Construction News
Greg Pitcher

Greg focuses mostly on organising the news in the weekly paper, but also specialises in public sector construction.

Taylor Wimpey to slash UK build costs by 10pc before end of 2010

11-Mar-2010
Taylor Wimpey is aiming to slash the cost of building its UK homes by 10 per cent from mid-2009 levels.
Olympic stadium reaches full height

5-Mar-2010
The first of the 2012 Olympic Stadium’s lighting towers has been lifted into place, taking the venue to its full height.
Welsh Assembly to advertise £125m of roads deals

5-Mar-2010
The Welsh Assembly has issued notice of three forthcoming roads deals worth a total of up to £125 million.
Isle of Wight roads deal worth £1.2bn up for grabs

5-Mar-2010
Isle of Wight Council is seeking a contractor to manage its network of roads on a 25-year PFI deal worth up to £1.2 billion.
BSF achieves 50th financial close

5-Mar-2010
The 50th Building Schools for the Future contact has reached financial close – bringing the total value of done deals to £5 billion.
Morgan Ashurst secures two schools deals in Hull

4-Mar-2010
Morgan Ashurst has been given approval for the first two contracts under Hull City Council’s £400 million Building Schools for the Future programme.
Apollo launches social housing new build division

4-Mar-2010
The Apollo Group has launched a division that will specialise in new build social housing work.
Shepherd believes direct labour is key to post-election success

4-Mar-2010
Shepherd Construction business director Gary Edwards believes the firm’s direct labour force leaves it primed to benefit from a switch to more refurbishment work after this year’s general election.
Five fight for £288m health job

3-Mar-2010
Five consortia are battling to build the £288 million Alder Hey Children’s Health Park in Liverpool.
Taylor Wimpey posts £640m loss

3-Mar-2010
House builder Taylor Wimpey this morning posted a loss of £640.6 million for 2009 – improved from a loss of £1.84 billion in 2008.
Keller profit down by a third

2-Mar-2010
Ground engineering firm Keller today reported a 34 per cent drop in profit and a 13 per cent drop in revenue for 2009.
Fines for late road works to soar

1-Mar-2010
Transport minister Sadiq Khan today revealed plans to increase tenfold the daily penalty for late-running road works.
Construction late payment improves slightly

26-Feb-2010
Construction firms paid their late bills 10 per cent quicker in January 2010 than in the same month a year earlier, according to research.
IMAGES: Olympic media buildings reach milestones

26-Feb-2010
The Olympic Delivery Authority has released new images showing progress on the media facilities for the 2012 Games.
Government injects £17m into social housing retrofit scheme

25-Feb-2010
The Government is to invest £17 million into the first national social housing retrofit scheme.
Bournemouth BSF project to be switched to academies framework

25-Feb-2010
The £130 million Bournemouth Building Schools for the Future programme is to be procured through the £4 billion academies framework - after failing to attract enough interest for a traditional OJEU-based competition.
Kier closes £60m police centres deal

24-Feb-2010
A Kier-led consortium has reached financial close on a £60 million PFI deal to deliver six police investigation centres in East Anglia.
Bam consortium scoops £600m Somerset BSF

23-Feb-2010
Bam PPP UK has been named preferred bidder for the £600 million Somerset Building Schools for the Future contract.
2012 venues receive planning permission

18-Feb-2010
Greenwich Council has approved plans to use the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich and the North Greenwich Arena during the London 2012 Olympics.
New chief executives for Bam Construct and Bam Nuttall

18-Feb-2010
Bam Construct and Bam Nuttall have both appointed new chief executives from within their existing boards.
Irish minister approves 52 schools projects

18-Feb-2010
Irish education minister Batt O’Keeffe has announced details of 52 schools projects that can go to tender over the next 12 months.
Decision soon on cash for college jobs

18-Feb-2010
The Learning and Skills Council has pledged to make a prompt decision about money it claims could create more than 100 college construction projects from 2011.
Civils workloads down again

17-Feb-2010
Four in five civils contractors had lower workloads in January 2010 than in January 2009, latest figures from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association has revealed.
NHS trusts fail to pay in 10 days

16-Feb-2010
Many NHS trusts are paying less than 10 per cent of their bills within their targeted 10 day timeframe, research has revealed.
Killby & Gayford scoops refurb deal

16-Feb-2010
Killby & Gayford has been won a £7.5 million refurbishment deal at Wolfson House in London by the East London NHS Foundation Trust.
Plans submitted for £137m west London regeneration project

15-Feb-2010
A planning application has been submitted for a £137 million regeneration of the Green Man Lane estate in west London.
Councils to draw up long-term strategies for schools projects

12-Feb-2010
Councils could soon be publishing overarching plans for their schools estates in a move that would give contractors greater visibility about forthcoming work.
Barking prison plans dropped

12-Feb-2010
The Ministry of Justice has dropped plans to build a 1,500-place prison in east London.
LSC holds back £210m colleges cash over legal fears

12-Feb-2010
The Learning and Skills Council is holding back £210 million of capital funding because of a legal case, it has emerged.
Willmott Dixon to build £15m school in Middlesborough

12-Feb-2010
Willmott Dixon has received the green light for a £15.2 million project as part of its Middlesbrough Building Schools for the Future contract.
Bristol City stadium planning boost

12-Feb-2010
Bristol City Football Club’s £60 million new stadium has received major boost with a “minded to approve” verdict from the local council’s planning committee.
Firms scrap over academies bounty

11-Feb-2010
Work is coming quicker than expected through the £4 billion academies framework - and the initial jobs are generating a high level of interest from contractors.
Trio confirmed on shortlist for £180m Stockton BSF job

11-Feb-2010
Interserve, Bam Construct and Shepherd have been confirmed as the three shortlisted firms for the £180 million Stockton Building Schools for the Future contract.
Balfour Beatty and Thomas Vale/Wates JV close £250m Stoke BSF deals

10-Feb-2010
Balfour Beatty and a joint venture of Thomas Vale and Wates have reached financial close on the £250 million Stoke-on-Trent Building Schools for the Future scheme.
Leicestershire council advertises £100m framework

10-Feb-2010
Leicestershire County Council is looking to fill up to seven places on a four-year framework that could be worth £100 million.
West Yorkshire Police to build new HQs

10-Feb-2010
West Yorkshire Police Authority is to procure a contractor to design, build, finance, operate and manage facilities and associated services on a PFI deal to run up to 30 years.
Renewed calls for extra colleges cash

10-Feb-2010
The Association of Colleges has renewened calls for the Government to find extra money for stalled college building projects after the Learning and Skills Council declared an end to the fiasco earlier this week.
LSC pays out £34m to end colleges fiasco

9-Feb-2010
The Learning and Skills Council has agreed to pay £34 million to 41 colleges in a move it says draws a line under the Building Colleges for the Future funding fiasco.
No second runway for Gatwick

9-Feb-2010
The new owners of Gatwick airport have ruled out building a second runway in the foreseeable future.
Fresh hints that BSF programme will be cut

8-Feb-2010
A figure close to the Conservative Party has given the clearest indication yet that it would slash the Building Schools for the Future programme if elected.
BSF to be used for zero-carbon schools

4-Feb-2010
Local authorities will procure 36 zero-carbon schools through Building Schools for the Future and the Primary Capital Programme, the Government has confirmed.
IMAGES: Three Olympic Village plots structurally complete

3-Feb-2010
New images show the progress being made in the construction of the £1 billion Olympic Village – with three of the 11 residential plots now structurally complete.
Big firms line up for £288m Liverpool health project

3-Feb-2010
Balfour Beatty, Bovis Lend Lease, Carillion and Taylor Woodrow are among scores of contractors understood to be interested in a £288 million project to create the UK’s first children’s health park.
US construction spending at six-year low

2-Feb-2010
US construction spending fell to its lowest level since 2003 in December, an official report has revealed.
Skanska confirmed as £1bn Essex BSF winner

1-Feb-2010
Skanska has been confirmed as the preferred bidder for the £1 billion Essex Building Schools for the Future contract.
Calls for tax breaks for hiring apprentices

1-Feb-2010
Construction qualifications body EAL has called for the Government to give employers National Insurance breaks for hiring apprentices.
Basildon's £1bn regeneration a step closer

1-Feb-2010
Plans for a £1 billion regeneration of Basildon town centre have moved another step closer.
Waterloo Housing to build 3,000 homes after securing loan

1-Feb-2010
Waterloo Housing Group is looking to build 3,000 homes after being lent £100 million by Barclays bank.
HCA deputy chief to leave in March

29-Jan-2010
Sir Bob Kerslake’s deputy is to leave the Homes and Communities Agency in March.
Land purchase creates £80m housing scheme

29-Jan-2010
An £80 million scheme is set to come to market to build more than 300 homes on a canal-side site in central London.
Bournemouth delays BSF event in bid to attract more bidders

28-Jan-2010
Bournemouth Borough Council has delayed its Building Schools for the Future bidders’ day – just days after CNplus revealed contractor disgruntlement with the bunching of jobs on the south coast.
Government pledges 36 zero-carbon schools by 2016

28-Jan-2010
At least 36 zero carbon schools are to be built across England, the Government has announced.
Laing O'Rourke wins Oxford University deal

28-Jan-2010
Laing O’Rourke has won a deal to build new accommodation for Oxford University.
Velodrome 2012 structure completed by Watsons

28-Jan-2010
The steel structure of the London 2012 Velodrome has been completed by Bolton-based sub-contractor Watsons Steel.
Carillion wins £370m Wolverhampton BSF job

28-Jan-2010
Carillion has won the £370 million Wolverhampton Building Schools for the Future programme.
Action is urged as payment worsens

28-Jan-2010
The Government has been urged to bring forward construction payment legislation after figures last week showed late payment was worsening in the industry.
Funding model hope for Procure21+

28-Jan-2010
A financial model used to close a £32.6 million health project last week has been mooted as a possible saviour of ProCure 21+ projects in the future.
Global property investment soars

27-Jan-2010
Investment in commercial property rose across 70 per cent of the globe in the final three months of 2009, research has shown.
MoJ submits planning permission for Essex prison

27-Jan-2010
The Ministry of Justice has submitted planning permission for a prison in Runwell, Essex.
BSF chief backs calls for more refurb work

