Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
UK Construction News Archive for March 2014
31/03/2014
Work to build a new £5.3m business development on the Solent Enterprise Zone at Daedalus will start soon after plans for the scheme were approved by Fareham Borough Council. The innovation centre project will create around 150 new jobs and create office space and workshop facilities for new busines
31/03/2014
The number of new homes registered in the UK increased by 14% for the rolling quarter, December to February, compared to the same period last year, according to figures released today by NHBC. In total, 29,557 new homes were registered from December 2013 to February 2014, compared to 26,004 for the
31/03/2014
Government proposals to match SMEs that have had applications for finance turned down by the banks with alternative lenders have been welcomed by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: "Accessing bank finance is often difficult for SMEs. Over the pas
31/03/2014
In this latest framework success, Miller is one of seven firms appointed to the North Wales Schools and Public Buildings Contractor Framework which includes delivery of the high profile 21st Century School building programme across the region. Appointment to the framework, which will be delivered
31/03/2014
Legal & General Property (LGP) has received consent on its revised planning application at the Arndale Centre in Eastbourne, paving the way for a £85m retail and leisure extension to start on site in early 2015. In 2012, approval was granted by Eastbourne Borough Council for a £70m extension to the
31/03/2014
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has announced that the Cavendish Fluor Partnership has been selected as the preferred bidder in the competition to take ownership of Magnox Ltd and Research Sites Restoration Limited, the Site Licence Companies for 12 UK nuclear sites. Following a mandat
31/03/2014
Kier Group has announced that Halton Borough Council and the Merseylink consortium have reached financial close on the construction of the £450m Mersey Gateway Project, a new six-lane toll bridge over the River Mersey. Kier Infrastructure is one of the three Merseylink construction joint venture (C
31/03/2014
A new University Technical College (UTC), which will accommodate some 600 students, looks set to be built in north Liverpool. Subject to planning approval, the UTC would open in September 2015 on the site of the former Anfield Comprehensive School. It would specialise in courses related to engineer
28/03/2014
Construction firm BAM has won the multi-million pound contract to build a brand new, world class teaching centre for Teesside University. The £20m campus heart development will transform the centre of the University campus offering unrivalled modern, flexible teaching facilities for students with s
28/03/2014
The number of new homes registered in the UK increased by 14% for the rolling quarter December to February compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by NHBC. In total 29,557 new homes were registered from December 2013 to February 2014, compared to 26,004 for the correspo
28/03/2014
A new deal signed today will deliver newly-built homes specifically for private rent in 6 different towns, Housing Minister Kris Hopkins said. The minister welcomed this third deal through the government's £1 billion Build to Rent scheme, which is on track for work on 10,000 new homes for private r
28/03/2014
The Solutions 4 North Tyneside (S4NT) consortium has awarded national maintenance specialist Lovell a £32.8 million total turnover contract to deliver facilities management services for a major sheltered housing development and improvement project in North Tyneside. Under the new contract, which st
28/03/2014
A major council building in the heart of Liverpool city centre is set to be transformed into a Bill Shankly-themed aparthotel. The Council's Cabinet will be asked to approve plans, on Friday 4th April, for the city council to dispose of Millennium House to Signature Living Hotel Ltd, according to t
28/03/2014
Construction union UCATT has welcomed the findings of a new report that has called for the Gangmaster Licensing Authority to be extended to the construction industry. The report Preventing Trafficking for Labour Exploitation written by Caroline Robinson for Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX ) exam
28/03/2014
Impington Village College (IVC) has announced a new partnership with one of the world's leading construction groups, Skanska. The programme is one of the first of its kind in the country, and may act as a pathfinder project to establish a model for other schools up and down the country. The proj
28/03/2014
A Lancashire building firm has been fined for failing to provide basic facilities for its workers for nearly three weeks. Two Brooks Valley Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an inspection of a construction site for a new mini-supermarket in Warton found workers had n
27/03/2014
Ofgem has acted to remove uncertainty from the energy market by proposing a market investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). A market investigation will once and for all clear the air and allow the CMA to ensure that there are no further barriers to effective competition. An in
27/03/2014
BAM Construction has secured a £10.5 million contract to build the Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology. The project has now commenced on site. The contractor, which has offices in Derby, is constructing the three-storey building for the Academy and its partners Djanogly Learni
27/03/2014
Planning consultancy Turley has secured planning permission that will allow Wiltshire College to build a new £21m campus in Chippenham. Permission was given for the 9,100 sq m campus by Wiltshire Council on 12 March. The new facilities will support growth in vocational training and apprenticeshi
27/03/2014
Kier Group has appointed Mike Sewell to develop a new energy management and services offering as part of its £120m facilities management (FM) business. Mike joins Kier as head of energy with a wealth of experience, having spent more than 20 years in the sector including with global energy services
27/03/2014
Tributes have been paid to one the first ever people to work at JCB who has died at the age of 87. John Wheeldon was the sixth person recruited by company founder Joseph Cyril Bamford in August 1948. He went on to become the company's first ever demonstrator, before going on to set up JCB's Traini
27/03/2014
The Abbey Skip Hire team worked with the BBC's DIY SOS team in Bury recently. The firm was approached by the broadcaster and asked if they could help out with their big build project in Bury. The aim of the project is to change the lives of a local family who are living under difficult circumsta
