Construction News
24 November 2011

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Scottish Futures Trust calls contractors for £300m housing initiative

The Scottish Futures Trust has begun the hunt for contractors to deliver £300m of affordable housing across 15 local authorities.
ACE welcomes plans to simplify procurement and help firms trade overseas.

The Association for Consultancy and Engineering has wholeheartedly backed the chancellor’s Autumn Statement, in particular plans to simplify procurement and open up contracts to more small businesses.
Affordable housing to provide construction jobs

New jobs for the construction industry have been promised by the Chancellor as a result of the restarting of the right-to-buy scheme for council housing tenants.
All parties must mind their PQQs

Small businesses have long complained about the bureaucracy of public sector tenders, but have reforms made a difference?
Amenity work shifts focus

While community and amenity funding is tight, lottery and heritage work is still available
Ardmore beats five to win £65m Wornington Green contract

Contractor awarded contract following collapse of deal with Mansell
Ardmore wins £26m Mildmay regeneration project

The Homes and Communities Agency has awarded a £26 million contract to Ardmore to regenerate a derelict site in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Autumn Statement: £20bn of infra investment unlikely to fund new build

New projects are unlikely to benefit from George Osborne’s £20 billion “memorandum of understanding” with UK pension funds, it emerged today.
Autumn Statement: Cities encouraged to embrace TIF

Cities will be encouraged to borrow against future revenue streams under the tax increment financing (TIF) model to raise money to fund infrastructure.
Autumn statement: Balfour chief pledges to help young unemployed

Balfour Beatty chief executive Ian Tyler has pledged to use the infrastructure funding announced by the government yesterday to help young unemployed people.
Autumn Statement: Borrowing and debt to fall, but more slowly than expected

Borrowing rates are set to fall but not at the rate expected, according to forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility announced by Chancellor George Osborne during the Autumn Statement
Autumn Statement: Chancellor outlines revised growth forecasts - but no recession

The Office for Budget Responsbility does not predict a recession in Britain, Chancellor George Osborne has reported in the Autumn Statement.
Autumn Statement: Construction industry reaction

Chancellor George Osborne’s autumn statement has provoked a spate of reaction from the construction industry and economists
Autumn Statement: Fuel price rise deferred to August

Fuel duty rises planned for next year have been deferred.
Autumn Statement: Full list of the 40 priority infrastructure projects

The government has set out a list of its top-40 priority infrastructure projects as part of the National Infrastructure Plan 2.
Autumn Statement: Government to double number of SMEs it supports in overseas expansion

Among other measures to help SMEs, the chancellor announced that the government would double the number of SMEs it supports in its overseas expansion.
Autumn Statement: Government to set up insurers' infrastructure forum

The government will set up an Insurers’ Infrastructure Investment Forum with the Association of British Insurers to encourage investment from the capital markets.
Autumn Statement: Infrastructure investment to reach £30bn

The government will use the savings generated over the comprehensive spending review 2010 period to fund £6.3 billion of additional infrastructure spending.
Autumn Statement: Medium-sized firms get specific help from government

The chancellor’s statement today outlined further plans to help the country’s medium sized enterprises with a £1 billion business-finance partnership aimed specifically at mid-sized companies.
Autumn Statement: Opinion - Noble Francis, CPA

A lot of the Autumn Statement was trailed beforehand. In fact almost everything, so it is difficult to be surprised either positively or negatively.
Autumn Statement: Osborne sets credit easing ceiling of £40bn

George Osborne has confirmed that the government’s credit easing system will generate £20 bilion of loans for small businesses in the next two years.
Autumn Statement: Road and rail schemes highlighted by the Chancellor

The Chancellor has set out plans to progress 35 rail and road schemes as part of the Autumn Statement, emphasising there will be benefits in the north of England as well as the south.
Autumn Statement: SMEs in line for £40bn of loans under credit easing

Up to £40 billion of loans could find their way to small and medium sized businesses under George Osborne’s credit easing plans, it has been revealed.
Babcock closes in on £500 million fire contract