26-Jan-2010
Building Schools for the Future chief Tim Byles has backed an English Heritage report calling for more refurbishment of old buildings through the £55 billion scheme.
Keepmoat buys sub-contractor Milnerbuild

25-Jan-2010
House builder Keepmoat has bought Yorkshire-based sub-contractor Milnerbuild for an undisclosed sum.
Salford redevelopment receives planning boost

25-Jan-2010
Salford City Council has granted outline planning permission for the redevelopment of the centre of the Greater Manchester town.
Olympic legacy chief hails "great interest" in stadium use

22-Jan-2010
The Olympic Park Legacy Company has spoken of “great interest” in using the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games.
Almost 10,000 workers now on Olympic site

21-Jan-2010
A total of 9,164 people are now working on the Olympic Park, it was revealed today.
Construction late payment worsens

21-Jan-2010
Late payment has worsened in the construction industry – bucking the national trend.
Galliford Try lose out on £300m Wandsworth BSF deal

21-Jan-2010
Galliford Try has been eliminated for the running for the £300 million Wandsworth Building Schools for the Future contract.
Councils signal schools refurb shift

21-Jan-2010
Two key councils are drawing up refurbishment-heavy Building Schools for the Future plans as the £55 billion programme shifts away from new-build work.
NAO identifies risks to Decent Homes work

21-Jan-2010
The National Audit Office has identified three major risks to the completion of the Government’s Decent Homes programme.
Belfast sees largest concrete pour in Irish history

20-Jan-2010
A concrete pour claiming to be the largest in Ireland’s history has taken place at the heart of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.
Atkins calls for spending on flood defences

20-Jan-2010
Engineering consultancy Atkins has called for the Government to protect investment in flood defences when it cuts public spending.
Vinci/Sir Robert McAlpine scoop £32m health job

20-Jan-2010
A Vinci/Sir Robert McAlpine joint venture has reached financial close on a £32 million contract to build a health centre on the Wirral.
Willmott Dixon wins £26m retirement village job

20-Jan-2010
Willmott Dixon Housing has been awarded a £26 million contract by ExtraCare Charitable Trust for the main element of a 300-home retirement village in Milton Keynes.
Bam chief sees "encouraging signs" for commercial and retail markets

18-Jan-2010
The property development arm of Bam Construct has reported “encouraging signs” in the commercial and retail market.
Bam Nuttall scoops £190m rail deal

15-Jan-2010
Bam Nuttall has won a £190 million contract to create a new main line from London Marylebone station to Oxfordshire and the Midlands.
ProCure 21+ bidders gear up for submissions

15-Jan-2010
The 11 remaining bidders in the race for places on the £4 billion ProCure 21+ framework are working flat out towards a deadline at the end of this month.
MPs call for £1.8bn prisons programme to be scrapped

14-Jan-2010
An influential group of MPs has called for the prisons building programme to be slashed after the general election.
Apollo closes in on second takeover

14-Jan-2010
Apollo is undertaking due diligence on four possible takeover targets after acquiring South-west mechanical and electrical firm Goldhall Electrical this month.
Flood concerns hit Somerset BSF deal

14-Jan-2010
Bam PPP and Sir Robert McAlpine could face an extended wait to hear which has won the £600 million Somerset Building Schools for the Future contract - after the Treasury intervened over flooding concerns.
Councils urged to use aggregates to combat snow and ice

13-Jan-2010
The British Aggregates Association is advising councils to use aggregates to treat roads and pavements during the big freeze.
Mansell wins £6.3m Harris Academy job

13-Jan-2010
Balfour Beatty subsidiary Mansell has won a £6.3 million contract to build a two-storey teaching and infill block at Harris City Academy in South London.
Former Disney chief appointed to Olympic legacy role

12-Jan-2010
The Olympic Park Legacy Company has appointed former Disneyland Paris vice president Malcolm Ross as director of operations and venues.
BSF chief hails momentum as 125,000th pupil benefits

12-Jan-2010
Building Schools for the Future chief Tim Byles has hailed the £55 billion programme’s “momentum” as the 125,000th pupil is set to benefit from it this month.
Metrix wins £29m defence deal

11-Jan-2010
Metrix has scooped a £29 million contract from the Ministry of Defence to perform early works on the home of the future Defence Technical College.
Balfour Beatty closes in on £47m Plymouth deal

8-Jan-2010
Balfour Beatty is in line to be awarded the £46.5 million Life Centre project in Plymouth.
Willmott Dixon scoops £35m Staffordshire academy

8-Jan-2010
Willmott Dixon has been appointed preferred bidder for a £35 million contract to build an academy in Staffordshire.
SED postponed until 2011

7-Jan-2010
Plant show SED has been postponed for a year, the organisers have announced.
Apollo acquires M&E firm Goldhall

7-Jan-2010
Top 100 contractor Apollo Group has acquired South-west mechanical and electrical firm Goldhall Electrical in a bid to strengthen its capabilities.
2010 PREVIEW: Reasons to be cheerful

7-Jan-2010
After a year of plummeting output and falling tender prices, the construction industry is looking at another challenging 12 months – but there will be multi-billion pound opportunities in 2010
Call for clarity after university cuts

7-Jan-2010
Construction Industry Council chief executive Graham Watts has praised the Government for its honesty in slashing university capital funding.
IMAGE: Skanska completes Olympic underpass

5-Jan-2010
Skanska has completed work to create a link into the Olympic Park beneath the A12 dual-carriageway.
Neptune to rescue stalled Liverpool site

5-Jan-2010
Neptune Developments has announced that it is working to develop the mothballed Baltic Triangle site in Liverpool.
Schools Secretary calls for TV debate on education

4-Jan-2010
Schools secretary Ed Balls has called for a live TV debate on education policy in the run-up to this year’s general election.
UK remained in recession in third quarter of 2009

23-Dec-2009
Official figures today showed the UK remained in recession during the third quarter of 2009 despite revised figures for construction activity.
Carillion closes on £54m academy

23-Dec-2009
Carillion has reached financial close on the largest academy in Europe, according to CNplus’ sister title Infrastructure Journal.
Balfour Beatty wins £200m education work

23-Dec-2009
Balfour Beatty has won two education contracts worth almost £200 million.
IMAGE: Olympic Handball Arena foundations complete

22-Dec-2009
The foundations of the London 2012 Handball Arena have been completed.
Communities named for slice of £10m green fund

22-Dec-2009
The Government has announced the first 10 communities to benefit from a £10 million fund to cut greenhouse emissions.
Kier sells stake in two PFI projects

22-Dec-2009
Kier has sold its investments in two private finance initiative projects for £7.3 million.
Galliford Try scoops final Athletes Village deal

21-Dec-2009
Galliford Try has won the final Tier One contract on the Athletes Village for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Construction product sales still falling

21-Dec-2009
The sale of construction products continued to decline in the final quarter of 2009, according to the Construction Products Association.
Apollo wins £7.4m Colchester housing deal

21-Dec-2009
The Apollo Group has won a £7.4 million Decent Homes contract from Colchester Borough Council.
McAvoy wins Olympic basketball arena contract

18-Dec-2009
Northern Irish firm McAvoy has won the final construction contract for the Basketball Arena for the 2012 Olympics.
Mears offers £27.2m for Supporta

18-Dec-2009
Social housing repair and maintenance firm Mears has tabled a £27.2 million bid for professional services company Supporta.
Balfour Beatty appoints non-exec director

18-Dec-2009
Balfour Beatty has appointed former Tate & Lyle chief executive Iain Ferguson as a non-executive director.
Balfour Beatty to carry out second phase works on Exhibition Road

17-Dec-2009
Balfour Beatty has been appointed to carry out the second phase of works on Exhibition Road in London.
NOUGHTIES REVIEW: ‘Still no single voice for industry’

17-Dec-2009
Despite all the changes in the past decade, the leadership and representation of the construction industry is as fiercely contested an issue at the end of the noughties as it was at the beginning.
Darling’s ominous plans for industry

17-Dec-2009
Pre-Budget Report outlines new rail work, but fails to offer assurance that conditions will improve
HCA expects £1bn private rental boost

15-Dec-2009
The Homes and Communities Agency today said it expected about £1 billion to be channelled to the housing sector in 2010 through its Private Rental Sector Initiative.
Scott Wilson profits up

15-Dec-2009
Scott Wilson today reported increased profits despite a drop in revenue for the 26 weeks to 1 November.
Olympic Stadium roof lifted

15-Dec-2009
The cable net roof of the Olympic Stadium has been lifted into place, it was announced today.
House prices and enquiries rise

15-Dec-2009
Chartered surveyors have seen an increase in new work for the sixth month running, according to a report out today.
Contractor loses chance to appeal OFT fine after postal error

14-Dec-2009
A contractor fined more than £170,000 by the Office of Fair Trading as part of the cover pricing inquiry has lost its chance of fighting the penalty – after posting its notice of appeal to the wrong address.
Muse submits £220m Blackpool plans

11-Dec-2009
Muse Developments has submitted a planning application for the £220 million Talbot Gateway scheme to transform Blackpool.
Experts warn of college blows

10-Dec-2009
A fresh blow has been dealt to contractors’ fading hopes of rescuing college work, with a warning that increasing numbers of institutions could give up on projects.
Shortlist down to 11 for ProCure 21+

10-Dec-2009
The competition for places on the £4 billion ProCure 21+ framework has been whittled down to 11 firms.
Equitix scoops £110m Cambridgeshire BSF deal

9-Dec-2009
Equitix is set to win the £110 million Cambridgeshire Building Schools for the Future contract.
PRE-BUDGET: Electrification project is only new work

9-Dec-2009
Chancellor Alistair Darling has promised a project to electrify the train line between Liverpool, Preston and Manchester in today’s Pre-Budget Report.
P Elliott scoops Athletes Village deal

9-Dec-2009
Irish contractor P Elliott has won the latest contract to build a block of the £1 billion Athletes Village.
Transform closes Wigan and Salford BSF deal

9-Dec-2009
Transform Learning Partnership has reached financial close on the first phase of the £400 million Wigan and Salford Building Schools for the Future contract.
Mayor praises "sensational" Olympics transport works

9-Dec-2009
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has hailed the “sensational” speed of transport works taking place in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics.
East Thames appointed to £200m Ocean regeneration

8-Dec-2009
The East Thames Consortium has been formally selected as development partner for the £200 million Ocean Estate regeneration in east London.
Rydon wins race for £39m deal to build homes for the elderly