27/03/2014
UK based biometric company, ievo will be showcasing their industry leading fingerprint readers as well as some new additions on the Paxton booth at ISC West from 2-4 April in Las Vegas. Currently manufacturing two fingerprint products, ievo are currently the only biometric seamlessly embedded into
26/03/2014
The key development partners involved in the Nine Elms on the South Bank regeneration programme have signed a Construction Charter, marking their commitment to work collaboratively to deliver best practice construction management across the UK's biggest regeneration project. The Charter provides a
26/03/2014
Miller Construction has reached financial close on a £78m construction project to deliver Quality Homes for Older People in North Tyneside. Through the joint venture, Solutions 4 North Tyneside (S4NT), Miller and its investment partner Equitix will develop 924 new-build and refurbished units over t
26/03/2014
Housing developer Lovell has been appointed to refurbish 2,000 homes for Sandwell MBC. The work on a series of low-rise dwellings will include roofing, new windows and doors, fencing and fire safety work, as well as central heating, electrics, kitchens and bathrooms inside individual dwellings. The
26/03/2014
Following a competitive tender process, North Midland Construction PLC has been appointed to carry out the work to improve the public realm on town centre streets in Barnsley. The streets the construction firm has been appointed to work on are: • Eldon Street • Regent Street South • Hanson Stre
26/03/2014
A Derbyshire plumber has been sentenced to two months in prison after putting his customers' lives at risk. Steven Colson, previously known as Steven Barkway and trading as SBC Bathrooms, was employed by Neil and Nazia Tingay to refurbish the bathroom at their home in Ashover, Chesterfield, in July
26/03/2014
The Merseyside Collective Switch energy deals have now been extended until midnight Monday 31 March. Hundreds of Merseyside residents have already switched through the scheme and are now saving an average of £207 a year on their energy bills. The Switch Together, Save Together scheme is organised
26/03/2014
Vibration management specialists Reactec have warned that the UK's construction industry could be harbouring a ticking HAVS timebomb, due to the rapid increase in self-employed workers. ONS figures have shown that since 2008 the number of self-employed workers across all industries, including const
26/03/2014
UKD Groundworks & Civil Engineering Ltd have upgraded from Sage to a construction specific accounts system which will improve efficiency of working with subcontractors, accuracy of contract costing and control of managing their plant assets. UKD have been using Sage for a number of years which inc
25/03/2014
Siemens has announced its decision to invest £160 million (EUR190m) in wind turbine production and installation facilities in Yorkshire. The revised plan will be spread across two sites comprising the previously announced Green Port Hull project construction, assembly and service facility and a ne
25/03/2014
Funding has been announced to kick start the development of two major new housing projects in South Wales that will create a high proportion of affordable housing, around 2,300 jobs and deliver an economic boost of around £225m. The new residential developments are proposed for the 39-acre former s
25/03/2014
Liverpool City Council has completed the acquisition of the Cunard building, in a move which is set to deliver massive savings and income for the authority. The city council has acquired the leasehold of the famous Grade II listed building at Liverpool's Pier Head, according to the Liverpool Expres
25/03/2014
Planning consultancy Turley has secured planning permission for 225,000 sq ft of new top quality office space in Leeds city centre. A resolution to grant planning permission was given for the Roydhouse Properties Central Square scheme by Leeds City Council on 20 March 2014. The Central Square sc
25/03/2014
Plans for the next phase of Northstowe, a proposed new town of up to 10,000 new homes in Cambridgeshire, have been published, and local people have the chance to input into how it could take shape. Consultation with the public started on 21 March, and explores an outline plan including the town cen
25/03/2014
Costain has been appointed to three transmission frameworks with National Grid to provide a broad range of services, including front end engineering design, programme management, construction and asset optimisation. The three frameworks are: • Civil Works For Underground Cables: Costain has secure
25/03/2014
New evidence has emerged that the Government's Right to Buy scheme is an abject failure and is leading to a significant reduction in vitally needed social housing, according to construction union UCATT. It has been revealed that 80% of councils replying to a Local Government Association survey said
25/03/2014
Being at the forefront of British Fastener Manufacturing for almost 45 years, Hague Fasteners have seen technological advancements transform their business both from a production perspective and from a communication aspect. It is the adoption of new technologies and continual modernisation of worki
24/03/2014
North Lanarkshire Council has appointed affordable housing developer Lovell for a £3 million design-and-build scheme which will provide 30 new council homes in the Blackwood area of Cumbernauld. Lovell will build 12 two- and three-apartment cottage flats and 18 three-, four- and five-bedroom houses
24/03/2014
Work has begun on a new development of 40 super energy efficient, affordable homes in Sandiacre. Developed by emh group, the new properties at Town Street will comprise 40 family homes and bungalows. They are designed to the highest possible environmental standard, 'Passivhaus', and to achieve Cod
24/03/2014
CALA Group Limited, the UK's major upmarket home builder, has announced that it has acquired Banner Homes, one of the UK's leading independent luxury house builders. As a developer of high specification, luxury homes, operating across central and southern England, Banner represents a perfect strate
24/03/2014
Soft Surfaces Ltd were asked by a school in Wigan to install a brand new surface for their playground. The school's existing play area was just a simple tarmac surface with no graphics or games markings for the children to play on. As well as not being much fun, the hard tarmac surface was relativ
24/03/2014
Transport Minister, Edwina Hart, has announced £12m funding for access improvements at five train stations across Wales. Chirk, Llandaf, Machynlleth, Radyr and Ystrad Mynach stations will receive the money as part of the Access for All programme to create step and obstacle-free routes to platforms
24/03/2014
