Construction News
2 April 2009

View all stories from this issue.

‘We’re preparing for the upturn’

Workloads are falling, plant is standing idle – so now’s a good time to invest in training your operators. David Taylor explains
“Be careful out there”

John Sheils is a partner at Shadbolt specialising in wide range of building and civil engineering disputes, with clients including local authorities, developers, architects, engineers, main contractors and sub-contractors. He has also acted in international arbitrations on behalf of French contractors. John lectures widely and is a visiting lecturer at Kingston University.
A time to lease?

In the current environment, making construction businesses more profitable through effective investment is more important than ever.
ABB wins contract as Irish give £560m interconnector green light

Swedish engineering firm ABB will build a new £560 million electricity interconnector between Ireland and Britain, it has been revealed.
Abu Dhabi invites firms to prequalify for Taweelah work

Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) has invited selected companies to submit prequalification documents for four infrastructure contracts at Khalifa Port & Industrial Zone in Taweelah.
Activity barometer predicts further construction job losses

More job losses amoung construction products firms are expected, the latest Ernst and Young and Construction Products Association Activity Barometer has revealed. .
Airdrie £1.2m infrastructure

Early planning
Al-Naboodah signs deal for Harvard Medical School in Dubai

The local Al-Naboodah Contracting has signed a new agreement for construction work at the Harvard Medical School at Dubai Health Care City.
Alstom announces local jobs at Staythorpe

French-owned contractor Alstom, which is controversially using foreign workers to build the new Staythorpe power station, has today said it will “actively look” to hire more British staff.
Architects Journal's favourite… CAD

Architects Journal editor Kieran Long
Are you liable for your subcontractor’s negligence?

The ‘Honeywill rule’ caused concern for the industry, but a recent case has proved it was exceptional
Ashington £2m residential

Plans approved
Atherstone £10m leisure

Plans approved
Babcock: rail move is "progressing well"

Engineering group Babcockhas announced that trading is in line with expectations as it said its move to focus more on track renewal, high output and signalling is “progressing well”.
Balfour Beatty wins £300m road jobs

Balfour Beatty has won two major road contracts worth £300 million.
Barnard Castle £4.4m commercial

Plans approved
Barton-On-Humber £6.5m residential

Early planning
Bathgate £2.6m retail

Early planning
Battersea Power Station owner posts £265m loss

Battersea Power Station owner Real Estate Opportunities today reported a 2008 loss of £265 million after writing down the value of its property portfolio by 16 per cent.
Be positive

In such troubled times, it’s very easy to take a negative view about business but it’s important to focus on the positives when presenting your company to your customers.
Bechtel wins £400m Crossrail project delivery partner role

Crossrail has appointed Bechtel as its project delivery partner for the £16 billion cross London rail scheme.
Beckett pledges £170m for transport schemes

The Government has pledged £170 million of funding to 29 transport projects supporting new housing.
Beetham Tower finally given the go ahead

The final go ahead has at last been given to the 170m tall Beetham Tower on the banks of the Thames.
Bellway is preparing to make land acquisitions

Bellway is preparing to snap up land as the housebuilding market approaches the bottom.
Bellway makes £48.6m half year loss

Bellway today announced a pre-tax loss of £48.6 million for the six months to 31 January after £66.3 million in write downs.
Bellway: recovery was just a seasonal blip

Bellway chief executive John Watson has played down signs of recovery in the housebuilding sector, describing them as “a seasonal blip”.
Belvedere £2.8m housing

Early planning
Bid deadline for Dubai Sea View hotel extended

Local developer Das Real Estate has extended the tender closing date for the contract to build the Sea View Club Hotel & Apartments to 26 March to give bidders more time to prepare.
Bids due for Abu Dhabi Fairmont

Contractors are preparing to submit bids on 31 March for the main construction package of the Fairmont hotel and serviced-apartments development in Abu Dhabi.
Bids due for Muscat road works

Muscat Municipality has invited companies to submit bids by 28 March for a contract to upgrade the road from downtown Muscat to Naseem Gardens.
Birmingham £5.5m health