7-Dec-2009
Rydon has been named preferred bidder for a £39 million contract to design, build, finance and operate four specialist homes for the elderly in East Sussex.
ODA plays down Olympic arrests

4-Dec-2009
The Olympic Delivery Authority has moved to play down reports of illegal workers on the London 2012 site.
Kier completes first Olympic building

4-Dec-2009
Kier has completed the first building on the 2012 Olympic Park.
More than 13,000 civils jobs at threat

4-Dec-2009
More than 13,000 civil engineering jobs will be lost in the next year, according to a survey of members of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association.
BSF jobs to extend beyond schools

3-Dec-2009
The 12 newly released Building Schools for the Future projects could lead to a broad sweep of work for successful contractors, according to Partnerships for Schools chief executive Tim Byles.
HCA hails moves to create rural housing work

2-Dec-2009
The Homes and Communities Agency has hailed a “vital step” towards creating housing projects in rural areas.
May Gurney results boost

1-Dec-2009
May Gurney has boosted turnover and profit in the six months ended 30 September 2009, the firm announced today.
Sir Robert McAlpine closes Newcastle BSF deal

1-Dec-2009
Sir Robert McAlpine has reached financial close on the second phase of Newcastle’s Building Schools for the Future project.
Government releases £1bn for 12 new BSF projects

30-Nov-2009
The Government has approved a further £1 billion of funding to release 12 more Building Schools for the Future projects.
HCA to fund 45 more housing schemes

27-Nov-2009
The Homes and Communities Agency has approved a further 45 schemes for funding through the first round of its Kickstart programme.
IMAGES: The roof has landed

26-Nov-2009
Breaths were held as the London 2012 Olympics Aquatics Centre roof was settled into position last month
Shortlisted firms look forward to final stage of ProCure 21+ battle

26-Nov-2009
Details were emerging this week of the shortlist for the £4 billion ProCure 21+ framework.
Specialist firms hit out at Olympic/Crossrail procurement system

26-Nov-2009
Subcontractors have fiercely criticised the system being used to dish out work on London projects including the 2012 Olympics and Crossrail.
ODA on track for sustainability targets

25-Nov-2009
The Olympic Delivery Authority has announced it is on track to meet all sustainability targets for the London 2012 construction project.
Bam scoops £20m bus station deal

24-Nov-2009
Bam Construction has won a £20 million contract to build a bus station in Wolverhampton.
Bradford airport redevelopment approved

23-Nov-2009
A £28 million redevelopment of Leeds Bradford International Airport passenger terminal has been granted planning consent.
VolkerStevin scoops wave energy deal

20-Nov-2009
A joint venture of VolkerStevin Marine and Westminster Dredging has been named as preferred contractor for the design and construction of the Siadar Wave Energy Project on the Isle of Lewis.
Overruns on public projects cost £19bn

20-Nov-2009
Overruns on 240 major public sector capital projects have cost the taxpayer £19 billion, a report published by the TaxPayers’ Alliance today revealed.
Lord's to get £400m makeover

18-Nov-2009
Plans are being drawn up for a £400 million redevelopment of Lord’s cricket ground.
Bovis Homes reports 83pc rise in private reservations

18-Nov-2009
Bovis Homes Group has reported an 83 per cent increase in private home reservations in the year to 13 November.
Bowmer & Kirkland appointed to New Brighton scheme

17-Nov-2009
Bowmer & Kirkland has been appointed as main contractor for Phase 2 of the £60 million New Brighton retail and leisure scheme in the North-west.
Balfour Beatty and Carillion shortlisted for Southampton academies work

17-Nov-2009
Balfour Beatty and Carillion have made it through to the final two in the battle to build two academies for Southampton City Council.
ODA denies Athletes’ Village cost cut

12-Nov-2009
Olympics chief John Armitt has rubbished speculation that aggressive tendering has slashed the cost of the Athletes’ Village.
NAO: lack of procurement skills in government

6-Nov-2009
A lack of procurement skills means the Government may not be getting the best value for £200 billion worth of projects, according to a National Audit office report today.
Late paying councils revealed

5-Nov-2009
Some councils are failing to pay any of their suppliers within 10 days, a major study has revealed.
Only 18 firms remain for ProCure 21+

5-Nov-2009
Less than a third of the 59 contractors that expressed an interest in the £4 billion ProCure 21+ framework returned prequalification questionnaires, it has emerged.
LSC to fund skills academy

4-Nov-2009
The Learning and Skills Council has approved funding to build the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills.
Treasury consults on competitive dialogue

4-Nov-2009
The Treasury has launched a consultation on competitive dialogue in procurement.
Shepherd Construction JV scoops £50m Liverpool library deal

3-Nov-2009
A Shepherd Construction joint venture has scooped a £50 million contract to redevelop Liverpool Central Library.
CPA: Construction industry continues to suffer

2-Nov-2009
All areas of the construction industry continued to suffer in the third quarter of 2009, the Construction Products Association’s latest Trade Survey has shown.
Balfour Beatty and Vinci remain in £200m Derby City BSF race

30-Oct-2009
Balfour Beatty and Vinci Education have made the final two for the £200 million Derby City Building Schools for the Future contract.
House price rises slow

30-Oct-2009
House prices rose again in October, but at a slightly slower pace, according to a report by Nationwide Building Society today.
Government to pump £40m into Manufacturing Technology Centre project

30-Oct-2009
The Government has approved funding of £40 million to build the Manufacturing Technology Centre at Ansty Park near Coventry.
Bids invited for £15m Mary Rose museum project

29-Oct-2009
Contractors are being sought for a £15 million, 18-month contract to build a museum to house the famous ship Mary Rose in Portsmouth.
Bodies found on Yorkshire construction site

29-Oct-2009
More than 100 bodies have been uncovered by a York building firm working on a holiday cottages construction project.
Olympics workforce hits 7,000

28-Oct-2009
The Olympics workforce has reached 7,000 on the £8 billion construction project.
UKCG pledges to fight against spending cuts

28-Oct-2009
The UK Construction Group has pledged to use a report proving the value of spending on construction to fight the industry’s case before and after the next general election.
Sites sought for three large prison projects

28-Oct-2009
The Government has begun its search for places to build three 1,500-place prisons.
Commercial R&M work plummets

27-Oct-2009
Spending on repair and maintenance of commercial property has fallen by the sharpest amount for 50 years, according to research.
Leadbitter wins £3.6m Brighton contract

26-Oct-2009
Leadbitter Group has won a £3.6 million contract to design and build a sports, recreation and social facility at the University of Brighton’s Falmer Campus.
Construction output plummets as UK stays in recession

23-Oct-2009
Construction output fell by 1.1 per cent in the three months to 30 September as the UK remained mired in recession, official data has shown.
Seven shortlisted for £1.8bn prisons framework

22-Oct-2009
The Ministry of Justice has shortlisted seven consortia for the £1.8 billion framework to design, build and operate five large PFI prisons in England and Wales.
Leadbitter chief looks forward to academies battle

22-Oct-2009
Leadbitter chief executive Bob Rendell has warned the construction giants on the £4 billion academies framework that the regional contractors will be hard to beat.
Sisk scoops Athletes Village deal

21-Oct-2009
Sisk has become the latest Irish firm to win main contractor work on the £1 billion Athletes Village.
Academies 'super-framework' winners revealed

20-Oct-2009
Partnerships for Schools has selected 15 firms across two regions for the £4 billion academies ‘super-framework’.
Raynsford urges contractors to meet Olympic standards

19-Oct-2009
Former construction minister Nick Raynsford has urged contractors across the industry to strive to reach the standards of the 2012 Olympics build.
US construction industry to rise next year

19-Oct-2009
US construction starts on site are expected to rise by 11 per cent next year.
Olympics worker security ramped up

16-Oct-2009
Olympics workers are having their hands and irises scanned before entering the east London site as security measures for the 2012 Games are ramped up from today.
Cambridgeshire BSF decision delayed

16-Oct-2009
Carillion and Equitix face an extended wait to learn who has won the £110 million Cambridgeshire Building Schools for the Future contract.
Wembley Arena proposed for two sports in 2012

15-Oct-2009
The Olympic Board has agreed to use Wembley Arena for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics in 2012, rather than building a temporary venue.
Eric Wright and Morgan Sindall team vie for £140m Blackpool BSF project

15-Oct-2009
Preston-based contractor Eric Wright will go head to head with the Morgan Sindall-led New Horizons consortia for the £140 million Blackpool Building Schools for the Future contract.
Bam building wins Prime Minister's award

15-Oct-2009
A Bam-built college building in inner-city Birmingham has scooped this year’s Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award.
Balfour Beatty and Wates to contest £300m Ealing BSF deal

14-Oct-2009
Balfour Beatty and Wates will go head to head on the £300 million Ealing Building Schools for the Future contract.
HCA dishes out £50m more kickstart funding

14-Oct-2009
More than £50 million has been awarded by the Homes and Communities Agency to 27 housing schemes across the UK.
Industry fails to learn Egan lessons

14-Oct-2009
A damning review of the UK construction industry has insisted contractors must become more efficient to survive the recession and take advantage of opportunities in the global economy.
Public sector efficiency guide published

14-Oct-2009
A set of guidelines has been created to squeeze more efficiency from public sector construction projects.
Whitbread plans expansion after 3.1pc revenue rise

13-Oct-2009
Hotel and restaurant chain Whitbread has set out plans for further growth after reporting a 3.1 per cent increase in revenue in its interim results this morning.
M&S to build biggest store for 10 years

12-Oct-2009
Marks & Spencer has received planning permission to build its largest store for 10 years.
Kier wins £51m schools deal in Bolton

9-Oct-2009
Kier has scooped two education jobs in Bolton worth a total of £51 million.
Tories to look at education work procurement

9-Oct-2009
A key figure at Partnerships for Schools has conceded that a Conservative government may wish to change the way major education projects are procured.
Bouygues joins battle for places on £1.8bn prisons framework

8-Oct-2009
French construction giant Bouygues has thrown its hat into the ring for the £1.8 billion new prisons framework.
Trio battle for next 2012 Village deal

8-Oct-2009
Byrne Group, Bennett Construction and P Elliott are closing in on the contract to build the next block of the £1 billion 2012 Athletes Village.
Inspace secures £20m Essex housing deal