A plant hire and dismantling company has been sentenced for safety failings after a worker suffered life changing injuries when steelwork he was dismantling collapsed on top of him. The 39-year-old from Barnsley sustained serious crush injuries including a fractured sternum and vertebrae in the inc
24/03/2014
Work on the project to completely refurbish London Bridge Station is proceeding on schedule. The scope of the contract includes removal of the existing roof, complete demolition of all the platforms and the formation of a new concourse at ground level that will be the size of the pitch at Wembley
24/03/2014
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is in a strong position to deliver the new investment detailed by the Chancellor, according to Chief Executive Andy Rose. The Budget saw the announcement of significant new investment in housing to support over 200,000 new homes. Chancellor George Osborne has
21/03/2014
Balfour Beatty has commenced a £3.3m project to convert the historic Stirchley Baths building into a community hub for residents of South Birmingham. The work on the Grade II listed building, originally opened in 1910, will involve the conversion of the former local swimming pool into a multipurpos
21/03/2014
Interserve, the international support and construction group, in partnership with DTZ Investment Management (DTZIM), are to bring the former Co-operative department store in Newcastle city centre back to life to create a mixed-use scheme, incorporating leisure facilities, hotel accommodation and ret
21/03/2014
Clegg Construction says it is thrilled to be the latest new contract partner for empa (the East Midlands Property Alliance). The Nottingham-based company has won a share of empa's £140m minor works framework which covers the wider East Midlands. The contracts are split into sub-regions to enable a
21/03/2014
Costain is relocating its Manchester Office to new, modern, larger premises close to Manchester Airport, reflecting the growth of the business and the need for more flexible and open working space. Costain has signed a lease for a 38,500 sq. ft. self-contained office building at 1500 Aviator Way on
21/03/2014
Shepherd Construction has been granted a £15.6m contract to design and build 50 residential apartments in London's Holland Park, Kensington. The contract, granted by Redrow London, will see the construction of 41 luxury private apartments and nine affordable and shared apartments at the prestigiou
21/03/2014
A self-employed worker has been fined after illegally carrying out gas work at dozens of homes in Appleby-in-Westmorland. Frederick Stephen Cowell, who is known by his middle name and trades as SC Services, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after working at around 40 homes in
21/03/2014
Schoolchildren from Stoke Minster School in Stoke on Trent have teamed up with pupils from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to help shape energy for the future at the E.ON Children's Conference. The E.ON Children's Conference, which took place at the National College of Schools Leadership in Nottingh
21/03/2014
A major milestone was recently reached on Graham Construction's Enfield Joint Service Centre Project. The frame is taking shape and the floor slabs are laid. Councillors, community and health representatives joined Graham at a ceremony to mark this point in the building works. The unique building,
21/03/2014
Laing O'Rourke has acquired Glass Reinforced Concrete UK Ltd (GRCUK), one of the country's leading specialists in bespoke architectural glass reinforced concrete (GRC) products, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group. Established in 2009 and based in South Yorkshire, GRCUK initially suppl
21/03/2014
Story Homes will be opening two show homes this weekend, showcasing the new build element of the Lancaster Moor development. Story Homes is building 197 homes in Lancaster on land surrounding the former Lancaster Moor hospital. The show homes on the 'High Wood' development will be officially opened
20/03/2014
The Chancellor has confirmed a £270 million guarantee for Mersey Gateway. The Government is now guaranteeing around 50% of the senior debt required to finance the project with the remainder being provided by the project finance market. The decision clears the way for financial close, when contracts
20/03/2014
Budget 2014 announced the extension of the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme until the end of the decade. T The extension of the scheme is expected to help another 120,000 families in the UK to buy a new-build home by 2020. As a result of the decision to extend the scheme, Barratt Developments has sa
20/03/2014
Official figures released show there has been a marked increase in the number of new homes under construction in Wales. The final quarter of 2013 saw a 6% increase in both the number of new dwellings started and those completed compared with the same quarter in the previous year. During the quarter
20/03/2014
UNITE has received planning approval for the development of a new student property in Islington, London, comprising circa 900 beds. The 260,000 square foot scheme has a forecast total development cost of £93 million and yield on cost of 8.8%. The central London, 1.4 acre site on Holloway Road, wa
20/03/2014
A £340,000 Highways Agency project to resurface a half-mile section of the A66 west of Keswick in Cumbria will get underway next week. The week's work will be taking place along a single lane section of the A66 between Braithwaite and Portinscale and both the eastbound and westbound carriageways wi
20/03/2014
The Chancellor's Budget announcement of a £500 million Builders Finance Fund for small house builders will provide a major boost for housing supply and has been welcomed by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: "Access to finance is a major stumblin
20/03/2014
Mitie has been awarded a renewed contract to provide integrated facilities management (FM) for Network Rail, the UK's rail and network infrastructure provider. The contract, with a total base value in excess of £75m over a five-year period, will see Mitie continue to deliver services across Network
20/03/2014
Costain is seeking planning permission to develop a solar farm on disused land north of Heathrow, which could generate 5.5 Megawatt of energy, enough to power around 1,650 homes. The 37-acre site, which Costain has owned since the early 1960s, is located near Sipson Road and Holloway Lane in the Lo
20/03/2014
A Bath building contractor exposed two of its employees to asbestos dust while working at a residential property in the city, a court heard. Geoff Thomas and Son Ltd allowed the workmen to demolish a basement ceiling without checking for the presence of asbestos and sent the pair to work on other j
20/03/2014