Plans approved
Birmingham £7.6m commercial

Plans approved
Birmingham regeneration plans to be unveiled

Birmingham City Council will this weekend reveal 46 major development opportunities across the city in a bid to stimulate a wave of economic regeneration.
Bishop Auckland £3.3m transport

Early planning
Blackpool FC digs deep

Aarsleff has won a contract to install over 271 precast concrete piles as foundation support for the new 3,500 seat covered grandstand for Blackpool Football Club.
Bogner Regis £9.2m education

Plans approved
Bootle £30m education

Early planning
Bourne Supremacy

Bourne Special Projects has completed the construction of a new stair access tower at Blackfriars station – part of Network Rail’s £5.5 billion Thameslink revamp.
Bradford £6.3m housing

Plans approved
Bradford £7.5m residential & industrial

Plans approved
Bridlington set for £6.3m transport overhaul

Bridlington has received £5 million of Government money for a radical overhaul of the town’s transport system.
Bristol £13.8m commercial

Plans approved
Bristol £3m education

Plans approved
Bristol £6.7m commercial & residential

Plans approved
Bromsgrove £3.2m commercial

Plans approved
BSF: Next waves could be out to tender within a year

The tendering process for the first schools under the new-look waves 7 to 15 of the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future scheme could begin within 12 months, according to a senior figure.
CAD/CAM is the greatest

The results of our hunt to find the greatest advances in construction are revealed
Cambridge £12m residential

Early planning
Cambridge £4.5m retail

Plans approved
Cambridge University project management job

Cambridge University is moving ahead with plans to build a £30 million science building, having put a project management consultancy role out to tender this weekend.
Cardiff £13m education

Plans approved
Cardiff £4m leisure

Plans approved
Cardiff £6.4m residential

Early planning
Cardiff £6.8m commercial

Plans approved
Carillion scoops defence deal

CarillionEnterprise has been awarded a four-year contract by Defence Estates for the provision of the multi-activity contract services at RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria.
Ceca calls for £600m for save road jobs

The Civil Engineering Contractors Association is calling on the chancellor to earmark £600 million in this month’s budget for roads repair and maintenance over the next two years in an attempt to save jobs in the sector.
Ceca urges Darling: Give us £600m for road repairs

The Civil Engineering Contractors Association is calling on the Chancellor to earmark £600 million in his upcoming budget for roads repair and maintenance over the next two years in an attempt to improve workloads and save jobs in the sector.
CIPS figures show construction firmly in recession

The UK construction economy remained firmly mired in recessionary territory in March according to the latest CIPS/Market purchasing managers index.
Climate change will change business

The Government is asking business to join its response to climate change and enjoy the economic benefits
College to tender job without funding

A college in Stoke on the LSC’s college building programme has invited tenders for the work, despite not having secured funding.
Colne £2.5m water

Plans approved
Concrete subbies line up for Pinnacle job

Brookfield has decided on a concrete core for The Pinnacle, set to be the City of London’s tallest building
Connaught sends 225 workers home after pension row

A pension row between social housing firm Connaught and the Glasgow Housing Association has led to more than 200 workers being sent home indefinitely.
Connaught steps back from housing contract over pension row

Connaught has had to step back from the Glasgow Housing Association’s repair and maintenance contract after a pension row left more than 200 workers effectively without an employer.
Construction industry 'could improve biodiversity'

The construction industry could actually improve biodiversity on sites it works on, despite its reputation as having a negative impact on wildlife and habitats.
Construction News' favourite... Health and safety

Construction News associate editor (features) Damon Schünmann
Construction Parliamentary Update - 27 March 2009

A round up of all the construction news from Westminster this week brought to you by the Madano Partnership.
Contractor fined for letting Polish workers sleep on 'fire risk' site

A Hull contractor has been fined £1,000 for allowing an area of a construction site to be used as sleeping accommodation for migrant Polish workers.
Contractors question optimism over PFI funding

Contractors have cast doubt on a senior civil servant’s claim that the Government is “on top of” the PFI issues that have blighted the construction industry during the downturn.
Corsett £2.1m residential

Plans approved
Coventry £15m commercial

Early planning
Crane firms found guilty over Worthing collapse

Crane hire company Eurolift Tower Cranes and its parent WD Bennett Plant & Services have been found guilty of two health and safety breaches over the 2005 Worthing crane collapse.
Crossrail to hire contractors through CompeteFor

