was a key theme of their discussion. Whilst there he met with Nigerian energy ministers and visited the Delta to gain an understanding of t
22/08/2008
Civil Engineering Contractors Association's (CECA) quarterly Workload Trends Survey has revealed signs of a significant slow down among its members. For smaller contractors, the latest figures show a continuing downward trend in the negative results first highlighted in the previous quarter, confir
22/08/2008
Interserve, the services, maintenance and building group, has been awarded two further health sector projects in Wales. North West Wales NHS Trust has chosen Interserve as its supply partner for the replacement of its corroded pipe work throughout Ysbyty Gwynedd, an Acute Hospital in Bangor. The sc
22/08/2008
E.ON has become the latest energy supplier to respond to rising wholesale energy costs by increasing electricity and gas prices for the majority of its residential customers, effective from today. Prices will rise by 16% for electricity and 26% for gas. The move comes as a direct result of rising
22/08/2008
Huge progress is being made in constructing the new utilities infrastructure that will form the 'backbone' of the Olympic Park, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has announced. Construction work is well underway on a new Primary Electrical Substation that will supply electricity to the 2.5sq km
22/08/2008
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has called on businesses and organisations from around the world to submit truly ground-breaking ideas to contribute to making the Olympic Park a spectacular success once London's Games are over. In Beijing, as he prepared to receive the Olympic flag that will mark the
22/08/2008
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) has bolstered its support for medium sized contractors with the appointment of James Macdonald as a new key account handler. His new role has been created by the NFB in recognition of the more complex needs of contractors with a turnover greater than £5 mil
22/08/2008
ISG Jackson Special Projects has successfully completed an historically important external refurbishment contract at the Grade II listed, Loughton Hall in Essex. The refurbishment of the Queen Anne-style building, for client Redrow Homes (Eastern) Ltd, has been overseen by English Heritage and now
22/08/2008
Council tenants and leaseholders celebrated the signing of a new constitution at Bognor Regis Town Hall. The new Arun Tenant and Leaseholder Organisation (ATLO) constitution was signed by Mary Lockwood, Chairman of the ATLO, and Frank Hickson, Head of Housing Management for Arun. It replaces the
21/08/2008
Housebuilder Persimmon has reported a massive plunge in property sales during the first half of the year. The company's pre-tax profits dropped 64% to £100.9 million, down from £281 million in the same period. The number of houses sold by Persimmon fell by almost a third over the period due to the
21/08/2008
The Secretary of State, Hazel Blears, has approved Coin Street Community Builders' (CSCB) proposals for a public swimming and indoor leisure centre and residential development on London's South Bank. The Doon Street scheme had been supported by Lambeth Council, local MP Kate Hoey, the Mayor of Lond
21/08/2008
The rental market boomed as housing sales in July diminished, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Lettings Survey. New instructions to let increased at the fastest pace in the survey's history as many would-be-sellers found that becoming a landlord is a better option than
21/08/2008
Gross mortgage lending totalled an estimated £24.8 billion in July, up 5% from June and down 27% from July a year ago, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). Bob Pannell, CML Head of Research, said: "While there was a small month-on-month increase in activity, it represented a notabl
21/08/2008
A contract has been signed for the first construction phase of a £1.5 billion container port on the Thames. Dubai Ports (DP) World signed a £400m contract which will signal the start of work to develop the site on the north bank of the Thames. The London Gateway container port and business park wi
21/08/2008
An investigation is underway after a lorry driver became impaled on a metal pole after crashing into gates. The 37-year-old was delivering timber to a building site in Dodsworth Street in Darlington, in County Durham, when his vehicle collided with an open gate on Tuesday. Police say the gate's po
21/08/2008
This Monday is the last bank holiday weekend before the autumn arrives and now is the time to start preparing your home before the dreaded weather and darker evenings set in according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs at FMB has these suggestions
21/08/2008
Leading energy company E.ON has given a £30,000 grant under its SOURCE community initiative towards the cost of installing a water turbine which generates electricity at the Apsley Paper Trail in Hemel Hempstead. The Apsley Paper Trail is an education and conservation charity which is based at the
21/08/2008
An expanding Evesham house builder has signed up with trade body the House Builders Association (HBA) to support its continued growth. Benavon Ltd has built residential properties across Worcestershire since 1992 and recently completed Evesham's Goodwin Gardens scheme. The business is set to capi
21/08/2008
Work to improve facilities at Highfields Library in Leicester began this week. The library has recently achieved UKonline Centre status, which means it will be able to offer more computer training for local people. The £10,000 improvements include re-organising the inside of the library to creat
20/08/2008
BAA is being urged to sell three of its seven airports because of concerns about its dominance in the market. The Competition Commission (CC) is recommending that the airport operator should have to sell two of its three airports in the south east: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. The Commission al
20/08/2008