An historic fort built in the 1860s to protect Dover Castle has had its future secured thanks to an agreement between national land management charity, The Land Trust and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Fort Burgoyne, originally known as Castle Hill Fort, was built in 1861 at a cost of £88,
19/03/2014
Nottingham City Council has approved plans for 160 low energy homes at Trent Basin. It is the latest major project by specialist regeneration developer Blueprint and the result of a collaboration with the government’s Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Trent Basin is located within Nottingham Wat
19/03/2014
The organisation heading up Birmingham’s first community-led housing scheme is celebrating the start of its 20-home scheme, on the same day it celebrates its 20th anniversary. The double celebration for Witton Lodge Community Association(WLCA) in Perry Common, Birmingham, comes off the back of a jo
19/03/2014
The Willmott Dixon team behind Hebburn’s new community hub invited local councillors to see the first steelwork put in place. The £12.8m building, which includes two swimming pools, sport and fitness facilities and a new library, is a key part of the town centre’s renewal and Councillor Richard Por
19/03/2014
A unique joint venture partnership between Kier and Sheffield City Council, which was the largest in the country when it began, marks a successful 11 years in delivering repairs and maintenance to the city’s 42,000 council homes and 339 public buildings. The partnership, which started in April 2003
19/03/2014
A gateway into Peterborough city centre was reopened on Tuesday after major refurbishment. Marco Cereste, leader of Peterborough City Council and the Mayor of Peterborough, Councillor June Stokes, officially unveiled the new-look St Peter's Arcade. The arcade has benefited from a £300,000 renovati
19/03/2014
A court has heard how an unregistered gas fitter put his customers' lives at risk by leaving a new boiler in a dangerous condition. Ben Littleton, 24, from Fowey, was not Gas Safe registered and so not legally able to install the boiler in March last year. He also illegally carried out safety check
19/03/2014
AIC Steel Group has announced it is to invest £10m into its first UK manufacturing facility on an eight-acre site in Newport, South Wales. As part of its expansion plans, the firm will use the 35,000 m2 site as its UK manufacturing hub and will open a design and engineering office in London to targ
19/03/2014
Dubai World Trade Centre has awarded Al Futtaim Carillion the main contract to deliver the first phase of the Dubai Trade Centre District (DTCD), a 146,000 square metre development between the current Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and Emirates Towers in the heart of the city’s
19/03/2014
Balfour Beatty have become the first company within the construction sector to offer its support to the Disability Confident campaign. The Department for Work and Pensions’ campaign is working with employers to remove barriers, increase understanding and ensure that disabled people have the opportu
19/03/2014
New regulations have been approved that will make it unlawful to blacklist workers from employment as a result of union membership or other activities. Minister for Employment and Learning Dr Stephen Farry approved the regulations today. In 2009, the Information Commissioner discovered a list of t
18/03/2014
Interserve has started work on a new sixth-form centre, known as 'Central Sixth' at Sandwell College in the West Midlands. The contract follows the successful handover by Interserve in 2012 of the £77 million new Sandwell College. The new Central Sixth facility will open for students in September
18/03/2014
Kier has won a major contract worth around £102m. Kier Services has been appointed to provide the repairs and maintenance service to Sheffield City Council tenants and around 2,200 leaseholders for the next three years, with an option to extend this term by a further two years. The contract is cu
18/03/2014
The Labour Party's proposal for a 'Help to Build' guarantee scheme to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized (SME) house builders would be a welcome boost to help increase the supply of new housing, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB,
18/03/2014
Two councils have asked the Government for £1 million to fund a long-term flood prevention plan to protect thousands of homes and businesses near the Surrey county border with London. Last month, Surrey and Croydon councils, plus Tandridge Council, the military and Environment Agency, built four te
18/03/2014
Liverpool City Council is set to dispose of a former school site in Toxteth, paving the way to the delivery of almost 40 affordable homes for local people. Accoording to the Liverpool Express, the city's Cabinet will be asked, on Friday 2st March, to approve plans for the sale of land, which previo
18/03/2014
One of the UK's largest homebuilders has spoken out about the lack of diversity in construction, and has called for a more inclusive industry. Taylor Wimpey, which provides work for more than 15,000 staff and subcontractors, will be working with the CITB - the Industrial Training Board (ITB) for th
18/03/2014
A group of 20 young female engineering hopefuls have built a new 'Severn Crossing'. The structure was a model of the existing second Severn Crossing and was part of a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) event, organised by Costain, for the second consecutive year with Cardiff's Howells
18/03/2014
A Hertfordshire scaffolding firm has been fined for a catalogue of safety failings – including throwing and catching metal fittings over the heads of shoppers – as they erected two scaffolds outside an Oxford department store. Darren Baker Scaffolding Limited also failed to ensure the structures ou
18/03/2014
Balfour Beatty has 'topped out' the £6.7m student accommodation development at One Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, for London Student No.2 Limited Partnership. The design and build contract for the mixed use scheme that will provide 115 student accommodation studio units and 163m² of educationa
18/03/2014
Collaboration between Darlington Borough Council, Esh Property Services, Coast & Country Housing, livin and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has seen plans prepared and a start made on the site of the former Eastbourne School in the centre of Darlington. The £7m scheme is benefitting from ov
14/03/2014
Balfour Beatty has started work to 'recycle' the last tower block on the West Gorton residential estate in Manchester, 50 years after it was originally built. The work is part of a demolition project that will see a 100% recycling rate of non-hazardous materials from the 64-home Armitage Court and
14/03/2014