Contractors bidding for work on Crossrail will be able to use the online “business dating agency” CompeteFor.
Derby £30m commercial & retail

Plans approved
Dewa invites bids for Jebel Ali buildings

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has invited contractors to bid for the contract to build accommodation buildings in the Jebel Ali area by 27 April.
Doing business in health: 10 signs of a good healthcare building

Plus the health sector by numbers, events and links
Doing business in health: Moving to ProCure 21+

ProCure 21+ will still follow the same partnering ethos, but changes have been made.
Doing business in health: Willmott Dixon’s first foray into LIFT

The Heart of Hounslow Centre for Health was Willmott Dixon’s first large project procured using LIFT, (Local Improvement and Finance Trust), which the Department of Health started in 2001.
Donaghy: under-reporting is “scandal”

The chair of an inquiry into construction-related deaths has described occupational health issues in the industry as “horrendous” and says the levels of underreporting of safety incidents “is nothing short of a scandal”.
Doug Oakervee to become Crossrail non-exec chairman

Crossrail’s executive chairman Douglas Oakervee OBE is to take up the new post of non-executive chairman this week.
Dundee £11m education

Early planning
Dundee £2.2m residential

Early planning
Economic realities start to take hold

The outlook is becoming increasingly gloomy as the worsening economy hits the capital
Edinburgh £5m commercial

Plans approved
Ely £9.9m residential

Plans approved
Enterprise Group win Tube power contract

Infrastructure maintenance support services firm Enterprise has been awarded a contract to maintain and renew power supply systems on the London Underground as a part of the Metropolitan line upgrade.
Farnham £13.1m leisure

Early planning
Felixstowe £1.4m retail

Plans approved
Firms line up for work at Oman airports

Oman’s Transport & Communication Ministry has received bids from five firms for a contract to provide design and construction supervision services for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of facilities at Muscat and Salalah airports.
Firms must be more wary of data protection rules

Last month the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced that workers’ personal data concerning trade union activity and employment history has been secretly processed by an organisation and sold to main contractors.
Five killed by falling crane parts

Five construction workers have been killed after they were hit by falling objects from a crane at a building site in the east of China.
Foster slates LSC in college report

Sir Andrew Foster has criticised the Learning and Skills Council’s handling of the ailing college building programme in his Government-commissioned report into the fiasco.
Funding secured for Exhibition Road

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council have announced a funding package to deliver the Exhibition Road streetscape improvement project.
Glasgow £2m industrial

Early planning
Government figures show further construction order falls

Construction orders for February totalled £2.1 billion, down by £100 million from January according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Govt defers 5pc business rates hike

Business leaders have welcomed a Government decision to defer its planned business rates hike of 5 per cent, which has been instead limited to just 2 per cent.
Grimsby £10m energy

Plans approved
Grimsby £90m education

Plans approved
Hadrian’s Wall to be rebuilt to boost the economy

Plans have been unveiled to knock down and redevelop a 30 mile section of Hadrian’s Wall.
Hartlepool £1.8m infrastructure

Plans approved
Hartlepool £3m infrastructure

Plans approved
Haverfordwest £2.8m health

Plans approved
Homeserve said profit will be high end of expectations

Home insurance and repair group Homeserve said full-year pre-tax profit would come in at the top end of market forecasts after it sold more new policies than expected.
Hounslow £15.4m leisure

Early planning
How companies help staff get their next job

Firms may have to shed staff and many are trying to do it in the fairest way possible. Outplacement is a process which companies use to help those who have lost their jobs deal with the change and move into new employment.
HSE beefs up safety crackdown

The Health and Safety Executive is to massively increase its supervision of healthy and safety on construction sites, hiking the number of inspectors it has by a third.
Hull £16.3m residential

Early planning
Huntingdon £1.5m commercial

Early planning
Huntingdon £6m water

Plans approved
Hyde £184m infrastructure

Early planning
IMAGES: Olympic Aquatics centre roof lift

Work is underway to lift the 2,800 tonne wave-shaped roof for the London 2012 Aquatics centre into place.
Inverness £1.2m residential