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson,has officially opened the new £4.5m cycling centre in east London. He was joined by Commissioner for Sport Kate Hoey and Sydney gold medallist Jason Quealy in trying out the state of the art centre which was built by the London Development Agency (LDA) for community a
20/08/2008
Major resurfacing and waterproofing work will start on the southbound carriageway of the M5 Avonmouth Bridge near Bristol on Monday 1 September and will continue until January. During the work there will be narrow lanes and a 50 mph speed limit controlled by speed cameras. Three lanes will remain o
20/08/2008
Work to determine the potential feasibility of a tidal energy scheme in the Severn Estuary is continuing with the appointment of the DTZ consortium to lead a study to identify the regional economic impacts of a Severn tidal scheme. The study - which will look at potential significant impacts on th
20/08/2008
Wolsey Securities is calling on the Government to take urgent action, as activity falls to a low level that even surpasses the slump during the last housing market crash. With the Bank of England figures showing that only 36,000 mortgage approvals were made in June, the number of housing transactio
20/08/2008
The project spearheading economic and physical regeneration in Plymouth City Centre has received a funding boost to help extend it work for a further five years. The Plymouth Business Improvement District (BID) was created in 2005 and through the management of the Plymouth City Centre Company has a
20/08/2008
Council leaders have been urged to join the campaign for a national home insulation programme that would lift 500,000 people out of fuel poverty, cut £200 a year off the energy bills of 10 million households and reduce domestic carbon emissions by 20%. The leaders of all four political groups at th
20/08/2008
Residents and businesses across Carmarthenshire in Wales are being warned to look after their heating oil and diesel fuel following an increase in thefts during the last 12 months. The rise in the price of both heating oil and diesel has seen this type of crime soar throughout the county. The thef
20/08/2008
With fears of a UK recession mounting and a crisis affecting the housing sector, thousands of local building firms are facing an uncertain future as work on construction sites slows down. Recent figures from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) showed the number of construction companies falling into inso
20/08/2008
E.ON, one of the country's leading green generators, has announced plans to invest around £300m in a biomass power station at the Port of Bristol. At 150MW, the proposed Portbury Dock Renewable Energy Plant would generate enough power for more than 200,000 homes by burning wood that would largely b
19/08/2008
Homeowners struggling to meet the soaring cost of food, fuel and finance could be the perfect prey for cowboy builders, according to new research. A YouGov survey, commissioned by professional trade body the National Federation of Builders (NFB), found that over half of Britons would risk hiring a
19/08/2008
London Underground has applied for planning permission to bring major improvements to Green Park Tube station in time for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. If successful, London Underground will provide full step-free access from street to platform level to benefit mobility impaired pas
19/08/2008
Large scale public sector projects such as Crossrail and those linked to the 2012 Olympic Games, including the East London Line and Thameslink, are in danger of dipping further into the public purse due to significant increases in costs, according to the Civil Engineering Market report from RICS' Bu
19/08/2008
Eight artists have been shortlisted to develop artwork proposals for bridges and underpasses in the Olympic Park. More than 30 new bridges will be built across waterways and railway lines throughout the Olympic Park to create open and accessible parklands, and connect the new communities surroundin
19/08/2008
New oak lock gates are being installed at Mann Island lock within the Countryside and Neptune Development as part of the £20m creation of the innovative Liverpool Canal Link. Weighing up to four tonnes in weight and almost five metres high the lock gates are carefully being craned into position wit
19/08/2008
Earlier this year communications company, The imageData Group, expanded into new facilities in Howden, Yorkshire. The state-of-the-art site of 67,000 sq ft, houses high-level digital printing technology, warehousing, "Pick and Pack" fulfilment and office facilities. For their digital printing area
19/08/2008
A Derbyshire company, Rise & Recline Limited, has announced the expansion of their successful furniture business with help from an East Midlands Development Agency (emda) grant. Samantha Langtree established Long Eaton-based Rise and Recline in 2001 along with fellow director Nigel Morley. Both had
19/08/2008
Surrey County Council, with contractor Ringway, have revamped Folly Hill (A287) replacing damaged kerbstones, improving drainage and completely removed the old road and replaced it with a new surface. The work is part of the multi-million pound scheme, which has seen many miles of roads around Surr
19/08/2008
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has approved the Ombudsman Service Limited's application to operate an estate agents redress scheme, under the Consumer Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007. The company will operate the Surveyors Ombudsman Service (SOS) as an approved estate agents redress scheme, an
19/08/2008
Imagine being able to walk around your new house or office long before it is actually built! Using the latest graphics technology, Paul Doherty, age 29, and his team at Urban Art make this possible, creating lifelike 3D simulations and animations from architects designs for use by, town planners, es
18/08/2008
There's growing unease in the business and commercial world today with news that even homeowners in London have been forced to drastically drop their selling prices to fall into line with the rest of the country. According to a new report, from property agent Rightmove, vendors in the capital have
18/08/2008