Plans to create thousands of new homes and jobs in Oxfordshire have been backed by a £42m investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The HCA has approved the investment to help step up the pace of a 3,300-home urban extension at Great Western Park in Didcot, for which homebuilder Taylo
14/03/2014
Two listed buildings in Liverpool have been saved from dereliction and restored to their former glory by social landlord Riverside. According to the Liverpool Express, the empty Grade II townhouses in Elm Terrace, Kensington, had fallen into a state of severe disrepair, suffering from fire damage,
14/03/2014
The Mayor, Boris Johnson, has outlined plans to create more than 1,000 new high quality homes for long term private rent to help relieve pressure on the capital's housing market, improve standards for tenants and boost the economy. Over the last decade, the number of households privately renting in
14/03/2014
A Rotherham man has been prosecuted after carrying out illegal gas work and putting a family with a young boy at risk from carbon monoxide poisoning or explosion. Thomas Atkinson, from Wickersley, pretended to be officially registered with Gas Safe Register, showing the homeowner a false ID card be
14/03/2014
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) is calling on the Chancellor to ensure that measures in the forthcoming budget will ensure that the construction industry is able to boost the economy from the bottom up. While official statistics and industry forecasts show that while the outlook is positi
14/03/2014
Britain's oldest environmental charity, the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), has announced that it will be taking on co-ordination of the Green Infrastructure Partnership (GIP), a network of over 320 organisations and individuals, from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affa
14/03/2014
Exterior Solutions Ltd has started the 'Exterpark' timber decking for the first public garden in Central Gibraltar. The FSC Elondo decking supplied by Exterpark with the patented and invisible fixing system was a sure choice for the designers and project managers at Landform Consultants Ltd. The
13/03/2014
Oxford City Council's West Area Planning Committee has resolved to grant outline planning permission for Westgate Oxford Alliance's £500m major redevelopment of the Westgate Centre and adjacent land. The Alliance, a joint venture between The Crown Estate and Land Securities, has spent four years p
13/03/2014
Plans to transform one of the most deprived parts of London into a thriving new district with up to 24,000 new homes and more than 55,000 jobs have moved a step closer. At the international MIPIM property conference, the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Sir Edward Lister, announced that City Hall is abou
13/03/2014
12 community energy projects are set to receive up to £500,000 as a boost from the Cabinet Office and the Department for Energy and Climate Change. The government is keen to support the development of community energy projects to show how social action can help people reduce their energy bills. The
13/03/2014
Bouygues UK has been awarded a £5 million contract by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for the refurbishment of Stebon Primary School. The school will be the first Passivhaus School in London and only the sixth in the UK to be delivered under the highly sustainable Passivhaus standards, which are
13/03/2014
A Walsall teenager has secured an apprenticeship through a contract between Lovell and the Accord Group. Samantha Davis, aged 18 from Darlaston, has started a two-year business administration apprenticeship with Lovell. The company’s Repairs and Maintenance business has a ten-year contract to carry
13/03/2014
Thousands of Liverpool houses are being given energy-saving light-bulbs in a scheme which is also providing work for young people. A strand of the work carried out by the Poverty Action Group, set up by the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, looked at supporting low income households by helping them
13/03/2014
Research from Which? Mortgage Advisers shows that people aren't doing their homework when choosing a mortgage with a quarter (23%) who have taken one out, or remortgaged in the past five years, saying they didn't shop around enough. Of the four in 10 people (40%) who have taken out a home loan wit
13/03/2014
Gordon Henderson MP has visited the Carillion Training Centre in Sittingbourne to gain an insight into the successful apprenticeship programme on offer in the community and to recognise the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of the young apprentices. Carillion Training Services in Sittingbourne o
13/03/2014
A renowned blacksmith has once again called upon the services of its long-standing galvanizing supplier to help create a stunning sculpture for the centrepiece at one of the UK's most prestigious flower shows. Blacksmith James Wilkinson has teamed up with Pillar Wedge, part of Wedge Group Galvanizi
13/03/2014
Many production lines in factories and warehouses need to be free of static electricity, something which can render products useless before they have even been dispatched for general sale. In more dangerous circumstances, certain chemicals can have negative reactions and cause terrible implication
12/03/2014
Morgan Sindall has been appointed by Walsall Council to deliver the first phase of a major regeneration project to transform Walsall Town Centre. The multi-million pound redevelopment of part of the Old Square Shopping Centre is being led by Walsall Council after the authority agreed to provide aro
12/03/2014
Forty-six new affordable homes will be built in Barnsley thanks to £736,000 funding from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Cabinet members approved a report giving details of the two schemes at Roy Kilner Road, Wombwell and Saville Road, Gilroyd. The 37 unit development at Roy Kilner Road, W
12/03/2014
Derbyshire County Council has awarded six organisations a total of £38,495 to deliver projects which improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable people. The grants have been awarded through Derbyshire Health and Housing Group to reduce health inequalities through improved housing standards. The
12/03/2014
Wates Construction has been awarded a £12.5m contract to build a brand new cinema and leisure complex at intu Potteries Shopping Centre in Stoke-on-Trent. Appointed by intu, Wates will now deliver the much-anticipated new-build extension to the shopping centre, which will become part of a £20m leis
12/03/2014
Interserve has been awarded a design and build contract by The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) for the new National Biologics Manufacturing Centre (NBMC). The centre will be a large, open access facility that will help companies of all sizes to develop, prototype and scale up the next generatio