Early planning
Irvine £80m health

Early planning
Jarvis to cut 450 jobs after reduced Network Rail workload

Rail network services company Jarvis today revealed it is cutting 450 jobs after warning results for the year to the end of March would be below expectations.
King's Lynn £15m commercial

Early planning
Leeds £5.3m leisure

Plans approved
Leeds £50m residential & commercial

Plans approved
Legacy retro-fit to be part of £1 billion Olympic village plan

The successful bidder for the first block of the £1 billion Olympic Village will work on the project until all retrofitting of the development is complete.
Leicester £5.5m commercial

Plans approved
Lincoln £11.8m commercial

Plans approved
Liverpool £20m infrastructure

Plans approved
Liverpool Central set for revamp

Network Rail has recommended that an immediate package of work is carried out at Liverpool Central station, increasing its capacity by a third.
London £1.2m leisure

Plans approved
London £1.5m retail & residential

Early planning
London £2.5m residential & commercial

Early planning
London £3m residential

Plans approved
London £44.6m commercial & residential

Early planning
London £50m education

Early planning
Lowestoft £27m education

Plans approved
LSC: College funding could kick in next month

The Learning and Skills Council has insisted that fresh funding could be available for approved college building projects within weeks.
Luton £40.7m education

Plans approved
Manchester £21m education

Early planning
Mann Construction bosses blame credit crunch for collapse

Mann Construction bosses have blamed the credit crunch for forcing them to put their firm into voluntary administration.
Mann Construction falls into administration

Mann Construction plunged into administration today, becoming the latest victim of the credit crunch.
Mann Construction wound down making 83 staff jobless

Vantis has been appointed as the administrators of Mann Construction making 83 staff at the firm redundant.
Mansell wins Torquay business park deal

Mansell has won a £5.8 million contract to construct the first phase of the Edginswell Business Park in Torquay, South Devon for the Hawkins Trust.
Mansfield £15m energy

Plans approved
Mansfield £21.5m education & commercial

Plans approved
March £2.8m commercial

Plans approved
Margaret Beckett allows homes to be built on greenbelt land

Housing minister Margaret Beckett has given the go ahead for affordable housing to be built on greenbelt land.
MAXcel - The essential business tool for construction industry profitability

John Rosbotham and Marc Southey of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP examine the critical success factors in IT for construction companies along with the key IT challenges to construction.Robert Sim of Maxima describes the specific modules of MAXcel. Strengths are in key areas for construction – operations that generic providers struggle to encompass.Microsoft’s Neil Marley shows a real insight into current construction issues and trends, demonstrating how Microsoft has brought their u
Mears Group wins £50m social housing job

Mears Group today announced a £50 million six year contract from Shoreline Housing Partnership to provide repairs and maintenance services.
Milford Haven £3.5m residential

Plans approved
Mitie reports 'good growth' in second half

Mitie has reported ‘good growth’ for the second half of the year despite a ‘slowing’ in its interior fit-out and new build housing businesses.
MoJ faces Titan prisons sites location request

The Ministry of Justice could be forced to reveal the locations for the three Titan prisons this month following a ruling by the Information Commissioner.
Morgan Est to work on A1 Dishforth to Barton

Morgan Est has won a £100 million contract to work on the A1 Dishforth to Barton project later this month.
Mott MacDonald teams up with ScottishPower for CCS

Mott MacDonald is working with ScottishPower to develop a project demonstrating the technical and commercial viability of capturing carbon dioxide from coal fired power stations and locking it away underground.
Mouchel announces 25pc profit rise and a new chairman

Mouchel today reported a rise in pre-tax profit of 25 per cent as it announced the appointment of new chairman Bo Lerenius.
Mouchel signs up RBS, Lloyds and Barclays

Mouchel signed a debt deal with RBS, Lloyds and Barclays on Friday giving the firm a £190 million overdraft facility for the next three years.
MourHotel aims for 12 new sites

Hotel chain MourHoutel has outlined plans to start work towards on at least 12 new hotels across the UK.
MPs "shocked" at Govt's lack of engineering advice

The Government’s plans to build a new generation of nuclear power plants could be seriously impacted by the lack of engineering experience in the civil service, a group of MPs have warned.
MPs call for “chief engineer”