Northamptonshire County Council is celebrating the announcement of a £89 million cash injection from the government to revitalise street lighting throughout the county. The county council has been successful in making a bid to the government to secure the PFI funding to renew and improve the 54,000
18/08/2008
Transport for London (TfL) has published a report into an incident on 28 May, 2008 involving a rail bridge being built outside Liverpool Street station as part of the East London Line Project. The report found that at 19:15, the bridge dropped 200mm after sub-contractors, using temporary supports,
18/08/2008
Despite concerns over the credit crunch and the limited availability of mortgage finance, there continues to be a wide range of products available to both existing borrowers and first-time buyers, it has been suggested. According to HSBC, one in ten people are considering moving home or stepping on
18/08/2008
A £4.7 million scheme to reduce the risk of sewer flooding to 25 properties in a Hampshire village has begun. The scheme in Brambridge is part of Southern Water's £86 million, ongoing flood protection programme. It will involve construction of a new underground storage tank capable of holding more
18/08/2008
A survey of members conducted by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), has produced one of the largest responses from estate agents with over 1350 replies, demonstrating what a contentious issue the recent stamp duty 'announcement' is and the effect it has had on the property market. Al
18/08/2008
Housing Minister Caroline Flint MP has visited a Shelter Housing Aid Centre in Leeds to find out how staff on the frontline are coping with the repossessions crisis. The Minister met with Shelter advisers and county court desk workers, who use their legal expertise to fight for a fairer deal from m
18/08/2008
UK Coal plans to redevelop a former colliery site in West Yorkshire have been given the green light, paving the way for the regeneration of what was the oldest mine site in Britain. Around 917 new homes, a business and commercial park expected to create over 1,000 new jobs, facilities including re
18/08/2008
One of the main gateways into Barnsley will receive a record level of investment to improve the area. Barnsley Council cabinet members approved allocation of funds to the Urban Centre Scheme, which will see continued intervention on the Sheffield Road area of town and tackle poor quality housing an
18/08/2008
A construction apprentice from New Addington, near Croydon, is celebrating after being named by Lovell as its Regional Personal Achiever of the Year for London and the South East. Joel Alcindor, 22, was rewarded for his outstanding efforts as he learns his trade with Lovell under its apprenticeship
15/08/2008
Durkan Limited has been awarded a £22.6 million contract to design and build 167 new homes for the Metropolitan Housing Trust in Harrow, London. Durkan will be responsible for the first two phases of the redevelopment of the existing residential estate at Strongbridge Close which will include 143
15/08/2008
A £2 million scheme to re-clad and upgrade Lansdowne Court, a block of 131 flats in Easton, Bristol, has been completed. The thermal insulation cladding has improved the energy efficiency of the building reducing fuel bills and saving energy. "The residents are delighted," said Cllr John Bees,
15/08/2008
Construction output is expected to shrink during both this year and next according to the latest joint Trade Survey Report from the Construction Products Association and the Construction Confederation, as the economic slowdown coupled with the rising prices of energy and raw materials begins to bite
15/08/2008
Hundreds of thousands of people will lose the right to complain about noise, pollution or disruption caused by the construction of major infrastructure projects under proposals set out in the Planning Bill, council leaders have warned. LACORS, which oversees councils' environmental protection work,
15/08/2008
First-time buyers could be set to benefit from greater 'transparency' within the housing market, it has been claimed. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) announced in June that it would be setting new standards for those acting on behalf of lenders. Coming into effect in September, the new proce
15/08/2008
The 'Cut the VAT' Coalition has announced that Country Land and Business Association (CLA), whose 36,000 members manage and/or own half the rural land in England and Wales, has become the latest organisation to join the Coalition. The 'Cut the VAT' Coalition believes that reducing VAT from 17.5% to
15/08/2008
Householders in Llwynhendy, Wales, are being offered a chance to find out how to cut their fuel bills. Carmarthenshire County Council's Home Improvement Team is running a scheme for all householders in the area with Miller Pattison, one of the largest home insulation companies in the country. The s
15/08/2008
BLISS Books, the business book specialist has won a major contract with Network Rail, having been named as its sole supplier for construction contracts and technical titles. BLISS Books beat off competition from its rivals to win the contract, and has provided Network Rail with a construction cont
15/08/2008
Sheffield City Council will seek to amend planning policy next week to make Sheffield a better place to live. Councillor Ian Auckland, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development and Transport at Sheffield City Council said: "It sounds a lot, to claim that changing planning policy will make Sheffiel
15/08/2008
A new 'Eco Bus' has joined the drive towards a better than ever visitor experience at Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park in Plymouth. The electric powered passenger bus is designed to take the strain out of visiting the house for those arriving at the Cremyll entrance to the park. Capable of ca
14/08/2008
Building and maintenance company, Rok, has announced its interim results. They show Rok has delivered another period of strong growth in its core new build, repairs and maintenance activities with record revenues and profits. Having started to reduce its exposure to commercial property developmen