12/03/2014
A builder has been fined after two labourers sustained second degree chemical burns after working knee-deep in wet concrete for more than four hours at a development in south west London. One of the workers, who does not wish to be named, required skin grafts to both ankles as a result of his prolo
12/03/2014
A Shropshire precast concrete company is celebrating a significant expansion of its premises which will enable it to significantly step-up its operations and output. Elite Precast Concrete has expanded its operations into a 7,000 sq ft unit adjacent to its current Kingsland facility headquarters i
12/03/2014
Bouygues UK and Redbridge Council announce they have held a ground breaking ceremony to officially mark the start of construction on Isaac Newton Primary Academy in Ilford, east London, part of the ARK Schools network, one of the country’s top-performing academy groups. Carrying out the ground brea
12/03/2014
Darlington-based Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) has celebrated National Apprenticeship Week with plans for major investment in its training facilities. Work starts soon on a £400,000-plus re-development of TICA's national training centre and offices, in Darlington. Plans will se
12/03/2014
When a school in Wigan were in drastic need of an upgrade to their existing turf sports pitch, Soft Surfaces Ltd of Wilmslow, Cheshire were happy to help them out. The school's 2G sports surface was beginning to show cracks due to weathering and prolonged heavy use of the facility, this exposed th
11/03/2014
Construction work is continuing on the site of Cheshire West and Chester Council's £8m restoration of Lion Salt Works in Northwich, as contractor, Wates Construction, prepares to put the finishes touches to the 19th century building. Work to transform the formerly derelict site is due to complete t
11/03/2014
Leading integrated support services company Carillion has announced that it will be part of a joint venture that will develop a £56m Grade A office and car park development in Salford’s Greengate Embankment regeneration area. The joint venture partners are Carillion, Ask Real Estate and Tristan Cap
11/03/2014
A major upgrade to research and learning facilities at Exeter University's St Luke's Campus will soon begin, after full planning permission and internal funding were both granted. Local contractor, Midas Construction, is expected to start work on a £10.5 million refurbishment of South Cloisters la
11/03/2014
Islington Council has taken decisive action to ensure it does not do business with companies that are involved in Blacklisting. Blacklisting is the illegal practice of denying employment to individuals on the basis of information, accurate or not, which is held on a database. It has been common in
11/03/2014
Balfour Beatty Engineering Services (BBES) has shown its commitment to supporting local apprenticeships on its Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) in Cramlington, where ten apprentices are working in mechanical and electrical roles. Balfour Beatty employs over 200 apprentices, wi
11/03/2014
Interserve Engineering Services has secured a £10.5m contract to design and install the mechanical and electrical services in a new production facility for the confectionery giant, HARIBO. The 30,700 sq.m. three-storey manufacturing unit and four-storey office facility in Castleford, Wakefield, ad
11/03/2014
The green light has been given to plans to relocate the famous 'Greatie' market at Great Homer Street to a new facility on Dryden Street, according to the Liverpool Express. Liverpool's planning committee has given the go-ahead for the popular market to move a short distance along Great Homer Stree
11/03/2014
This week saw renewed optimism for the green construction sector as Ecobuild experienced a three percent rise in visitors to London's ExCeL, with 44,538 sustainable built environment professionals flocking to the world's leading event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment.
11/03/2014
A new 25,000m2 office building for leading aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, is using an advanced smoke and natural ventilation system from SE Controls to provide a comfortable working environment for staff while ensuring that an effective smoke and fire control strategy can be implemented in the event
11/03/2014
With the SnapINverter generation of inverters, quality leader Fronius is launching a new and totally unique product range without rival anywhere on the planet. All string inverters from Fronius are simultaneously SnapINverters. Fronius Galvo, Fronius Symo and Fronius Symo Hybrid cover the entire pow
10/03/2014
Sainsbury's has confirmed it is to continue its long term relationship with WYG by awarding a new 3 year contract across the South East, South West, Wales and the West Midlands for its main store estate. Multidisciplinary consultancy WYG, has provided town planning services to Sainsbury's for ov
10/03/2014
After successfully working on the first building that forms part of the University of Liverpool's new Bio-Science facility, contractor McMullen Facades, part of the Lakesmere Group, has secured a £3.2m contract to deliver the full vertical envelope to the second phase. McMullen will provide a 'fast
10/03/2014
A VAT reduction on housing renovation and repair could boost the UK economy by more than £15bn from 2015 to 2020 according to a new independent research report by Experian. This reduction could also create more than 95,000 jobs and save 240,000 tonnes of CO2 from thousands of homes. The report is
10/03/2014
A crane lifting exercise to put in place an iconic 65-metre long bridge in Boston town centre marked the successful completion of an £850,000 contract for Lincolnshire County Council. Building, civil engineering and structural steelwork contractor Britcon completed the precision exercise over the
10/03/2014
GMB, the union for construction workers, has welcomed the decision by the Executive of Islington Council to accept the recommendation by its Policy and Performance Scrutiny Committee not to accept bids for contracts from Carillion and 25 other construction firms until they compensate the workers the
10/03/2014
Consumers wanting to know more about their energy use and whether they are getting the best value for money will have a new and easy way of finding the best deal. Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Edward Davey today announced the Government's plans to introduce Quick Response (QR) co
10/03/2014
Balfour Beatty has announced it has been awarded places on two major power infrastructure frameworks with National Grid. The first is for delivery of new build and refurbishment schemes under the Overhead Lines Design & Build Framework for the next four years, with two optional two-year extensions.