6-Oct-2009
Inspace has won a £20 million contract with Old Ford Housing Association, part of leading affordable housing provider Circle Anglia, for phase one of the £80 million regeneration of the Mardyke estate in Rainham.
Three in running for £300m Wandsworth BSF job

5-Oct-2009
Bovis Lend Lease, Galliford Try and Willmott Dixon will battle it out for the £300 million Wandsworth Building Schools for the Future contract.
US construction spending rises

2-Oct-2009
US construction spending rose in August, official figures have shown.
Schools minister: We won't cut BSF spending

1-Oct-2009
Schools secretary Ed Balls has pledged to maintain spending on the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future programme.
BSF procurement revamp planned

1-Oct-2009
Partnerships for Schools is considering a major revamp of the procurement process for the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future programme.
IMAGE: Olympic land bridge progress

30-Sep-2009
The Olympic Delivery Authority has released images showing progress on the land bridge dubbed the ‘Gateway to the Games’.
Balfour Beatty wins £500m North-west BSF

30-Sep-2009
Balfour Beatty is understood to have beaten a Laing O’Rouke and John Laing joint venture to the £500 million Blackburn with Darwen and Bolton Building Schools for the Future deal.
Crossrail will use barges for excavated materials

30-Sep-2009
Crossrail has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of London Authority to confirm its commitment to use barges and ships along the Thames to move excavated materials.
VolkerFitzpatrick/Hochtief JV scoops £60m roads deal

30-Sep-2009
A VolkerFitzpatrick/Hochtief joint venture has signed a £62.5 million roads contract from Kent County Council.
Contractor sought for £190m Isle of Wight development

29-Sep-2009
Isle of Wight Council is seeking a contractor for a £190 million development in Newport.
Three jailed for forging CSCS cards

29-Sep-2009
Three people have been jailed for forging Construction Skills Certification Scheme cards to secure work for illegal immigrants.
Scottish schools selected for funding

28-Sep-2009
The Scottish Government has announced the first wave of secondary schools to benefit from the country’s £1.25 billion school building programme.
Locog considers creating main contractor role for 2012 overlay

28-Sep-2009
Main contractors may be sought next year to oversee fit-out work across the 2012 Olympic venues.
UPP signs £133m Exeter uni job

28-Sep-2009
Accommodation provider University Partnerships Programme has secured a £133 million deal to provide student digs for the University of Exeter.
Wigan 'mega-school' challenged

25-Sep-2009
Plans for construction of a ‘mega-school’ in Wigan have been challenged by campaigners.
Seven in 10 MPs unsure about zero-carbon target

25-Sep-2009
Seven in 10 MPs are unaware of the Government’s target for all housing to be zero carbon from 2016, research from Comres has revealed.
Reading to get £400m mixed-use development

24-Sep-2009
Reading Borough Council has approved a £400 million development next to Reading station.
Six battle for St Helens stadium contract

24-Sep-2009
Six unnamed contractors have been shortlisted to build St Helens rugby league club’s 17,980-capacity stadium.
LSC funds an extra £30m college project

23-Sep-2009
The Learning and Skills Council has approved two more college construction projects in a shock move this morning.
Willmott Dixon starts on Royal Welsh College job

23-Sep-2009
Willmott Dixon has started work on the prestigious contract to revamp and expand the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
Contractors named for £350m of work in East Midlands

23-Sep-2009
The East Midlands Property Alliance has confirmed the 11 local contractors that will share a £350 million bounty of work.
OFT REACTION: Highways Agency backs its processes

23-Sep-2009
The Highways Agency has backed its procurement processes in the wake of the Office of Fair Trading fines yesterday.
Laing O'Rourke and Bouygues battle for £350m east London BSF deal

23-Sep-2009
Laing O’Rourke and Bouygues are set to go head to head for the £350 million Barking and Dagenham Building Schools for the Future contract.
OFT FINES: Network Rail to take closer look

22-Sep-2009
Network Rail has pledged to take a close look at the OFT’s findings before making any decisions on how to react.
OFT FINES: BSF distanced from cover pricing

22-Sep-2009
Partnerships for Schools has insisted that the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future programme “guards against” cover pricing and bid rigging.
Bam to develop Co-op head office

18-Sep-2009
Bam is to help develop and cost the construction of the Co-operative Group’s new head office in Manchester.
Colleges need £8 billion to rescue projects

18-Sep-2009
Colleges would need to raise £8 billion to complete all their rebuilding plans, a taskforce has found.
Mandelson orders construction review

17-Sep-2009
One of the chief construction adviser’s first roles will be to lead a review of the industry’s ability to deliver a low-carbon future, Peter Mandelson announced today.
Willmott Dixon turns house into low carbon case study

17-Sep-2009
Willmott Dixon’s social housing division Inspace has transformed a 1930s-built family home into a case study for low carbon thermal efficiency.
Balfour ties up US firm for prisons tilt

17-Sep-2009
Balfour Beatty has teamed up with US prisons operator GEO Group for a shot at the£1.8 billion new prisons framework, Construction News understands.
Telford town centre set for £250m revamp

16-Sep-2009
Telford & Wrekin Council today unveiled a £250 million scheme to transform Telford town centre.
Double warning over schools spending

16-Sep-2009
Two key political figures have indicated that education spending is likely to be slashed after the next general election.
Olympic broadcast centre structure complete

16-Sep-2009
The steel structure for the 2012 Olympics International Broadcast Centre has been completed – in just 10 weeks.
Premier Inn eyes £125m airport hotels build

15-Sep-2009
Hotel chain Premier Inn is to build four hotels at UK airports worth a total of £125 million.
LDA's Olympic deficit could be £159m

11-Sep-2009
Accountants at KPMG have discovered that the funding gap in the London Development Agency’s 2012 Olympics budget could be as high as £159 million.
Clarke makes personal plea to construction adviser applicants

11-Sep-2009
Construction Industry Council chief executive Keith Clarke has made a personal plea for nominations for the Government’s chief construction adviser role.
Byles renews pledge to speed up BSF procurement

11-Sep-2009
Partnerships for Schools chief executive Tim Byles has renewed his efforts to drive down the procurement time for Building Schools for the Future contracts.
College contractor margins squeezed

11-Sep-2009
Contractors were forced to reduce their profit margins to help the Learning and Skills Council rescue 12 stalled college schemes, it has emerged.
Two compete for £180m Oldham BSF

10-Sep-2009
Balfour Beatty and Equity Solutions BSF – which includes Galliford Try as main contractor – are understood to be competing for Oldham’s £180 million Building Schools for the Future contract.
Dawn raids lead to 21 arrests in construction fraud investigation

9-Sep-2009
Twenty-one people were arrested at dawn today after raids by HM Revenue & Customs officers investigating a £6 million construction industry fraud.
Norwest Holst closes Derby office

9-Sep-2009
Vinci-owned contractor Norwest Holst has closed an office in Derby as part of a cost review.
Olympics: £5bn of work handed out by ODA

9-Sep-2009
The Olympic Delivery Authority has handed out contracts worth £5 billion on the 2012 Games, it revealed today.
Construction training centre approved

9-Sep-2009
The Learning and Skills Council has approved funding to build a new training centre to support the construction industry.
Euro 2012 stadium opened in Ukraine

9-Sep-2009
The £248 million Donbass Arena football stadium, which will be used for the 2012 European Championships, has been opened in the Ukraine.
Demolition firm in administration

9-Sep-2009
Suffolk-based CDC Demolition has gone into administration with the loss of 46 jobs.
Materials prices rally

8-Sep-2009
The prices of key construction materials rallied during the second quarter of 2009, according to the BDO Stoy Hayward Construction Commodities Index.
Kier buys Trillium's Kent BSF interests

8-Sep-2009
Kier has bought Telereal Trillium’s investment in Kent’s £1.8 billion Building Schools for the Future contract for £4.2 million.
'Quietest building in the world' opens

8-Sep-2009
A university building that opened in Bristol yesterday has been hailed as the quietest in the world by scientists.
Academies boost as £2m fee removed

8-Sep-2009
The Government has moved to boost the creation of academies by removing a £2 million fee for sponsors.
Boost for Southampton BSF scheme

7-Sep-2009
Southampton City Council expects to shortlist contractors for its Building Schools for the Future programme in the next year after receiving Government approval last week.
Bouygues and Wates out of £355m Coventry BSF deal

4-Sep-2009
Bouygues and Wates have been eliminated from the competition for the £355 million Coventry Buildings Schools for the Future programme, CNplus understands.
Boris Johnson reveals 10 low carbon zones

4-Sep-2009
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced 10 areas of the capital that will become low carbon zones.
Four fight for Norfolk waste PFI deal

4-Sep-2009
Norfolk County Council has shortlisted four bidders to build a new PFI waste treatment facility.
Green light for London hotel

3-Sep-2009
Ace Investments has secured planning consent for an 88-bedroom hotel in north London.
ConstructionSkills chief sets out CCA priorities

3-Sep-2009
ConstructionSkills chief executive Mark Farrar has set out his priorities for whoever takes on the Government’s new chief construction adviser role.
May Gurney helps with Roman dig

3-Sep-2009
May Gurney is to provide heavy equipment for an archaeological dig aimed at re-discovering what lies beneath the ancient Roman town of Caistor St Edmund.
Balfour chief pleased with its growth during the recession

3-Sep-2009
Balfour Beatty chief operating officer Andrew McNaughton has hailed the contractor’s success through the recession.
PFI model has ‘turned a corner’ after major schools deals close

3-Sep-2009
Experts have hailed the revival of the PFI funding model after a host of big schools deals reached financial close this summer.
Investigation into payment times begins

28-Aug-2009
The Forum of Private Business has started a mammoth research project into how long Government clients take to pay suppliers.
Green light for £60m New Brighton scheme

27-Aug-2009
Neptune Developments has been granted approval for Phase 2 of its £60 million regeneration of New Brighton in the North-west.
Colleges call for VAT concession among measures to rescue projects

27-Aug-2009
Colleges have urged the Government to scrap VAT for further education construction projects to revive the stricken sector.
Tenders in for ‘super framework’

27-Aug-2009
The battle for places on the £4 billion academies ‘super-framework’ has moved into a critical phase after all 22 contenders submitted their tender documents.
Catalyst Lend Lease closes on £180m Birmingham BSF deal