Engineering support services firm Babcock has been named preferred bidder for a 25 year contract by the London Fire Brigade to develop training facilities.
Balfour Beatty legal action stops strike

A Balfour Beatty legal action highlighting “significant deficiencies” in the ballot has stopped parts of its workforce from striking.
Balfour Beatty signs £850m refinancing deal

Britain’s largest contractor Balfour Beatty has signed an £850 million five-year revolving credit facility with six major lenders.
Balfour Beatty workers vote for strike action

More than 80 per cent of Unite members working for Balfour Beatty Engineering Services have voted in favour of strike action over plans by the company to withdraw from the Joint National Board agreement.
Bam wins first of 24 technical college contracts

Bam Construction has been awarded the first of the government’s 24 technical colleges announced in this year’s budget.
Bam wins Network Rail training centre in York

Network Rail has appointed Bam Construction and architect Aedas to design and build a new rail operating centre and training facility in York.
Banks move in on Battersea Power Station

Lenders could take control of Battersea Power Station unless a buyer can be found in the next week.
Bids wanted for £17m university scheme

The University of Manchester is seeking a contractor for a £17.5 million project to build a cancer research centre.
Bids wanted for £20m university library job

The University of Hull is seeking a contractor for a £20 million project to refurbish and extend its library.
Big names battle it out for £250m+ nuclear construction framework

Heavyweight contractors including Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering, Galliford Try, Mace and Vinci Construction have tendered for a Magnox nuclear construction framework worth more than £250 million.
British Land to start on £64m shopping centre

British Land has pledged to start main construction of its £64 million Whitely Shopping Centre scheme in Hampshire early in the New Year.
Carillion consults on job losses after cuts to tariffs

Carillion has put 4,500 staff at risk of redundancy as a result of the cuts to Feed-in Tariffs for renewable energy announced by the government last month.
Central London £20 million framework up for grabs

The City of London is procuring a £20 million framework for minor construction, refurbishment and M&E works across its estate.
Chancellor pledges to clamp down on costly employment tribunals

The chancellor has vowed to get tough on costly employment tribunals to prevent small firms being ‘sued out of existence’.
Chancellor: “Important to get credit flowing to small businesses”

The chancellor George Osborne announced today in his Autumn Statement measures to help small and medium sized businesses gain access to credit and finance.
Chinese boost for UK infrastructure

UK infrastructure was given a huge boost today as the chief executive of China’s main sovereign wealth fund described investment in Britain as a “win-win” situation for all.
Clugston celebrates £17.5m contract wins

Clugston Construction has begun work on three projects across the Yorkshire and Humber region after winning contracts worth £17.5 million.
Construction bodies set sights on low carbon agenda

Two leading construction organisations have joined forces to prepare and distribute information on the low carbon agenda.
Construction growth slides

Growth in the construction sector weakened in November, a purchasing managers index shows.
Construction Marketing Awards winners 2011

The winners of the Construction Marketing Awards have been announced, with Manchester-based specialist SLG Marketing taking the top Agency of the Year accolade.
Construction Parliamentary Update - 25 November 2011

A round-up of all the construction news from Westminster this week, brought to you by the Madano Partnership
Construction workers £1k worse off as 5% inflation bites

Construction workers are more than £1,100 worse off than last year due to faltering pay rises and soaring inflation, new research shows.
Construction world gives cautious welcome to infrastructure investment plans

The construction industry has applauded the government’s commitment to overhauling the physical infrastructure of the nation but criticised a lack of new, immediate investment that would have helped kick-start the economy.
Contractors could use carbon savings bidding for Green Deal work

Companies may be asked to bid for Green Deal work based on the amount of carbon they can save, under a model being considered by the government.
Contractors sought for £650m substation framework

National Grid is seeking up to six contractors for a £650 million framework to build high voltage substations.
Costain, Carillion among Highways Agency best performers

The Highways Agency has announced a number of contractors who have demonstrated leading performances on road schemes this year.
Council puts £200m framework deal up for grabs