10/03/2014
The first turf has been cut for the new £11.6m Filwood Green Business Park, marking the formal start of construction on the South Bristol regeneration project. Designed by Stride Treglown, the award-winning development will provide 40,000 sq ft of workshop and office space and is expected to suppor
10/03/2014
Carillion has been selected by RBS to provide support services covering the operation, maintenance and repair of its 1.5 million square metre estate in Great Britain. Under the five-year contract, Carillion will provide these services for the Bank's branches, offices and cash and coin centres in E
10/03/2014
Costain has been awarded the Crossrail North East Spur contract by Network Rail to deliver the infrastructure and stations between Stratford in east London and Shenfield in Essex. The contract, which is worth an initial £150m to Costain, commences immediately with design and professional services w
07/03/2014
Wates Construction has been appointed as the main contractor to deliver the construction of the new Junior School building for Highgate Junior School in North London. The work will see the contractor build a brand new 4,320 sq m facility for 350 pupils aged 7 to 11 years. Features will comprise tea
07/03/2014
Renewable energy developer RES has announced it is ceasing work on its biomass power station project at the Port of Blyth in Northumberland. RES' decision follows the withdrawal of a key project partner in late 2013 due to ongoing uncertainty in UK energy policy. The Government's inconsistent suppo
07/03/2014
Building work has started on the first new council house in the Stroud District for more than 30 years. Councillor Mattie Ross, Chair of Stroud District Council's Housing Committee, performed the ground breaking ceremony at Old Common, Minchinhampton, where 35 new houses are being built by Lovell.
07/03/2014
A pioneering research company and the architects behind a scheme have been signed up as the first new tenants at Liverpool Science Park's £8m third building. According to the Liverpool Express, Karm Research Group will be moving from its existing premises at the science park into 1,000 sq ft of new
07/03/2014
The UK will rely on imports for up to 70% of its gas needs by 2020, the Chief Executive of Centrica plc, Sam Laidlaw warned today. Mr Laidlaw told an international energy conference that investment in UK energy generation has almost ground to a halt because of political uncertainty. He told the CE
07/03/2014
Horizon Nuclear Power has started one of the largest detailed ground investigation studies currently underway in the UK, ramping up site activity on the Wylfa Newydd project and triggering new opportunities for local businesses. The multi-million pound programme, which will start in March and run u
07/03/2014
Furniture giants IKEA have announced plans to diversify their business and open up a range of budget hotels. The chain is looking to build the hotels in busy, prime locations in prominent cities including a flagship hotel in the heart of Liverpool. It seems almost inevitable that all of the IKEA
07/03/2014
Balfour Beatty is pledging more than fifty new apprenticeships during National Apprenticeship Week as part of its commitment to recruiting and developing the civil engineers, electricians, skilled trades and project leaders of tomorrow. Balfour Beatty currently employs over 200 apprentices and Nati
06/03/2014
Skanska has handed over a new £40 million academic building development to Bath Spa University. The development of the new 'Commons' building at the University's Newton Park campus is part of a larger investment project the University is undertaking. The new state-of-the-art academic building has a
06/03/2014
Tenants are to get a greater choice of newly-built homes to rent, under plans announced today. Housing Minister Kris Hopkins published a shortlist of developments in areas including London, Manchester, Liverpool and Kirklees, which could benefit from a share of the £1billion Build to Rent fund to d
06/03/2014
Preston-based building firm has been fined £130,000 over the death of a worker outside a cinema in Ashton-on-Ribble. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted EMC Contracts Ltd after father-of-one Carl Green was struck by a reversing van in a paved area outside the entrance to the Odeon Cine
06/03/2014
JCB'S famous Dancing Diggers are taking the entertainment capital of the world by storm as the company launches its new products for 2014 at one of the construction industry's biggest equipment trade fairs. JCB is this week at the Conexpo show in Las Vegas where the company is taking the wraps off
06/03/2014
Willmott Dixon apprentices from across Rotherham joined forces and made a big step towards helping a UK charity as part of their celebrations for National Apprenticeship Week (March 3 – 7). The team took part in Willmott Dixon Partnerships' Walk a mile for Dekamile' event at Clifton Park in Rotherh
06/03/2014
Interserve has backed the CBI's call for the UK government to make public sector contracts managed by private sector organisations simpler and more transparent. Announcing new proposals to "boost transparency and trust" in the private and third sectors, the CBI recommended that every contract negot
06/03/2014
Blyko Paving Products has launched its Quadriligna® concrete paving blocks. The blocks are a combination of four different lengths and three different widths supplied as a complete package of eleven. The range allows a creativity of design resulting in unique attractive varied random laying pattern
06/03/2014
The Hydrok SUDS portfolio provides solutions to the growing flooding and storm water management problems in the UK. Hydrok's SUDS solutions have been given a boost with the Hydrok HydroSlide flow control units now included within Micro Drainage 2014 software from XPSolutions. This software allows
05/03/2014
The Jockey Club, the largest commercial group in British horseracing, has appointed Kier as main contractor to deliver the £45m grandstand development at its flagship Cheltenham Racecourse in time for The Festival in 2016. Work will start on the development, which was subject to financing, immediat
05/03/2014
Carillion's Joint Venture business in the United Arab Emirates, Al Futtaim Carillion, has been awarded a contract worth some £150 million by Meraas to build The Avenue Phase 2 City Walk development in Dubai. The contract includes the construction, commissioning, testing and completion of the second
05/03/2014
Lovell has appointed Richard Moore as contracts manager for the company's new-build, mixed tenure and regeneration housing business in London. Richard previously worked for new home developer Countryside Properties where he was a project manager. In his new position with Lovell, he will be respons
05/03/2014