26-Aug-2009
Catalyst Lend Lease has reached financial close on the £180 million first phase of the huge Birmingham Building Schools for the Future contract.
World Cup stadium contractor brings Soweto choir to Cheshire schools job

25-Aug-2009
The UK firm building the 2010 World Cup final stadium in South Africa has sponsored a Soweto high school choir to sing in Cheshire.
Scottish Water names £2bn framework partners

25-Aug-2009
Scottish Water has named more framework partners to help deliver its £2 billion capital investment programme from 2010.
Three remain in race for £1bn Herts BSF contract

21-Aug-2009
Balfour Beatty, Vinci and Sir Robert McAlpine have been left to battle for the £1bn Hertfordshire Building Schools for the Future deal.
Next stage of £220m Newcastle BSF scheme approved

21-Aug-2009
The second phase of Newcastle’s £220 million Building Schools for the Future programme has been given the go ahead by the Government.
Carillion wins £200m Rochdale BSF deal

21-Aug-2009
Carillion has beaten Galliford Try to the £200 million Rochdale Building Schools for the Future contract.
Ex-Haymills college job up for grabs

21-Aug-2009
Contractors have been given two weeks to express an interest in a £14 million contract to finish a college job left by Haymills.
Lend Lease profits fall

21-Aug-2009
Lend Lease net operating profit fell 29 per cent to A$307.5 million (£155m) for the year ended 30 June 2009, it has revealed.
Carillion in £1bn deal with BT

20-Aug-2009
A Carillion joint venture is set to sign a £1 billion support services contract with communications giant BT.
Battle lines emerge over costs of redesigning failed college projects

20-Aug-2009
A stand-off is developing between contractors and colleges over who should pay for redesigning stalled schemes.
Midas to only use NASC scaffolders

19-Aug-2009
The Midas Group is to stop using scaffolding firms that are not full members of the National Access & Scaffolding Confederation.
MoD contractor enters administration

19-Aug-2009
A special purpose vehicle for a Ministry of Defence public-private partnership project has been placed into administration.
Carillion closes £500m Durham BSF deal

18-Aug-2009
Carillion has reached financial close on the £500 million Durham Building Schools for the Future contract.
Portsmouth to split procurement for £200m BSF project

17-Aug-2009
Portsmouth City Council’s £200 million Building Schools for the Future scheme has been delayed due to a change in procurement method.
VolkerStevin/DEC/Sita scoop £82m remediation contract

14-Aug-2009
VSD Avenue has won an £82 million contract to remediate the heavily contaminated former Avenue Coking Works in Chesterfield.
Haymills: 100 jobs lost

14-Aug-2009
More than 100 employees have been made redundant after administrators closed the London and South division of Haymills.
Tories back anti-PfS report

14-Aug-2009
Shadow children’s secretary Michael Gove has hinted that the Conservative Party may review the role of Partnerships for Schools in delivering education building projects.
Partnerships for Schools 'should be scrapped'

14-Aug-2009
Building Schools for the Future delivery body Partnerships for Schools should be abolished, according to a think tank report published this week.
Vinci formally acquires part of Haymills

13-Aug-2009
Vinci Construction UK has acquired the Property Solutions and East Anglian Projects divisions of troubled top 100 contractor Haymills, it has been revealed.
Vinci swoops on troubled Haymills

13-Aug-2009
French construction giant Vinci was in advanced acquisition talks with troubled top 100 contractor Haymills as Construction News went to press this week.
LSC chief Geoff Russell insists college projects can be salvaged

13-Aug-2009
Learning and Skills Council chief executive Geoff Russell has insisted that funding can be found to rescue the stalled college projects.
Balfour Beatty's share price soars

12-Aug-2009
Balfour Beatty’s share price jumped by almost 10 per cent in two hours this morning on the back of its half-year results.
Vinci to buy Haymills

11-Aug-2009
French construction giant Vinci is to buy troubled top 100 contractor Haymills tomorrow, Construction News understands.
Ardmore wins 2012 Athletes Village contract

11-Aug-2009
Ardmore has won the first Tier One contract on the £1 billion 2012 Athletes Village.
IMAGES: Ale piling protects Liverpool's beach statues

11-Aug-2009
Ale Piling has installed marker piles to protect Liverpool’s famous Iron Men beach statues.
SES scoops Manchester waste sub-contract

10-Aug-2009
Building services firm SES has won the £16 million mechanical and electrical deal on the Greater Manchester household waste contract.
Haymills: Four offers on the table

7-Aug-2009
An administrator-elect is to choose between four offers for troubled contractor Haymills over the next four days.
Atkins works on lifesize Meccano bridge for James May

7-Aug-2009
Atkins has engineered a bridge out of Meccano for TV personality James May to walk across.
Basildon £1bn regeneration approved

7-Aug-2009
Basildon District Council’s cabinet has pased plans for a £1 billion regeneration of the Essex town.
John Sisk to restore fire-ravaged pier

7-Aug-2009
John Sisk & Son has won a contract to rebuild the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare that was wrecked by a fire last year.
Plans for house greening revolution published

6-Aug-2009
The UK Green Building Council has published proposals to “trigger a revolution” in household energy efficiency.
Engineering contractors wage agreement warning

6-Aug-2009
Engineering contractors have warned that a longstanding wage agreement may be abandoned due to the recession.
Unions call for tougher blacklist action

6-Aug-2009
ICO serves enforcement notices on only 14 of the blacklist subscribers and draws a line under its investigation
Delayed Wave One BSF contract winner to be finally announced

6-Aug-2009
The final wave one contract in the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future scheme is set to be awarded next week – three years and eight months after it was originally put into OJEU.
Contractors flock to ProCure 21+ despite questions over its value

6-Aug-2009
More than 50 contractors this week received pre-qualification questionnaires for places on the £4 billion ProCure 21+ framework.
Haymills "very close" to rescue deal

5-Aug-2009
Troubled contractor Haymills has insisted it is “very close” to securing a deal that would save it from administration.
Haymills places Gibraltar arm into liquidation

5-Aug-2009
UK construction firm Haymills has placed its Gibraltar arm into liquidation, according to a statement by the Gibraltar government.
Blacklist firms warned of further action

5-Aug-2009
An organisation representing workers on the construction blacklist has warned that yesterday’s action by the Information Commissioner was “the tip of the iceberg” of repercussions for the companies involved.
Blacklisting: ICO bans 14 firms from using data

4-Aug-2009
The Information Commissioner’s Office has served enforcement notices on 14 construction firms, banning them from used data obtained from the blacklisting database.
US construction spending rises

4-Aug-2009
US construction spending rose unexpectedly in June, according to figures released by the country’s Commerce Department.
Balfour Beatty subsidiary slashes 30 jobs

3-Aug-2009
Balfour Beatty subsidiary Dean and Dyball has made 30 site workers redundant.
Design consultancies merge

31-Jul-2009
North-west based engineering design consultancy GHA Livigunn has joined forces with Yorkshire civil and structural design consultancy Birkett Stevens Colman Partnership.
Stephen Hawking weighs in on colleges fiasco

31-Jul-2009
Celebrity cosmologist Stephen Hawking has written to Gordon Brown over the Building Colleges for the Future fiasco.
Birmingham City University seeks contractor

31-Jul-2009
Birmingham City University is looking for a main contractor to carry out the first phase of its new City Centre Campus.
Rochdale delays £200m BSF decision

30-Jul-2009
Carillion and Galliford Try will have to wait an extra month to find out who has won the £200 million Rochdale Building Schools for the Future contract.
Bricklayer retires after 50 years with contractor

30-Jul-2009
A bricklayer is to hang up his trowel tomorrow after 50 years of service with the same construction firm.
ODA plots new tenders on 2012 Village

30-Jul-2009
Contracts to build the final five blocks of the £1 billion Olympic Village will move to tender stage within weeks, John Armitt has revealed.
College private finance plans rubbished

29-Jul-2009
Colleges will struggle to attract private finance to rescue their stalled construction projects due to their tight revenue margins, according to UK Contractors Group director Stephen Ratcliffe.
MPs call for college jobs to be bundled with schools

28-Jul-2009
An influential group of MPs has urged the Government to rescue on-hold college projects by packaging them together, possibly along with secondary school work.
Wandsworth calls for interest in £300m BSF deal

27-Jul-2009
Wandsworth Council has called for expressions of interest in its £300 million Building Schools for the Future programme.
ODA chief John Armitt hails Olympic contractors

27-Jul-2009
Olympic Delivery Authority chairman John Armitt has hailed the performance of contractors on the 2012 site as it marks three years to the London Games.
Equitix closes £75m Derbyshire BSF deal

24-Jul-2009
The Equitix Consortium has reached financial close on the £75 million Derbyshire Building Schools for the Future contract.
IMAGES: Barcelona FC 'stadium at sea' plans

23-Jul-2009
Plans for a 150,000-seater football stadium just off the coast of Barcelona have been published by a Catalan architect.
Wates to build £40m five-star hotel

22-Jul-2009
Wates has secured a £40 million contract for a five-star country hotel in Yorkshire.
May Gurney signs £91m North Lincs BSF deal

22-Jul-2009
May Gurney will today sign a £91 million Building Schools for the Future deal for North Lincolnshire Council.
Colleges pressured to cut subcontractors costs

2-Jul-2009
The Learning and Skills Council is putting pressure on the 13 colleges it has shortlisted for funding to renegotiate their construction contracts.
ProCure 21+ contractors must perform or be frozen out by NHS

2-Jul-2009
ProCure 21 programme manager Ray Stephenson has warned that contractors underperforming on the new £4 billion framework face being frozen out of NHS work.
Morgan Ashurst looks to poach college jobs among other targets

2-Jul-2009
Morgan Ashurst managing director Graham Shennan is hoping the contractor can win rescoped college projects from its competitors as it looks to fill its 2011 order book.
Contractor sought for £60m offices development in Rochdale

1-Jul-2009
Rochdale Borough Council is seeking a contractor for a £60 million municipal offices development in the Greater Manchester town.
Land Securities gets green light for 720 homes

1-Jul-2009
Land Securities has received planning permission for a 1.1 million sq ft mixed-use development in north London.
Construction managers not taking summer holidays

1-Jul-2009
Half of managers in the construction industry have yet to book any time off work for this summer, according to a survey.
Huge interest in £300m Wandsworth BSF deal