London Borough of Tower Hamlets is looking for building contractors to take part in a framework deal which could be worth up to £200 million over four years.
Davis Langdon appointed to £42m Cambridge University scheme

The costs of developing the University of Cambridge’s new £42 million Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology facility will come under the watchful eye of global firm Davis Langdon, which has been appointed cost consultant for the project.
Delays to £2bn schools programme

The next stage of the government’s £2 billion privately financed schools building programme has been delayed until the New Year, Construction News has learnt.
'Delays' to Pinnacle, Cheesegrater and Walkie Talkie would open window for other new offices

Potential delays to the Pinnacle, Walkie Talkie and Cheesegrater skyscrapers could create a window for new office developments in 2014 and 2015, according to a report out today.
Dover's £400m second terminal gets green light

A £400m second ferry terminal will today be given the green light by government, a move which will double the capacity of the UK’s busiest trust port.
Download Contract Leads - 28 November 2011

Download the latest contract leads here
E.ON awards £120m biomass contract to Bam Nuttall

Bam Nuttall has won a £120 million contract for civil engineering work on an E.ON biomass generator near Sheffield.
East Midlands: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement the chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.
East of England: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement the chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.
Ed Miliband: Housing strategy £400m boost is a 'gimmick'

Labour leader praises construction’s ‘long-term wealth creators’ and calls for VAT cut on repairs
Exclusive interview: Ed Miliband tells CN government must get construction industry moving

Chancellor George Osborne must take immediate action to get the construction industry moving when he delivers his autumn statement on Tuesday, Labour leader Ed Miliband has told Construction News.
FMB slams Autumn Statement for not doing enough to help SMEs

Chancellor George Osborne has come under fire for not doing more to help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and first time buyers get the economy back on the road to sustained economic growth
Forecasts set to tumble despite Chancellor's construction commitment

Industry forecasts look set to be downgraded on the back of the autumn statement despite a “huge commitment to infrastructure” announced by the Chancellor George Osborne.
Four shortlisted for £100m Seacontainers House revamp

Big names to fight it out for mixed use scheme on the Thames
Green Deal finance company seeks Green Investment Bank funding

A Green Deal finance company, established by companies including PwC and Carillion, has applied for more than £100 million of Green Investment Bank funding.
Health and safety reform should be welcomed

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health immediate past president Steve Granger
Health and safety regs to be cut in half within three years

The government has announced plans to begin a wide ranging cut back of health and safety regulations which could see rules removed from the statute book within months.
Housebuilder activity 'returning'

Housebuilder demand for land is increasing in the South-east, according to a regeneration specialist involved in a £5 million deal this week.
Housebuilder in £55 million London scheme

Taylor Wimpey has signed a £55 million agreement with commercial developer Workspace to convert 53,000 sqft of offices in North London into flats.
Industry wishlist: The projects that made the autumn statement cut

Last week CN revealed the industry’s 72-project wish-list of schemes it wanted to unlock and this week the Chancellor announced several of them will now received funding or strong political support.
Investigators appeal after asbestos dumped in Leicester streets

An appeal for witnesses has been launched after two batches of asbestos were illegally dumped in Leicester’s city centre earlier this month.
ISG awarded second Dudley College contract

ISG has won a contract for the construction of a new sixth form building for Dudley College in the West Midlands.
Lend Lease land multi-million National Theatre contract

Lend Lease has won a £35 million contract to redevelop the National Theatre on London’s South Bank.
Lloyds thaws finance freeze for SMEs

A pledge by Lloyds TSB to lend at least £12 billion to small and medium-sized businesses next year has been met by a call for the bank to increase finance to construction companies.
London: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement the chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.
Low carbon future requires more sensible infrastructure says ICE

Investment in road infrastructure will be critical in developing a low-carbon transport network, according to a report from the Institute of Civil Engineers.
Lucas to fit out Thames cable-car stations