The government’s nuclear programme could be hampered by a serious lack of engineering experience in government, MPs have said.
Murray & Roberts confirms cancellation of Tameer Towers deal

South Africa’s Murray & Roberts Holdings has confirmed that its construction contract for the AED 6 billion ($1.6 billion) Tameer Towers project in Abu Dhabi has been terminated.
Nailing the problem

Engineers in Nottinghamshire are working directly alongside thundering traffic to complete a motorway widening project. Paul Thompson reports.
Nantwich £10m education

Early planning
Network Rail unveils £35bn spending plan

Billions of pounds will go into replacing old sections of railway under a five-year £35 billion spending programme announced today by Network Rail.
New chairman for rail regulator

Transport secretary Geoff Hoon has announced the appointment of Anna Walker as the new chairman elect of the Office of Rail Regulation.
New chief exec for Edinburgh Tram Project

The Edinburgh Tram Project has appointed a new chief executive for Transport Initiatives Edinburgh, the arms-length company of the City of Edinburgh Council, which is project managing Edinburgh’s tram construction.
New Civil Engineer's favourite... Cranes

New Civil Engineer editor Antony Oliver
Newark £5.6m industrial

Plans approved
Newcastle Emlyn £1.2m residential

Early planning
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne £4m residential

Plans approved
Newport £5.4m health

Plans approved
NHBC stats show private home starts are down 72pc

The NHBC’s latest housebuilding statistics show 14,537 applications to start new homes in the combined private and public sectors in the three months to February.
Northampton £7.8m commercial

Plans approved
Nottingham £2.4m education

Plans approved
ODA introduces tool and plant hire centres

The Olympic Delivery Authority has introduced two hire centres for tools and plant which will soon be available to contractors in the Olympic Park.
ODA plant training centre move

The Olympic Delivery Authority’s plant training centre is set to move to Silvertown Quays, adjacent to the Royal Victoria Dock, east London later this year, where Crossrail will also use it to train plant operatives.
Oldbury £134m education

Early planning
Oman awards Batinah road scheme to Bosphorus

Oman’s Transport and Communication Ministry has appointed Turkey’s Bosphorus Technical Consulting Corporation to provide design and construction supervision services on the Batinah dual carriageway contract.
One in five south Yorkshire sites shut down in blitz

Almost one in five construction sites in south Yorkshire have been slapped with a prohibition notice in the Health and Safety Executive’s most recent string of blitzes.
Oswestry £7m leisure

Plans approved
Output slump puts pressure on input costs

Contractors’ input costs drop 4.9 per cent over the past three months while materials prices fall 5.6 per cent and labour rates by 3.7 per cent
Oxford £600m infrastructure

Plans approved
Penryn £100m education

Plans approved
Peterborough £2m infrastructure

Plans approved
PfS hints at colleges role

A senior figure at Partnerships for Schools has hinted that the secondary school delivery body is keen to rescue the ailing colleges building programme.
Piling by the sea

Piling for a new RNLI Tamar lifeboat station at Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, is being undertaken by Rock & Alluvium, part of the Galliford Try group, for principal contractor Dean & Dyball Civil Engineering.
Plymouth £11m industrial

Plans approved
Pontypridd £6.9m education

Plans approved
Poole £3.8m education

Early planning
Porth £4.5m education

Plans approved
Powerline wins Dubai Investments Park work

Aristocrat Star Investments has awarded Thailand’s Powerline Group an estimated AED 600 million ($163 million) first phase construction contract on its Royal Estates development at Dubai Investments Park.
Preston £25.1m commercial

Plans approved
Procure21: Driving innovation in hospital design and procurement

The NHS has in recent years undertaken the largest hospital building programme in its history.
Reading £14.3m commercial

Plans approved
Record auction for Ritchie Brothers

Ritchie Brothers has conducted its largest auctions to-date, in Spain and Canada.
Recovery won't start until 2010

The outlook remains grim for industrial projects as the downturn continues to bite
RICS releases project duration calculator

The Building Cost Information Service of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors has developed a construction duration calculator.
Rochdale £240m transport