14/08/2008
Eight construction apprentices have joined the Renaissance Consortium's apprenticeship training scheme in East Manchester. The new recruits - all from East Manchester - have been taken on through a major refurbishment and redevelopment programme underway in Miles Platting. Each trainee has been gi
14/08/2008
Ruberoid Building Products' structural waterproofing system, Hyload, has been specified for the historic Allders Department Store building in Leeds. Chosen for its high performance and longevity, Hyload DPC and Preformed Cloak units provide the waterproofing solution for the building's long awaited
14/08/2008
Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire's streets are set to benefit from £145.8m in Private Finance Initiative Investment, Transport Minister Rosie Winterton (pictured) announced today. The funding will allow Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire County Councils to secure private sector partners in a jo
14/08/2008
E.ON has announced it will bring down the redundant Tinsley cooling towers this August Bank Holiday weekend. The 250ft towers will be demolished in a controlled explosion in the early hours of Sunday 24 August. Due to the need to close the M1 motorway, the timings were decided following extensive
14/08/2008
St George's Hall Heritage Centre, in Liverpool has recently received a £23 million refurbishment and as a result will now be open seven days a week all year round (except Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Day). Members of the public can now call in and view the building and its numerous exhibits
14/08/2008
Construction consultants Turner & Townsend have reached the finals of the APM Awards in three major categories at this year’s prestigious Association for Project Management (APM) Awards to be held on 29 October at The Brewery in London. For the past 15 years the APM Project Management Awards have b
14/08/2008
The future of adult care in Cannock has taken a step forward with the announcement that £4 million funding has been secured. The money from the Housing Corporation has ensured the go-ahead for an £8.5 million flagship Extra Care development at Lakeside Park. The project is being developed by Staff
14/08/2008
North Yorkshire Highways have reopened the A59 at Kex Gill, near Blubberhouses, after a vital maintenance contract was completed almost a week ahead of schedule. The A59 - a major east-west route across North Yorkshire between Skipton and Harrogate - was closed on August 4 for essential highways w
14/08/2008
Rain Harvester Ltd has announced they have achieved a preferred supplier status of rainwater harvesting products to Greenworks, the specialist sustainable brand available at Jewson's, Grahams and other Saint Gobain merchants throughout the UK and Ireland. The Saint-Gobain Group has approximately 90
13/08/2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today expressed concern at the continuing number of major and significant hydrocarbon releases in the offshore industry, often regarded as precursors to a major accident. Figures released by the HSE revealed that there had been no improvement in the number of t
13/08/2008
Osborne's newly formed rail division has announced its successful appointment on the Network Rail Operational Property Framework for the south of England. Under the framework agreement Osborne will undertake a station refurbishment programme to update and improve existing stock across the South of
13/08/2008
An English pipe fitter has been awarded €20,000 in compensation after an Equality Tribunal ruled he had suffered racial abuse within his Irish workplace. The man, who wanted to remain anonymous, was working for an engineering firm, at a Dublin building site, when fellow workers bombarded him with
13/08/2008
An outline planning application, which would see the redevelopment of the former Gedling Colliery site, has been submitted to the Areas Council by the East Midlands Development Agenda (emda). The colliery site - situated four miles north-east of Nottingham city centre - is one of 107 sites in Engli
13/08/2008
As Great Britain's Olympic sailors storm ahead in Qingdao, back in Dorset work on part of the venue for the sailing events for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games is also moving at a rate of knots, with the start of construction on the £7.1m marina shoreside development. Bournemouth-based co
13/08/2008
Multi-award winning architectural practice Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) has begun trials of Workspace, the business management software product from Union Square Software. Over the next six months, Workspace's document and email management functionality will be fully rolled out across all 13
13/08/2008
Plans to improve transport links between Anglesey and mainland Wales moved a step forward yesterday after Welsh Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones revealed the findings of a public consultation. The three-month consultation exercise into the future of the Britannia Bridge, which carries the A55
13/08/2008
The Highways Agency will start work later this year on a scheme costing approximately £5m to refurbish the westbound carriageway of the M50 Queenhill Viaduct between Junctions 1 and 2 near Tewkesbury. The five-month long scheme, starting in September, will involve removing approximately 750m of the
13/08/2008
Contractors working on St Austell's £75 million town centre regeneration scheme have introduced a number of innovative ways to reduce carbon output during construction, which have been welcomed by the South West RDA. Sir Robert McAlpine is leading the development, which is receiving £31.5m worth of
12/08/2008
Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction, services and investment group, has announced that Gammon Capital, its PPP vehicle in South East Asia, has reached financial close for the new Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College West, the first accommodation based PPP in Singapo
12/08/2008