Tenants are to get a greater choice of newly-built homes to rent under plans announced today. Housing Minister Kris Hopkins published a shortlist of developments in areas including London, Manchester, Liverpool and Kirklees, which could benefit from a share of the £1 billion Build to Rent Fund to d
05/03/2014
Laing O'Rourke, the globally diverse engineering enterprise is set to introduce a new apprenticeship scheme, designed for Construction Assembly Technicians. As the Government announced improved apprenticeships yesterday as part of its latest Trailblazers offering, Laing O'Rourke, a member of the co
05/03/2014
The transformation of a 1980s office building into a high quality care and nursing home is progressing at speed as contractor, Wates, prepares to embark on the second phase of the development on Pegs Lane. Work on Bentley House, which is being delivered on behalf of Signature Senior Lifestyle, bega
05/03/2014
For several years now Data Centres have been cutting the cost of cooling by 80 to 90 per cent thanks to direct-air evaporative cooling. Market leader EcoCooling has now developed a smaller unit ideal for the telecoms room and small server rooms which have historically been some of the most expensiv
05/03/2014
We have sold thousands of carpet tiles for Garden Centres over the years and undoubtedly the best type to use is either a rib, hair velour or a hobnail construction. Due to the high amount of traffic seen in a busy garden centre the heavy duty rough textured tiles work much better than a loop pile c
04/03/2014
The Aquatics Centre built for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has opened its doors to the public, following Balfour Beatty's extensive remodelling and reconfiguration works as part of the £300 million legacy transformation of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the London Legacy Developmen
04/03/2014
Work has started on the redevelopment of the former Whittingham hospital in north east Preston. The city council unanimously approved plans to extend and amend the planning permission for the former psychiatric hospital site in early February. This has allowed the landowner, the Homes and Communiti
04/03/2014
A roofing contractor put the lives of workers at risk by failing to protect them from falls as they worked up to nine metres above ground on a barn roof, a court has been told. Neil Popham, 50, was hired to build agricultural buildings at a farm in Over Stowey, in Somerset. During the construction
04/03/2014
A couple from Hayes have been ordered by a tribunal to demolish two outbuildings they rented out as beds in sheds, thanks to action taken by Hillingdon Council. Rajwant Singh and Gurbax Kaur, of Coldharbour Lane, Hayes, were renting out 179 Coldharbour Lane to more than seven people without licensi
04/03/2014
Orion Shepherds Bush Limited, a joint venture between Development Securities and Orion Land & Leisure, has announced that Pramerica Real Estate Investors has signed a £44.1m agreement to fund the first phase of regeneration at Shepherd's Bush Market. The six-acre site in Shepherd's Bush has outlin
04/03/2014
Construction growth continues to rise despite minor economic disruption caused by the recent bad weather, according to industry analysts Glenigan. The Glenigan Index, which covers the value of projects starting on site from December 2013 to February, is 10% higher than a year ago - driven by contin
04/03/2014
Kier Property has forward-funded the £41m sale of a membership warehouse club for Costco at the historic Western International Market (WIM) site in Hayes, Middlesex. The 140,000 sq ft warehouse, Costco's first in West London, marks the final phase of this complex development, which began in 2008 wh
04/03/2014
Residents, business owners and investors are invited to join Plymouth Energy Community at Salisbury Road Primary to hear more about the solar panel investment opportunity. Salisbury Road Primary is one of many Plymouth schools who have been working with Plymouth Energy Community and PEC Renewables
04/03/2014
EcoCooling, the leaders in direct-air evaporative cooling have revealed they have completed their 200th data centre cooling installation using the energy saving technology. "Using CRECs (computer room evaporative coolers) instead of the conventional CRAC units (computer room air conditioning units)
03/03/2014
The University of Sheffield has signed a deal to secure 50 acres of land at Sheffield Business Park – a move which will support the progress of exciting plans to create a critical mass of hi-tech, advanced manufacturing businesses along the Parkway corridor. The first development on the new site wi
03/03/2014
The University of Cambridge's investment in creating a strong sense of place at the North West Cambridge Development reached a milestone today as proposals for the local centre and landscaping along the Western Edge of the site were approved by the local planning authorities. Significant amounts of
03/03/2014
Interserve has won another design and build contract with the University of Birmingham worth just over £8m. This latest contract, won in competition, will see Interserve take back to its shell part of a Grade II listed building – Aston Webb C Block – before work begins. In January, the company
03/03/2014
Pupils and staff at a Warwickshire primary school have buried a time capsule at the site of their new £3.9m school as construction of the building nears completion. Items including photographs, newspapers, letters from some of the children, and a DVD were put into the capsule to commemorate the ye
03/03/2014
Works will begin on the extension of Wombwell Library, which aims to provide more spaces for community groups and volunteers to use, on Monday 10 March. The 2,032 sq/ft extension to the rear of the building will see the creation of an additional room that can be split into two smaller rooms, drop-i
03/03/2014
A builder has been fined for safety failings after a worker was injured when he fell through the fragile roof of a cowshed. James Coe, 25, from Strathaven, was one of several people employed by John Watson Leggate to repair the roof at a local farm when the incident occurred on 26 August 2010. Ham
03/03/2014
The redevelopment of the Denby Dale Road Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) in Wakefield is now under way, with the demolition of the site taking place. To commemorate the event, leading waste management business Shanks hosted a demolition ceremony with Wakefield Council and Kier, which is bui
03/03/2014
Balfour Beatty is pledging more than 50 new apprenticeships during National Apprenticeship Week (3-7 March) as part of its commitment to recruiting and developing the civil engineers, electricians, skilled trades and project leaders. Balfour Beatty currently employs over 200 apprentices and Nationa