1-Jul-2009
More than 100 firms attended the launch of Wandsworth’s £300 million Building Schools for the Future programme this week.
Construction firms count the £1bn cost of red tape

30-Jun-2009
Small construction firms spend more than £1 billion a year complying with legislation, according to the Forum of Private Business.
Scott Wilson profit falls to £9.4m

30-Jun-2009
Pre-tax profits at consultant Scott Wilson fell to £9 million in the 53 weeks to 3 May 2009 despite a rise in turnover the firm announced today.
LSC shortlist: construction projects in tatters

29-Jun-2009
Construction projects worth billions of pounds across the UK are lying in tatters this morning after missing out on cash from the Learning and Skills Council.
LSC shortlist: Jobs will be lost

26-Jun-2009
Jobs will be lost as a result of today’s announcement that just 13 college construction projects will be revived by the Learning and Skills Council, according to a key industry figure.
LSC announces 13 colleges to receive funding

26-Jun-2009
The Learning and Skills Council has announced a shortlist of 13 college building projects to receive its emergency funding.
Lagan scoops £24m roads deal

26-Jun-2009
Lagan Construction has won a £24 million contract to upgrade a major section of road between Belfast and Derry in Northern Ireland.
Corus 'to make 2,000 more UK job cuts'

25-Jun-2009
Steelmaker Corus is to cut 2,000 more jobs at UK plants.
Input sought for prisons procurement strategy

25-Jun-2009
The National Offender Management Service will hold a market engagement day later this month to seek input into its procurement strategy for future construction projects.
PfS takes on 40 people to manage expanded schools role

25-Jun-2009
Partnerships for Schools will take on up to 40 members of staff to help it deal with its expanded role, chief executive Tim Byles has revealed.
Olympics cash shortfall 'already solved' says LDA

24-Jun-2009
The London Development Agency has insisted that it has already found the money to cover a £60 million shortfall in its Olympics budgeting.
Thames Barrier homes move step closer

24-Jun-2009
Outline planning consent has been granted to the Barrier Park East development of 750 homes in the London Borough of Newham.
Olympic media centre plans approved

24-Jun-2009
The Olympic Park Planning Committee last night approved plans for the International Broadcast Centre and the Main Press Centre.
BSF legal framework revealed

24-Jun-2009
Partnerships for Schools has announced a list of law firms that will provide professional support for local authorities entering Building Schools for the Future.
ProCure 21+ chief believes Trusts will stick with framework

24-Jun-2009
ProCure 21 programme manager Ray Stephenson has told contractors he is winning the battle to persuade NHS Trusts not to procure work outside frameworks.
ODA signs Athletes Village deal with Triathlon

22-Jun-2009
The Olympic Delivery Authority has signed the deal for Triathlon Homes to purchase 1,379 affordable homes from the post-Games Athletes’ Village.
Contractor sought for Liverpool BSF deal

22-Jun-2009
Liverpool City Council is stepping up the hunt for a contractor to take on the second phase of its massive Building Schools for the Future project.
Colleges will be told to seek cheap construction

19-Jun-2009
The Learning and Skills Council has confirmed it will ask colleges shortlisted for emergency capital funding to seek the cheapest construction possible.
Scotland handed £1.25bn schools boost

18-Jun-2009
Scotland is to get 55 new schools worth up to £1.25 billion to the construction industry.
Wandsworth calls for interest in £300m BSF deal

18-Jun-2009
Wandsworth Council will invite expressions of interest in £300 million Building Schools for the Future contract at a bidders’ day later this month.
Contractors fret that college procurement will return to the drawing board

18-Jun-2009
Contractors fear that colleges will return to the procurement drawing board after being forced to drastically re-scope their construction projects.
Costain looks at schools opportunities

18-Jun-2009
Contractor considers third BSF contract after missing out on a place on the hotly contested academies framework
Government urged to list education jobs from kickstart cash

17-Jun-2009
The Construction Products Association has called on the Government to list the improvements to the nation’s education estate that will be achieved by the money it pledged to bring forward in last year’s Pre-Budget Report.
Health estate would cost £4bn to repair

17-Jun-2009
The nation’s health estate would cost £4 billion to repair, the Construction Products Association lastest Achievable Targets report has revealed.
PfS chief hints at bigger role for academies framework

16-Jun-2009
Partnerships for Schools chief executive Tim Byles has hinted that the hotly-contested academies framework could be used to procure chunks of the extra £15 billion of work the delivery body has been handed to 2011.
PfS to take on all schools projects

16-Jun-2009
Building Schools for the Future delivery body Partnerships for Schools is to take over the management of all school construction schemes, it has been revealed.
Willmott Dixon scoops £20m Goldsmiths job

16-Jun-2009
Willmott Dixon has won a £20 million contract to build new facilities for Goldsmiths, University of London.
Mansell raises £1m for charity

15-Jun-2009
Mansell has raised more than £1 million for charity after a year of fundraising to mark its 100th anniversary.
Chelsea Barracks application withdrawn

12-Jun-2009
The Chelsea Barracks planning application has been withdrawn, it was announced this morning.
Laing O'Rourke tops out £225m hospital

12-Jun-2009
Laing O’Rourke has topped out the first NHS hospital in England to consist entirely of single room accommodation.
Academies work worth £500m could be split across frameworks

12-Jun-2009
Partnerships for Schools has confirmed that about £500 million of academies contracts is likely to be out to tender by the end of the year.
Hull to get £15m health centre

12-Jun-2009
A £15 million health and wellbeing centre will be built in Hull after receiving planning permission this week.
McNicholas Construction to slash workforce

11-Jun-2009
Civils contractor McNicholas Construction is to cut its workforce by almost 10 per cent as the recession continues to squeeze the industry.
Kier wins £150m prison deal

11-Jun-2009
Kier has been named preferred bidder for the £150 million Featherstone prison in Wolverhampton.
BSF chief hits back at MPs' report

11-Jun-2009
Partnerships for Schools chief executive Tim Byles has hit back at MPs’ claims that the delivery body is “complacent” about its Building Schools for the Future targets.
Colleges begin rescoping projects

11-Jun-2009
Contractors wait to see the damage done to the college construction programme as rethink kicks in
Shortlists revealed for £430m of BSF projects

11-Jun-2009
Vinci and Balfour Beatty are competing for two major Building Schools for the Future contracts worth a total of £430 million.
Battle begins over £4bn ProCure 21+ framework

11-Jun-2009
Contractors are expecting another huge battle for Government work after the Department of Health invited bids for places on the £4 billion ProCure 21+ framework.
Interest builds for Homes Agency private rental initiative

9-Jun-2009
The Homes and Communities Agency has received 64 expressions of interest in its Private Rental Sector Initiative.
Hochtief/Laing O'Rourke JV confirmed for Salford and Wigan BSF job

9-Jun-2009
Partnerships for Schools chief Tim Byles has hailed the signing of the £400 million Salford and Wigan Building Schools for the Future contract.
Five developers go into administration

9-Jun-2009
Developer companies Junared One, Junared Two, Junared Three, Burridge Land and Warnock Estates have been placed in administration.
Funding secured for £47m office scheme in Liverpool

9-Jun-2009
Construction is set to start on Liverpool’s £47 million Mann Island office scheme after funding was secured this week.
Bids invited for spot on £4bn ProCure 21+ framework

8-Jun-2009
The Department of Health has given contractors just over a month to bid for places on the £4 billion ProCure 21+ framework.
Quartet fights for £210m Hertfordshire BSF deal

5-Jun-2009
Vinci Education, Balfour Beatty, Catalyst Lend Lease and Sir Robert McAlpine have been shortlisted for the £210 million first phase of Hertfordshire’s Building Schools for the Future contract, CNplus has learnt.
Olympic Village conversion deal nears close

5-Jun-2009
The £500 million contract to convert the 2012 Athletes’ Village into social and affordable housing is nearing financial close.
Principals react angrily to college projects delay

4-Jun-2009
Colleges have reacted angrily to the latest delays in deciding which projects will be funded by the Learning and Skills Council.
Willmott Dixon showcases healthcare campus of the future

4-Jun-2009
Willmott Dixon has been showcasing its healthcare campus of the future at BRE INSITE 09 this week.
Three named for £220m Derby BSF deal

4-Jun-2009
Balfour Beatty, Galliford Try and Vinci Education have been shortlisted for the £220 million Derby Building Schools for the Future contract.
College decision delayed yet again

4-Jun-2009
Learning and Skills Council chief executive Geoff Russell this week delayed the decision about which college projects will be rescued – and asked colleges to “radically reduce” the scope of their plans.
Academies framework may squeeze subcontractors' margins

4-Jun-2009
Subcontractors have been warned that the £4 billion academies framework may deliver work on extremely tight margins.
Wates closes £280m Luton BSF deal

3-Jun-2009
Wates has reached financial close on the £280 million Luton Borough Council Building Schools for the Future contract.
Ealing confirms shortlist for £300m BSF contract

3-Jun-2009
Ealing Council has confirmed that consortia led by Balfour Beatty, Wates and Galliford Try/Willmott Dixon will compete for its £300 million Building Schools for the Future contract.
CBI chief warns LSC against colleges "race to the bottom"

3-Jun-2009
CBI Construction Council chairman John McDonough has warned the Learning and Skills Council against “a race to the bottom” in its bid to sort out the colleges fiasco.
Bam and Bouygues battle for £250m Camden BSF

2-Jun-2009
Bam Construct and Bouygues are going head-to-head for the £250 million Camden Building Schools for the Future contract.
Colleges decision delayed by Learning and Skills Council

2-Jun-2009
The decision about which stalled college projects will be rescued by the Government’s emergency cash has been delayed.
Northern contractor wanted for ProCure21+ assault

1-Jun-2009
Abingdon-based contractor Leadbitter is seeking a northern partner to help it win a spot on the forthcoming ProCure21+ framework.
Olympics 'should change face of construction industry'

29-May-2009
The 2012 Olympics should be used to change the face of the construction industry, attracting a new generation of workers, according to a senior figure at Atkins.
Builders are among Britain's biggest boozers

28-May-2009
Boozy builders are among the nation’s worst professions for drinking to relieve work stress, according to an official report.
BSF threatens to lose its allure as super-framework steals limelight

28-May-2009
The £55 billion Building Schools for the Future scheme appears to be losing favour in some quarters of the construction industry.
Academies: now for the hard work