The fit out contract for the stations either side of London’s Olympic cablecar project has been handed to specialist firm Lucas Fit Out.
Maude commits to £4bn use of project bank accounts

At least £4 billion of government spending is due to be paid directly to SMEs working on public sector construction projects after cabinet office minister Francis Maude announced plans to up the use of project bank accounts.
McAlpine and subcontractors fined after worker loses leg building Arsenal stadium

Three contractors have been hit with fines and costs totalling £84,000 after a worker helping build Arsenal’s Ashburton Grove stadium was run over and lost a leg.
Media roundup: Chancellor to give £600m for 100 free schools

What the weekend papers said about tomorrow’s autumn statement.
Metalworks firm BC Barton & Son in administration

Metalworks specialist B C Barton & Son Ltd has gone into administration after 114 years of trading.
Minister seeks tidal investment

The UK government has urged international neighbours to help unlock €450 million (£385 million) of investment in marine power projects.
Morgan Sindall hoping for £1bn nuclear contracts boom

Morgan Sindall is bidding for the £1.1bn Sellafield Infrastructure Strategic Alliance after it opened a new office in Cumbria to target nuclear contracts worth £1bn.
Morgan Sindall scoops £7m airport deal

Morgan Sindall has been awarded a £7 million contract to build a new air traffic control tower for Manchester Airport.
Mouchel and Amey fined £60k after worker's fatal fall

Engineering specialists Mouchel and Amey have been fined £60,000 following the death of a worker who fell from a cherry picker on a dual carriageway in Liverpool.
Mouchel chief exec launches review to decide firm's fate

Mouchel’s new chief executive Grant Rumbles has launched a strategic review which could result in a rights issue or the sale of the company.
Mouchel eyes restructure after losses grow

Mouchel chief executive Grant Rumbles has pledged an aggressive restructure at the company which could see more redundancies after the firm posted a £64.8 million loss for 2011.
Mr Osborne heard our message loud and clear

The industry has been hoping for weeks that the Chancellor would put construction at the heart of his plans to kick-start economic growth, and as the day of the autumn statement drew closer this week, hopes got ever higher.
Network Rail announces £46m funding for station upgrades

Network Rail has announced more than 20 projects will receive £46 million of funding as station upgrades take place across the UK.
Newcastle station set for transformation under £25m Network Rail funding

Network Rail has announced Newcastle station will receive a multi-million transformation after being named as one of eight projects to share almost £25m in funding.
North East: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement the chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.
North West: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement the chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.
Northern Ireland: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement the chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.
Northern Line extension could inject £4.5bn into UK economy

An independent study commissioned by Transport for London is expected to advocate the building of an additional branch of the Northern Line.
Northern Line extension set for Autumn Statement backing

The Chancellor is set to back the Northern Line extension to Battersea in tomorrow’s Autumn Statement after he visited Nine Elms where he lent his support to the scheme.
Nuclear, CCS and renewables to compete for lowest cost energy market

The government will not set targets for future nuclear or renewable energy as it does “not know how costs will change over time”.
ODA grants approval for £1.3bn Stratford development

A £1.3bn regeneration of Stratford has moved a step closer today after plans from Lend Lease and partners London & Continental Railways were approved by the Olympic Delivery Authority Planning Committee.
OECD forecasts sluggish growth for the UK next year

The UK annual real GDP growth forecast has been downgraded to 0.5 per cent for next year in the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook report.
OIympic sustainability lessons to be shared through new event series

The UK Green Building Council will tonight launch its Sustainability Lessons Learned programme to showcase sustainable construction at the London Olympics.
Olympic construction lessons given to foreign clients

The government today used the London 2012 Olympics to promote UK construction to international clients.
Olympics chairman John Armitt joins Berkeley Group

Olympic Delivery Authority chairman and former Network Rail boss John Armitt is joining Berkeley Group as deputy chairman, the house builder announced today.
ONS: Construction Q3 new orders up by 13 per cent

The Office for National Statistics has revealed that construction new orders for the third quarter of 2011 are up by 12.8 per cent from three months before.
Osborne announces pension fund deal for £20bn infrastructure boost