Planning permission has been granted for developing a new Knowledge Hub and world-class Innovation Centre at Colworth Science Park in Bedfordshire. Supported by the East of England development Agency (EEDA), the new development will create 130 jobs and help businesses and academics in the region ac
12/08/2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned employers and senior managers that they must control the risks of working at height in the workplace. The warning follows the prosecution of the manager of a construction company after an incident led to an employee at a site in Mansfield suffering s
12/08/2008
News that the Government plans to make a one-off token payment of £150 to the seven million families in receipt of child benefit, to help them meet the rising energy costs, will in reality be of little significant benefit according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). With the average fuel b
12/08/2008
Carmarthenshire County Council has entered a partnership with local building contractors to improve its entire council housing stock. The council is committed to raising its 9,300 homes to the exacting Carmarthenshire Homes Standard by 2014-15. It introduced a Contractor Partnership at the beginni
12/08/2008
The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), the residential sales arm of the National Federation of Property Professionals (NFOPP), is calling on the Bank of England to reduce interest rates or at least to maintain them in the current climate. Peter Bolton King, Chief Executive of the NAEA, s
12/08/2008
Costain has announced it has been awarded a £120 million contract by Swiss plant construction company Von Roll Inova to design and construct the civil engineering and building of the Riverside Resource Recovery facility at Belvedere in south-east London. Construction work on the main site started
12/08/2008
International Construction and Management Consultants, Turner & Townsend have opened a new office in Vienna. The office, situated in the Millennium Tower Vienna, opened in May 2008. Already working in Austria supporting a number of projects, Turner & Townsend will now be able to provide a local se
12/08/2008
A multi-million pound regeneration project in the north west of England has been shortlisted for a prestigious award. Burscough town centre's ambitious £11.5m initiative to revitalise the area has a chance of winning the North West Royal Town Planning Institute Planning Achievement Award 2008. Wes
12/08/2008
E.ON, one of the UK's leading power and gas companies, has announced it has completed the acquisition of ABB's highways lighting business, including ABB's interests in the Lighting for Staffordshire Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project. The acquisition will be integrated into E.ON's existing En
11/08/2008
The UK's largest water and wastewater services company, Thames Water, has announced it expected its bills to rise by about 3% a year above inflation. However, the company said its £6.5bn investment plan would be the largest spending programme carried out by a UK water company. The news comes as al
11/08/2008
With energy bills soaring and the economy in a sharp decline, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is urging OFGEM, the energy regulator, to ensure that their current probe into the energy industry addresses a number of serious flaws in the way energy companies deal with businesses. Furthermore,
11/08/2008
The Council has expressed its disappointment that key issues regarding the proposed eco-town at Ford remain unaddressed following Housing Minister Caroline Flint's visit. It was hoped that Ms Flint would use the visit as an opportunity to respond to some of the Council and local community's main fe
11/08/2008
Plans for a £17m Wrexham business park are expected to be unveiled next week. The plans, which could bring thousands of jobs, will be unveiled by Sainsbury's and Chester-based property developer Liberty Properties. The supermarket giant and property developer have submitted a joint planning applic
11/08/2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging companies to assess the risks to their employees from exposure to vibration, after a Hampshire company was fined £10,500 for ignoring the safety of a worker. Tews Engineering Limited, based in Petersfield, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to contravening Sec
11/08/2008
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has for the first time opened its International Innovation and Research Awards up to non-members and non-CIOB accredited centres. Dr Sarah Peace the CIOB's Research Manager said: "For over 10 years these awards have been recognising and promoting the impor
11/08/2008
All apprentices should be protected by the national minimum wage (NMW) in order to end exploitation and reduce the number of people who drop out because they cannot afford to complete their training, according a new TUC report. In its submission to the Low Pay Commission (LPC) minimum wage apprenti
11/08/2008
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are now required for commercial properties throughout England and Wales. Faithful+Gould is assisting the region's developers, owners, purchasers and occupiers of buildings in understanding their effects and importance for the future. From 1 October 2008, the m
11/08/2008
A new Greenpeace report has illustrated how the construction industry can have a positive influence on the management practices in forests around the world. The report, entitled 'Setting a new standard: alternatives to unsustainable plywood in the UK construction industry', is a practical guide for
11/08/2008
As Centrica annouce profits of £5m per day, Hillingdon Council is working with partners to help reduce fuel bills for residents, especially for vulnerable and older people. Earlier this month, Hillingdon Council received the EDF Energy award for excellent partnership and achievements with the Londo
08/08/2008
The number of mortgage arrears and repossessions of homes in the first half of 2008 have increased by 41% according to the latest data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The CML is maintaining its forecast of 45,000 total possessions and 170,000 mortgages in arrears of more than three mon
08/08/2008