28-May-2009
Regional contractors and multi-nationals slug it out for places on the £4 billion academies ‘super-framework’
Commercial property deals rise

28-May-2009
Signs of a commercial property revival have been revealed in a report by accountancy BDO Stoy Hayward.
Laing O'Rourke/Hochtief JV wins £350m BSF deal in North-west

27-May-2009
A Hochtief/Laing O’Rourke joint venture has claimed the £350 million Salford and Wigan Building Schools for the Future contract.
Olympic Park regeneration chief named

27-May-2009
US regeneration specialist Andrew Altman has been named chief executive of the 2012 legacy delivery company.
Siemens scoops £18m energy deals

27-May-2009
Energy giant RWE npower has awarded Siemens over £18 million of work for major refurbishment at its Didcot B Power Station in Oxfordshire.
BSF: 20 banks now providing finance

26-May-2009
Partnerships for Schools has revealed that 20 lenders are now providing finance for Building Schools for the Future projects.
Apollo scoops £40m in school deals

22-May-2009
Apollo has been awarded £40 million worth of Building Schools for the Future contracts by the London Borough of Haringey.
Construction industry dominates Sunday Times Green List

22-May-2009
Willmott Dixon has led the charge of construction companies on to the Sunday Times Green List, as the industry continues to prove its environmental credentials.
Big names battle for lucrative BSF deals

21-May-2009
A series of one-on-one battles has emerged for Building Schools for the Future contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds each.
Shortlist revealed for £4bn academies framework

21-May-2009
Partnerships for Schools has shortlisted 22 contractors for the hotly contested £4 billion academies ‘super framework’.
Civils tender prices plummet

20-May-2009
Tender prices for civils work have dropped dramatically over the past six months, according to the Civil Engineering Contractors Association Workload Trends Survey.
BSF charity raises £1m

20-May-2009
Education contractors have helped raise £1 million for a charity set up by Partnerships for Schools.
Scottish workload slide eases

20-May-2009
Scottish civils order books are declining at their slowest rate since the economic downturn began, latest research from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association has revealed.
Mansell to build £18m student digs

20-May-2009
Mansell has won an £18 million contract to design and build 230 student flats in London.
Harlow regeneration deal signed

20-May-2009
Harlow Council has signed a deal with international developer Stockland that will see the pair join forces on a 1.3 million sq ft mixed-use scheme for Harlow Town Centre.
Construction skills shortage persists despite downturn

19-May-2009
Four in 10 construction professionals think a skills shortage persists in the industry the latest survey by the Chartered Institute of Building has revealed.
Interserve up against Vinci for £150m St Helens BSF deal

19-May-2009
Interserve and Vinci are to battle it out for the £150 million St Helens Building Schools for the Future contract, Construction News understands.
MP's call for colleges cash gathers momentum

18-May-2009
Over 25 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion calling for greater investment in the ailing college building programme.
Kingsnorth: no progress expected this year

15-May-2009
The procurement process for the £1.5 billion Kingsnorth power station rebuild is not expected to progress this year, according to Kier director Paul Sheffield.
Balfour Beatty closes £200m Southwark contract

14-May-2009
Balfour Beatty has reached financial close on the £200 million Southwark Building Schools for the Future contract.
Inspace lined up for work on £39m Bermondsey regeneration

14-May-2009
Willmott Dixon’s social housing arm Inspace has been named preferred bidder for two major phases of the £39 million Bermondsey Spa regeneration project.
Battle for Budget housing cash begins

14-May-2009
The Homes and Communities Agency has published details of how £420 million housing kickstart funding can be won – as it came in for criticism over past allocations.
Willmott Dixon and May Gurney battle for £400m Lambeth deal

14-May-2009
Willmott Dixon and May Gurney are set for a head-to-head battle for a London education contract worth up to £400 million, Construction News understands.
Social housing insulation funding: details published

14-May-2009
Housing refurbishment specialists have received a boost with the Homes and Communities Agency publishing details of how social landlords can bid for a slice of £84 million to insulate homes.
BSF: minimum design standard launched

13-May-2009
A minimum standard for use in the design of Building Schools for the Future buildings was launched this morning.
Labour MP calls for more college building cash

12-May-2009
A Labour MP is to table an Early Day Motion calling for increased funding for the stricken college building programme, Construction News has learnt.
Primary care centre 'of the future' developed

12-May-2009
Willmott Dixon has developed a primary care centre of the future to showcase the kind of facility it believes the ageing population will need.
Laing O'Rourke wins Isle of Dogs Crossrail works

11-May-2009
Laing O’Rourke has been named as preferred bidder for enabling and civil engineering works at the Isle of Dogs Crossrail Station at Canary Wharf.
Oldham to tender £230m BSF contract

8-May-2009
Oldham is preparing to put its £230 million Building Schools for the Future project out to tender.
Builders Breakfast wins Walkers competition

6-May-2009
Forget salt and vinegar, rest in peace cheese and onion – crisp lovers across the UK can now get their very own taste of bricks and mortar.
Mansell wins two Edinburgh university deals

6-May-2009
Mansell has scooped two contracts worth almost £14 million for the University of Edinburgh.
Birmingham to get £160m development

6-May-2009
Plans have been approved for a £160 million development in Birmingham.
Balfour Beatty and Carillion knocked out of £200m Telford BSF deal

1-May-2009
Willmott Dixon has seen off contractor monoliths Balfour Beatty and Carillion to go head-to-head with Kier for the £200 million Telford and Wrekin Building Schools for the Future deal.
England's roads would cost £8.5bn to fix

1-May-2009
The Civil Engineering Contractors Association has renewed its call for increased Government repair and maintenance spending, in the wake of fresh research revealing the state of the nation’s roads.
Budget college “boost” threatens jobs

30-Apr-2009
More than 25,000 construction industry jobs are under threat after the Government admitted it was unlikely to get more than a third of the 71 stalled college projects underway in the next five years.
Schools department's £2bn surplus

30-Apr-2009
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has built up a capital balance of £2.4 billion, largely by underspending on schools projects, it is revealed today.
Apprentice axe toll rises

29-Apr-2009
About 3,500 construction apprentices have now been made redundant since October, ConstructionSkills today revealed.
UK to keep working hours opt-out

28-Apr-2009
Employers have welcomed news from Europe that the UK will retain its opt-out of the Working Time Directive.
Government prisons plan revealed

28-Apr-2009
Two 1,500-place jails in East London and Essex will kick-off the Government’s revised expansion of the prisons estate, it has been revealed.
Skanska scoops £150m MoD job

27-Apr-2009
Skanska has won a £150 million contract by the Ministry of Defence to design and build a secure facility at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire.
Applications for housing starts rise

24-Apr-2009
The number of applications to start new homes rose for the first time in two years in the first three months of this year, revealed new figures published toda.
Titan jail plan 'to be scrapped'

24-Apr-2009
The Ministry of Justice is expected to announce next week that it is scrapping plans to build three huge jails from next year.
Gordon Brown to meet college principal over delays

23-Apr-2009
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged to meet with a college principal to dicuss the hold ups in the Building Colleges for the Future scheme.
Balfour Beatty eyes up Glasgow hospital rebuild job worth £500m

23-Apr-2009
Balfour Beatty is understood to be in the running for the £500 million rebuild of South Glasgow hospital.
Academies framework attracts 57 in bumper week for schools body

23-Apr-2009
More than 50 contractors completed pre-qualification questionnaires for places on the £4 billion academies ‘super-framework’, it has emerged.
Budget 2009: Help for SMEs confirmed

22-Apr-2009
Small construction firms will be helped to win their share of public sector work by a series of Government initiatives this year, Alistair Darling pledged in today’s Budget.
Budget 2009 REACTION: Contractors call for "honesty" about college funding

22-Apr-2009
Contractors have called for “honesty” from the Government about where the £300 million allocated in todays Budget for college projects will be spent.
Budget 2009: Colleges get £300m boost

22-Apr-2009
Chancellor Alistair Darling has announced a £300 million boost for the ailing Building Colleges for the Future programme in today’s Budget.
Budget 2009: Darling insists education and health spending won't suffer

22-Apr-2009
Chancellor Alistair Darling has pledged to increase spending in the health and education sectors, despite announcing further civil service savings of £9 billion per year.
Four BSF openings take new school tally to 58

22-Apr-2009
Four schools constructed under the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future scheme have opened their doors this month, it was announced today.
Budget: Wates chief calls for 500,000 construction jobs

20-Apr-2009
Wates chief executive Paul Drechsler has challenged chancellor Alistair Darling to create 500,000 construction jobs with Wednesday’s Budget.
Bristol deal takes total BSF contracts to 31

17-Apr-2009
A £110 million Building Schools for the Future contract in Bristol has reached financial close, taking the total number of deals signed to 31.
Partnerships for Schools shortlisted for Government award

15-Apr-2009
The body behind the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future scheme has been shortlisted for a Government award.
Bone Steel looks to grow depsite recession

15-Apr-2009
Scottish subcontractor Bone Steel is looking to increase its headcount by 45 employees as it grows despite the recession.
Catalyst Lend Lease eliminated from £500m North-west BSF deal

15-Apr-2009
Balfour Beatty has been left to battle it out with a Laing O’Rouke and John Laing joint venture for a £500 million multi-council schools deal in the North-west.
Contractor hunts for apprentices

14-Apr-2009
Construction firm Astins is searching for 30 apprentices to be trained in its new £1 million institute – with guaranteed jobs for those who complete the course.
Graham wins Peace Bridge contract

14-Apr-2009
Engineering contractor Graham has won a contract to design and build the Peace Bridge across the River Foyle in Northern Ireland.
Interserve targets £450m of BSF work

14-Apr-2009
Interserve is targeting the Wolverhampton and St Helens Building Schools for the Future contracts – worth a combined £450 million – after dismissing concerns over private finance.
Buxton redevelopment plans submitted

9-Apr-2009
A planning application has been submitted for a redevelopment of Buxton town centre in Derbyshire to High Peak Borough Council.
Contractors battle for place on public work ‘super framework’

9-Apr-2009
Up to 50 contractors are fighting for a place on what could become a public sector ‘super framework’, Construction News understands.
Raynsford calls for colleges caution

9-Apr-2009
Former construction minister Nick Raynsford has warned the Government against giving secondary school delivery body Partnerships for Schools responsibility for the ailing college building programme.
Leeds £650m Trinity Quarter work on hold