Plans approved
Rochester £500m energy

Early planning
Romford £5.4m residential

Early planning
Ryton £4m health

Plans approved
Sale £7m residential & retail

Plans approved
Salford's £180m BSF winner delayed until May

Salford City Council has announced further delays in the procurement process for its £180 million BSF contract - saying financing difficulties were partly to blame.
SGB hold court

Workers from SGB Project Services put in a series of night shifts to dismantle the extensive access deck supplied to London Underground during the refurbishment of Earl’s Court station roof.
Shaftesbury £5.5m residential

Plans approved
Sheerness £10m energy

Plans approved
Sheffield £5.9m residential

Plans approved
Shepton Mallet £6.5m leisure

Plans approved
Shetland £2m education

Early planning
Skill shortage remains in Middle East

The opportunity to work on world-class projects exists overseas for those with skills and experience
Slough £15m leisure

Plans approved
Southampton £40m leisure

Plans approved
Southport £6m commercial

Plans approved
Speedy Hire agrees new £300m debt facility

Speedy Hire has agreed a new £300 million debt facility after a slump in building work pushed the firm towards breaching its covenants.
Speedy Hire appoints Costain and Atkins man James Morley

Speedy Hire today announced the appointment of James Morley as a non-executive director, with immediate effect.
Speedy Hire to be supplier for Interior Services Group project

Speedy Hire has entered into an agreement to provide an onsite hire facility for an Interior Services Group project in the north east.
St.Austell £44m commercial

Plans approved
Stallingbourgh bypass approved by DfT

Plans for the £7.75 million Stallingborough bypass in North East Lincolnshire are a step closer after receiving the go-ahead from the Government.
Stirling £33m energy

Early planning
Stoke-On-Trent £8m commercial

Plans approved
Tate Modern 2 gets green light

Southwark Council Planning committee has given the green light to the proposed 11-storey, £215 million extension designed by Herzog & de Meuron.
Taunton £30m energy

Early planning
Taylor Wimpey debt deal secured

Taylor Wimpey has agreed a debt restructuring deal with its banks, securing its immediate future, Construction News understands.
Tenders due on £500m 'Boomerang' tower

Tenders are expected to be invited in the coming months for the £500 million tower dubbed the ‘Boomerang’ on Blackfriars Road.
TfL sets out £9.2bn budget

Transport for London has announced a £9.2 billion budget for 2009/10 which will fund the delivery of a series of major transport improvements, as well as ruling out a number of key schemes.
The dangers of dealing with duress

Contracts where parties have unequal bargaining strengths are relatively common.
The president, the subcontractor and the Shipwrecked star

The managing director of a Cardiff-based ventilation subcontractor has spoken of his delight at meeting Barack Obama last night after his daughter – a star of Channel 4’s Shipwrecked – sold a White House worker some sunglasses.
The value of technology has been recognised

After months of nominations from top industry figures and frantic voting in our online poll, you have chosen computer aided design and computer aided manufacture to take the joint title of being the greatest advance in construction. Alexandra Wynne talks to industry experts on why they champion the age of the computer.
Tower Hamlets asks for funding for £200m Ocean Estate project

Tower Hamlets Council has asked the Homes and Communities Agency for funding to help get the £200 million revamp of London’s notorious Ocean Estate off the ground.
Ulverston £2m education

Plans approved
VolkerFitzpatrick wins leisure centre job worth £11m

VolkerFitzpatrick has scooped a contract worth nearly £11 million to refurbish a leisure centre.
Watford £10m residential

Early planning
Wembley battle to go another round as parties win leave to appeal

The court battle between Brookfield Multiplex and Cleveland Bridge over problems at Wembley Stadium is set to go another round, after the Court of Appeal granted permission for both sides to contest last year’s ruling.
Wigston £1.9m residential

Plans approved
Winning construction work: Health

ProCure 21+ and LIFT schemes provide the next opportunities for contractors to work on medium sized NHS health projects.
Wolverhampton £10.6m infrastructure

Plans approved
Worcester £73m residential

Plans approved
Worksop £30m education

Early planning
Yarm £5.2m education

Early planning
York £1.5m retail

Plans approved

Construction News2 April 2009

Construction News
2 April 2009