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced that proposals for a £18 million scheme to part-pedestrianise Parliament Square will not proceed, due to serious concerns about increased traffic congestion, loss of green space, and cost. The Mayor acknowledged that a lot of good work had been carr
08/08/2008
Energy Secretary John Hutton has announced the approval of the UK's fourth largest offshore wind farm. The 315MW offshore wind farm, Sheringham Shoal, is planned off the coast of Norfolk. The development by Scira Offshore Energy Ltd will comprise of up to 108 turbines, enough to power the equivalen
08/08/2008
Whitbread PLC, one of the UK's largest hotel and restaurant company, has announced that it has secured a string of new property deals portfolio by more than 1,000 rooms and add five new pub restaurants across the UK. This represents a cumulative investment of around £100 million. Following last wee
08/08/2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a stark warning about managing the risks from asbestos, following its prosecution of a two companies in Essex, after workers in their employment were exposed to asbestos containing materials. R Maskell Ltd of Loughton, Essex was fined £150,000 with c
08/08/2008
Construction and Management Consultants, Turner & Townsend have announced they will be opening new offices in Leeds adjacent to its Head Office to house its growing team of professionals. Turner & Townsend has been working in Leeds for 40 years and in 1992 relocated its Head Office to the impressiv
08/08/2008
Miller Construction has appointed Mark Baxter as Director of its Public Private Partnership (PPP) Unit. Mark joined the construction firm over six years ago to take up the position of Finance Manager for PPP before being made an Associate Director of the PPP Unit in 2007. Mark's promotion is a nat
08/08/2008
Ray Sloane has been appointed as a senior risk and value consultant at Faithful+Gould's Warrington office. Ray joins Faithful+Gould from Turner and Townsend where he was a senior risk consultant. He has experience of working on projects up to £2.4 billion in value and will provide risk and value se
08/08/2008
London Underground (LU) and Network Rail has announced that Blackfriars Underground station will close from 2 March 2009 until late 2011, as part of Network Rail's Thameslink upgrade programme. Network Rail will be redeveloping the Blackfriars station complex; works will include lengthening their p
08/08/2008
Swish Building Products, specialists in PVC roofline and cladding systems has successfully embraced the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) to improve employee health and safety standards on site. All Swish sales and technical personnel who attend sites have undertaken the CSCS assessme
07/08/2008
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has reiterated its call for mortgage lenders to ensure they are treating customers fairly in the current market conditions as its latest review finds weaknesses in the way some lenders are handling arrears and repossessions - particularly for consumers with imp
07/08/2008
House prices dropped by 1.7% in July according to the Halifax House Price Index released today. Britain's biggest mortgage lender said house prices have lost 8.8% of their value in the past year. Halifax said the average price of house in the UK was £177,351, down 11% from the peak of £199,600 in
07/08/2008
Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling is being put under increased pressure to confirm whether or not he will be suspending stamp duty to help restore the failing housing market. The proposal has been welcomed by builders, but before Mr Darling makes a decision he said he was looking at a "r
07/08/2008
Galliford Try plc, the construction and housebuilding group, has secured four projects worth a total of £84.5 million to regenerate communities and build 671 affordable homes for rent and shared ownership in London and the South East. For the Circle Anglia Housing Association, Galliford Try has bee
07/08/2008
Plans for the regeneration of Ilfracombe have taken a step forward with the appointment of a specialist team to prepare costed proposals for the transformation of the Harbour and other key sites around the town. The next phase of work - to be jointly funded by the South West RDA, North Devon Counci
07/08/2008
Construction union UCATT have criticised the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's report Improving Outcomes from Health and Safety, which recommends that small businesses should have their health and safety responsibilities reduced. UCATT believes that rather than considering r
07/08/2008
The release of an Investors in People (IIP) report, focused on Housing Corporation employees and their levels of commitment to the organisation, has found that the social housing regulator is in very good stead as it moves into a new era. The report, conducted in accordance with national guidelines
07/08/2008
A new Carbon Trust study into the potential of small-scale wind energy has found that small wind turbines could provide up to 1.5 Terawatt Hours (TWh) per year of electricity and 0.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) emission savings. This is based on 10% of households installing turbines
07/08/2008
Councillors unanimously have given the green light to the detailed plans for the Mersey Gateway Project. Halton Borough Council's Development Control Committee referred three applications that will allow the project to proceed to the Secretary of State without objection. It also endorsed the conten
07/08/2008
The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has released a dramatic video that shows the dangers of not wearing a full body harness on a boom type access platform. The IPAF video features a live demonstration in which a crash dummy fitted to a specially modified Skyjack boom shows the effec
06/08/2008
Carillion, one of the UK's leading support services and construction companies, has been fined £70,000 and ordered to pay £24,000 in costs following the death of an employee at a construction site on the Isle of Grain, in Kent, on 11 December 2003. Alexander McCully from Motherwell had worked at th