8-Apr-2009
The development consortium behind Leeds’ £650 million shopping scheme has admitted work is to go on hold.
Black and Veatch claims considerate site award

8-Apr-2009
A water treatment site project in rural Scotland has been crowned the most considerate in the UK by the Considerate Constructors Scheme.
World War II shelter found on Rochdale demolition site

7-Apr-2009
A two-man air-raid shelter from World War II has been uncovered on a demolition site in the North-west.
HCA gives West Midlands £700m housing boost

7-Apr-2009
The Homes and Communities Agency is to pump £700 million into housing construction in the West Midlands over the next two years.
Willmott Dixon to bid for BSF work

7-Apr-2009
Willmott Dixon is looking at bidding for Building Schools for the Future work as a main contractor as it continues to grow despite the downturn.
Interserve scoops hospital deal

6-Apr-2009
Interserve has been appointed lead development partner for the construction of a new community hospital in Yorkshire.
Construction diploma skills boost

6-Apr-2009
The construction industry was given a skills boost this morning with 57 new consortia given the green light to offer places on the Diploma in Construction and Built Environment from next year.
Kier, Wilmott Dixon and Wates secure spots on £200m councils framework

3-Apr-2009
Kier, Wilmott Dixon and Wates have been chosen for the £200 million-plus East Midlands Property Alliance framework, Construction News understands.
May Gurney wins £90m North Lincs BSF deal

3-Apr-2009
May Gurney has beaten off competition from a Sewell Group-led consortium to win the £90 million North Lincolnshire Building Schools for the Future contract.
College principals to help prioritise BCF funding

3-Apr-2009
A panel of college principals will be set up to help the Government define the criteria for prioritising funding for stalled Building Colleges for the Future projects.
BSF: Next waves could be out to tender within a year

3-Apr-2009
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.
BAM wins £150m Edinburgh hospital job

2-Apr-2009
BAM Construction has won the £150 million design-and-build contract for Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
Taylor Wimpey debt deal secured

2-Apr-2009
Taylor Wimpey has agreed a debt restructuring deal with its banks, securing its immediate future, Construction News understands.
Foster slates LSC in college report

1-Apr-2009
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.
The president, the subcontractor and the Shipwrecked star

1-Apr-2009
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.
PfS hints at colleges role

1-Apr-2009
A senior figure at Partnerships for Schools has hinted that the secondary school delivery body is keen to rescue the ailing colleges building programme.
Contractors question optimism over PFI funding

1-Apr-2009
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.
MourHotel aims for 12 new sites

31-Mar-2009
Hotel chain MourHoutel has outlined plans to start work towards on at least 12 new hotels across the UK.
Carillion scoops defence deal

31-Mar-2009
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.
Cambridge University project management job

30-Mar-2009
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.
Birmingham regeneration plans to be unveiled

27-Mar-2009
Birmingham City Council will this weekend reveal 46 major development opportunities across the city in a bid to stimulate a wave of economic regeneration.
Salford's £180m BSF winner delayed until May

27-Mar-2009
Salford City Council has announced further delays in the procurement process for its £180 million BSF contract - saying financing difficulties were partly to blame.
LSC: College funding could kick in next month

27-Mar-2009
The Learning and Skills Council has insisted that fresh funding could be available for approved college building projects within weeks.
Byrne Brothers wins Shard concrete work

25-Mar-2009
Byrne Brothers has scooped the £60 million concrete job on the Shard.
Govt could turn to PfS to salvage college building project

25-Mar-2009
Secondary school delivery body Partnerships for Schools has been tipped to take on the troubled college building programme.
Think tank slams Titan jail scheme

24-Mar-2009
A right-wing think tank has urged the Government to scrap the £1.3 billion Titan prison building programme.
LSC chief executive Mark Haysom resigns

23-Mar-2009
Learning and Skills Council chief executive Mark Haysom has resigned over the body’s troubled college building programme.
Mansell wins £9m LIFT contract in Oldham

23-Mar-2009
Mansell has won a £9 million contract to design and construct the Royton Health and Well-being Centre under the Oldham LIFT initiative.
Portsmouth's £600m football stadium project on hold

20-Mar-2009
Portsmouth Football Club has delayed £600 million plans to build a new stadium and redevelop the existing one.
Willmott Dixon will only work with NASC scaffolders

20-Mar-2009
Willmott Dixon has written to all its scaffolding subcontractors warning them that from 1 July they will need to be members of the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation to win main packages from the contractor.
Councils not hitting prompt payment targets

20-Mar-2009
Only a third of councils are paying small contractors within 10 days, research published by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association this week has revealed.
Brown defends college building programme

19-Mar-2009
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been forced to defend the Government’s on-hold college building programme, while fresh figures have revealed the extent of the problem.
Medway hospital job open to bids

19-Mar-2009
Medway NHS Foundation Trust is looking for contractors to build a new CHP plant at Medway Maritime Hospital.
Starts on site fall by a quarter in 12 months as recession hits hard

17-Mar-2009
The number of construction projects starting on site was 23 per cent lower in the three months to February 2009 than the same period a year previously, the latest Glenigan Index has shown.
Primary school contracts set to grow

17-Mar-2009
Construction contracts under the Primary Capital Programme are set to grow in size as local authorities seek to benefit from economies of scale, according to an expert.
Three in four civil engineers to maintain training levels

17-Mar-2009
More than three in four members of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association will be maintaining or increasing their training provision in 2009, according to research published this week.
Working hours decision next month

17-Mar-2009
The contractor-led campaign to maintain the UK’s opt-out from the Working Time Directive has gained wide-ranging support, as European negotiations reach a critical stage this week.
Union alleges foreign workers underpaid on power station project

13-Mar-2009
The GMB union has claimed to have seen documents showing that a subcontractor on the EON power station project in Kent is paying foreign workers less than a nationally agreed minimum rate.
Work halted on M74 extension

13-Mar-2009
Work on a viaduct for the £650 million M74 extension into Glasgow has been put on hold until further notice.
Wolf whistles and builders' bums replaced by noise, mess and jams

12-Mar-2009
The public no longer thinks of the construction industry in terms of wolf whistles and builders’ bums, according to research. Instead people see an industry that causes traffic delays, obstructions and mess.
Triple boost for school building projects

12-Mar-2009
Education building projects are at the heart of efforts to rebuild the UK economy, a senior figure has pledged.
Plymouth £46m sports centre designs published

11-Mar-2009
Detailed designs have been unveiled for a £46.5 million sports and leisure centre scheme in Plymouth’s Central Park.
Shepherd awarded £14m deal

11-Mar-2009
Shepherd Engineering Services has won a £14 million contract to install mechanical and electrical services for main contractor Bouygues UK at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.
The 40 companies named by the ICO investigation

6-Mar-2009
Construction firms had access to personal details of industry workers
Academy framework worth £4bn launched

6-Mar-2009
Delivery body Partnership for Schools has today put a £4 billion framework for the design and build of academies into OJEU.
Government anger over London housing rescue package

5-Mar-2009
Communities department has yet to approve Boris Johnson’s £135m scheme
Education boost as £900m brought forward

5-Mar-2009
More than £900 million of public spending has been brought forward to boost the construction industry.
Interserve remains upbeat about private finance jobs

5-Mar-2009
Interserve has insisted that PFI funding remains available for large projects, as it waits for a decision on the £370 million Sandwell schools job.
Govt's revised BSF programme published

4-Mar-2009
The Government has finally published a preliminary revised programme for the remaining work through the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future scheme.
CBI calls for planning permission leniency

26-Feb-2009
Business group asks government to allow developers hit by credit crunch to apply for time extensions
Carillion waits for answer to billion-pound questions

26-Feb-2009
Carillion is eyeing a £1 billion public sector windfall with one big deal in the bag, and two other major contracts on a knife-edge.
Carillion reaches financial close on Bulwell Academy

25-Feb-2009
The £27m project will be the contractor’s third under its Nottingham BSF deal
Contractors made to wait for details of BSF revision

19 February 2009
Schools minister Jim Knight will take a while longer to decide on the running order for the next swathe of construction work through the £45 billion Building Schools for the Future project.
BSS Group warns of job losses

12-Feb-2009
Construction equipment supplier the BSS Group has warned of job cuts despite posting healthy revenues for the winter period.
Boost for BSF as banks look to lend again

11-Feb-2009
Six banks are considering re-entering the education market, according to schools minister Jim Knight.
Volvo reports 29pc drop in sales

6-Feb-2009
Volvo Construction Equipment posted a 29 per cent drop in sales in the final three months of 2008, it revealed today.
Titan prison construction could start next year

4-Feb-2009
Work on the Titan prisons programme could begin next year, the Government has confirmed.
Construction skills needs highlighted by CSN

4-Feb-2009
Figures from the Construction Skills Network have highlighted the extent of the industry’s medium-term skills needs.
Construction has ‘crucial role’ in economic recovery

4-Feb-2009
Homes and Communities Agency London director David Lunts has called on the construction industry to play a “crucial role” in rescuing regeneration projects from disaster.
VIDEO: Government backs industry fight on 48-hour week

29-Jan-2009
The Government has backed the launch of a campaign by construction firms to protect the right of British employees to work long hours.
Final decision imminent on Birmingham schools

28-Jan-2009
Bovis Lend Lease and Trillium will find out next week which of them has won the £1.2 billion Birmingham schools contract.
Apprenticeships could be mandatory on public builds

23-Jan-2009
Offering apprenticeships could be made mandatory on public sector builds as the Government scrambles to find work for increasing numbers of axed trainees.
CIC chief warns £1.3bn worth of school projects could be delayed

22-Jan-2009
As many as 18 major school building projects may be put on hold in 2009 due to funding problems, an industry figure has warned.
Construction boost as Barack Obama becomes US president

20-Jan-2009
Barack Obama finally becomes US president today and can begin putting into action his economic stimulus plans, which include measures to boost construction work.
Bond insurance problems pose new work threat

20-Jan-2009
Struggling contractors are about to hit a fresh obstacle trying to win work during the downturn, according to an accounting expert.
Protest at Staythorpe Power Station over foreign subcontractors

19-Jan-2009
Under-fire contractor Alstom has insisted that British workers will form the “overwhelming majority” of permanent staff on its controversial Staythorpe power station building site.

Construction NewsGreg Pitcher

Construction News
Greg Pitcher