Government reaches agreement with funds worth over £800 billion
Osborne finds £5bn for instant infrastructure investment

The Chancellor George Osborne is due to announce an additional £5 billion of spending on infrastructure, funded by cuts to current spending.
Parsons Brinckerhoff take £104m Qatari contract

Balfour Beatty has announced it has won a £104m Qatari contract for its professional services division to provide programme management consultancy contract on a £5 billion roads and drainage scheme.
Race on for Highways Agency £40m Area 6 maintenance contract

The Highways Agency is seeking a contractor to carry out £40 million of maintenance work in its area 6 region around Bedford.
Ratings boost for councils

Councils are equipping themselves with credit ratings in the hope of accessing capital market investment for schools and infrastructure works.
Regional growth fund gets extra £1bn

The government has increased the Regional Growth Fund for England by £1 billion in order to support the private sector in areas currently dependent on public sector spending.
Schools get £1.2bn boost from government savings

The government has promised an additional £1.2 billion for investment in schools infrastructure.
Scotland: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.
Shortlist named for £500m South-west hub

The Scottish Futures Trust has named three consortiums on the shortlist for the £500 million South-west hub.
Slashing VAT on RMI works would generate 100,000 jobs, government told

More than 100,000 extra jobs could be created in the UK by 2012 if VAT is reduced to five per cent for all domestic repair, maintenance and improvement works, latest research commissioned by the Federation of Master Builders has found.
South East: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement the chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.
South West: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement the chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.
Tesco subsidiary Spenhill to redevelop Kent town

Tesco’s regeneration subsidiary, Spenhill, has been given planning permission to redevelop Sittingbourne town centre in Kent.
The construction sector must help build the next generation

Wates chairman and chief executive Paul Drechsler
The Green Deal is mired in confusion and uncertainty

Shadow energy and climate change secretary Caroline Flint MP
The new state school rules

Educational funding is in short supply after the jettisoning of BSF
Treasury publishes pipeline of hundreds of infrastructure projects

The publication of more than 800 public and private projects by the Treasury has satisfied a construction industry campaign spanning decades.
Trio secure places on NHS framework

Three contractors have secured places on a framework that will be used by all NHS bodies in Wales for medium-sized projects.
UCATT: Health and safety reform will lead to rise in accidents

Plans to cut down on the number of health and safety regulations announced today by the government will lead to an increase in accidents on site, the largest construction trade union has warned.
Wales: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement the chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.In Wales these include funding for the super-connected city plans in Cardiff, consent for the Anglesey Aluminium Biomass power station and other road, local transport, water flood and waste projects which have been devolved to the Welsh Government.Take a look at the full list of
Wates to work on 700 homes in Oldham

Wates Living Space will work on 700 homes in Oldham after a PFI contract was signed yesterday.
Welsh council advertises £160m frameworks

Carmarthenshire County Council is seeking contractors for two frameworks worth a total of £160 million.
West Midlands: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement the chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.
Willmott Dixon and Morrisons win with £65m Walthamstow scheme

The London Borough of Waltham Forest has selected a joint venture between Willmott Dixon and supermarket Morrisons to develop a 1.5ha site in Walthamstow town centre.
WYG sales drop 20pc in six months

Consultancy WYG saw a 20 per cent dip in revenue in the six months to September as it focused on securing a financial lifeline from lenders and shareholders.
Yorkshire & Humber: new infrastructure investment projects

In his Autumn Statement the chancellor George Osborne announced a series of new infrastructure projects as part of the investment priorities identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2011.In Yorkshire & the Humber these include the A164 Humber Bridge to Beverley, accelerating M1 junction 39 to 42 scheme, A18-A180 Link, A6182 White Rose Way Improvement Scheme, Access York Park and Ride, Leeds Rail Growth, Supertram additional vehicles in Sheffield, electrification of the Transp

Construction News24 November 2011

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Construction News
24 November 2011