06/08/2008
Four companies operating from Cheltenham and selling plots of agricultural land have been closed down by the High court following an investigation by the Companies Investigation Branch of the Insolvency Service. The companies began trading in early 2004 by purchasing land in greenbelt areas across
06/08/2008
The National Specialist Contractors Council (NSCC) State of Trade Survey for the second quarter of 2008 shows a sharp decline in both the number of enquiries and the number of orders which is a clear reflection of current economic conditions. However, 76% of Specialist Contractors reported working
06/08/2008
The construction of the Olympic Stadium is surging ahead with the start of the work on the concrete supports for the lower tiers of seating and the abutments for one of the main pedestrian access bridges, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has announced. A pre-cast concrete batching plant has bee
06/08/2008
Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction services and investment Group has announced that Balfour Beatty Communities, its US PPP concession arm, has finalised agreements with the US Department of the Army to be the private sector partner for the West Point Military Housing Privati
06/08/2008
The National Landlords Association (NLA), the leading representative body for private-residential landlords, has asked interested parties to submit their views on their draft Code of Practice for landlords involved in the sale and rent back market. Following wide-reaching consultation across the ho
06/08/2008
The last ever Housing Corporation corporate plan has been published. In 2008-09 the Housing Corporation committed itself to facilitating the smooth and effective transition of its responsibilities to the new agencies, working in close partnership with the teams tasked with setting up the Homes and
06/08/2008
The brief for an international design competition to create inspirational public spaces in six town centres in Lancashire will be launched this month. Pennine Lancashire Squared aims to find the best landscape architects and public realm designers in the world to create outstanding high profile spa
06/08/2008
The Construction Confederation has welcomed Government measures aimed at cracking down on rogue employers who abuse vulnerable workers as "sensible and proportionate". The strategy, which includes establishing a single telephone helpline for vulnerable workers to report abuses to the Government's
06/08/2008
Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint has announced further details of the Government's plans for a groundbreaking Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which will support local communities by raising funding for new schools, hospitals, transport schemes, libraries, parks and leisure centres.
05/08/2008
Plans for a major new defence centre in North Wiltshire have been given the green light today by Defence Minister Derek Twigg. The project, known as 'Corsham09', will accommodate 2,200 Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) personnel and their industry partners on the Basil Hill site in Corsham. Th
05/08/2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging people to only use competent, registered gas fitters when having their boilers and heating systems serviced. This follows a joint investigation by the HSE and Kent County Council's Trading Standards (KTS) into dangerous work carried out on gas applian
05/08/2008
Centrica has confirmed it is in discussions with a third party with a view to Centrica taking a minority ownership position in British Energy, subject to various conditions, including this third party successfully acquiring British Energy and receipt of regulatory clearances. In the event that the
05/08/2008
Construction union UCATT are disappointed that the final report of the Vulnerable Worker's Enforcement Forum has failed to back measures, which would ensure that tens of thousands of construction workers are not exploited on a daily basis. UCATT acknowledge that proposals for closer working between
05/08/2008
Galliford Try has been awarded a £7.6 million contract by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association to build the charity's new Guide Dog Training School in Atherton, Greater Manchester. The training school will provide a purpose built facility for training young dogs from initial stages through to q
05/08/2008
CORGI, the UK gas safety watchdog, is urging consumers not to cut back on essential servicing of maintenance of their gas appliances, even in the face of increased fuel costs. All gas carrying appliances, such as boilers, gas cookers and water heaters, need to be serviced annually by a CORGI regist
05/08/2008
Large public buildings across England and Wales will soon have to display information on their energy efficiency to all visitors. Buildings affected include many of the nation's iconic structures, such as the British Museum, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and town halls across the country. The Awa
05/08/2008
Almost 30 families or single people on a low income will be able to buy their own homes as part of a major programme to help people on Bristol City Council’s housing register afford to buy property. The two schemes are funded by the Council using money received from local developers. Under regul
05/08/2008
The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) has announced the shortlist for the Structural Awards 2008. Established in 1968, the annual Structural Awards recognise excellence in structural design and showcase projects that lead the industry's global development. This year, over 80 projects
05/08/2008
Lovell has announced it contributed to a record set of half-year results released by parent construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall plc. Morgan Sindall, which operates through five specialist divisions of fit out, construction, infrastructure services, affordable housing and urban regene
04/08/2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned of the dangers of not using registered gas fitters. The warning follows the prosecution of a Blackpool man who fitted a gas fire while not being registered, leaving it in a dangerous condition. Richard Cartlidge of Limerick Road, Bispham, was fined £
04/08/2008
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has called for a long-term ambitious government programme to improve the energy efficiency of the country’s existing housing to tackle crippling fuel bills. As British Gas and other energy companies announce large fuel price rises, CIH is calling for governm
04/08/2008
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has announced a new target to recycle or reuse 90% of waste from the 'big build' phase of the project. This will be supported by a central waste management service which will be put in place across the Olympic Park. Any waste created during construction of the
04/08/2008
Interserve, the services, maintenance and building group, in consortium with John Laing, has won the PFI contract to create and manage a new office and accommodation complex for the MoD at Corsham, Wiltshire. The construction and facilities management value of the project is £310 million. The MoD,
04/08/2008
Energy giants should be hit with a windfall tax if they fail to lower their 'rip-off' prepayment tariffs, according to the National Housing Federation (NHF). The energy firms have repeatedly ignored warnings from ministers to lower their charges to prepayment customers, who already pay up to £330 m
04/08/2008
Staff and pupils at St Edburg's Primary School are to relocate to new school buildings as part of the proposed development at South West Bicester in a few years time. Cherwell District Council has published draft planning guidance to advise on the future use of the site, once the school has relocat
04/08/2008
An Ipsos MORI survey organised by energy company E.ON has shown that a majority of people who live near the Kingsnorth site are in favour of a new cleaner coal-fired power station at the site. The survey showed that 57% of the local population were in favour of E.ON's plans for a 1,600MW developmen
04/08/2008
Environment Minister Phil Woolas and Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks announced that Derek Lickorish will be the new Chair of the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group. As Chair, Mr Lickorish will play a leading role in advising Government on the effectiveness of current policies in delivering reductions in fue
04/08/2008
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has set out 10 new community commitments to help reduce the impact of construction activity on the surrounding community as work on the Olympic Park moves forward into the 'big build' phase. The commitments include ensure there are effective communication channe
04/08/2008
Professor Colin Jones was appointed as new Non-Executive Director to the Planning Inspectorate by Communities Minister Baroness Andrews and Environment, Sustainability and Housing Minister, for Wales, Jane Davidson. As a Non-Executive Director of the Planning Inspectorate Professor Jones will sit o
01/08/2008
Planning guidance that will shape the development of Silverstone will still go ahead, but without the housing. It was announced at a full Council meeting that the applicants, the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), has now withdrawn these homes from the application, following concerns from local r
01/08/2008
The National Home Improvement Council (NHIC) says millions of UK householders, especially the elderly and those on fixed incomes, are going to find it very difficult to pay the vastly inflated fuel prices in order to keep warm this winter. NHIC Executive Director, Roman Russocki, said: "With incre
01/08/2008
Nexus has secured more than £300 million commitment from Government to invest in the next phase of renewal and modernisation for the Tyne and Wear Metro. The announcement by Rosie Winterton, Minister of State at the Department for Transport, to support Phase 2 of Metro Re-invigoration is by far the
01/08/2008
Energy suppliers should be subjected to a £500 million annual charge to combat fuel poverty and cut carbon emissions, council leaders have said. Responding to the £992 million half-year profits posted by the British Gas parent company Centrica, Cllr Paul Bettision, Chairman of the Local Government
01/08/2008
Significant progress has been made in the proposals for eco-towns, according to a report published by the Eco-Town Challenge Panel, an independent group of experts in sustainability and urban development set up by Housing Minister Caroline Flint. The Panel found that many of the bidders had respond
01/08/2008
Construction union UCATT, are preparing to ballot their 24,000 local government workers over a dispute concerning pay and conditions. The craft workers: carpenters, painters, bricklayers, labourers etc, are employed under the Red Book agreement. The majority of the members work in local government
01/08/2008
Health and safety experts have welcomed a report into the Buncefield disaster calling for a review of the current planning system for land use around major hazard sites. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) said that it supported, in principle, the findings of 'Recommendations o
01/08/2008
Technology experts from the UK's leading renewable energy R&D centre at NaREC, will work with their counterparts at CENER, National Renewable Energy Centre of Spain, to create new ways of generating and distributing power from small-scale renewables within communities. The one year project will in
01/08/2008
The English Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) have welcomed the Government's second round of Regional Funding Allocations (RFAs), announced by Yvette Cooper, Chief Secretary to the Treasury. The new round of RFAs worth over £87bn up to 2019, will allow regions to advise Government on their inves
01/08/2008
E.ON, one of the UK's leading green generators, has organised two public exhibitions to keep local people informed about its proposed A1 wind farm. The scheme, which would be made up of 10 turbines that could produce enough power for around 11,000 homes, would be located close to the A1 and north o
