Construction News
27 November 2008

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A&M Smith invests in Volvo excavator

A&M Smith Skip Hire has added a Volvo excavator to its mixed fleet of equipment – the first Volvo on the fleet.
Adamson appointed Construction Confederation chairman

The Construction Confederation has appointed Manus Adamson as its executive chairman.
Adnoc awards housing deal to Mushrif

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has awarded Mushrif Trading & Contracting a AED189m ($51m) infrastructure contract for work at the Ruwais housing complex in Abu Dhabi.
Aecom wins King Abdullah Financial District deal

The US' Aecom Technology Corporation has been awarded a SR65m ($17.4m) contract at Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Financial District.
Aldar invites firms to bid for Abu Dhabi hotel work

Local real estate developer Aldar Properties has invited companies to bid by 6 December for the contract to build the Banyan Tree hotel at its Al-Gurm development in Abu Dhabi.
Amlwch County Council to unveil regeneration plans

Plans to regenerate an old industrial town in Anglesey, north Wales, will be unveiled by the county council tomorrow.
ANALYSIS: Boris Johnson's plan to fund frozen housing schemes

House builders and developers in London will get access to public funds to kick-start stalled developments and make new housing projects financially viable under plans unveiled by mayor Boris Johnson. By Mark Lewis
A-Plant preferred supplier for Bristol firm

Bristol-based cladding contractor All Mass Cladding Systems has appointed equipment hire firm A-Plant Powered Access as its preferred supplier
Atherstone £10m Leisure

Plans approved
Atkins profits rise 11pc

Engineering consultant Atkins has posted an 11 per cent rise in pre-tax profit in the first half of the year.
BAA wants independent assessor for Heathrow third runway

The owner of Heathrow Airport said today it would ask the Government to appoint an independent assessor to check noise and air quality limits if it received the go-ahead for a third runway at the site.
Balfour Beatty wins New Zealand power line job

A Balfour Beatty joint venture has won an £82 million contract to construct an overhead power line link on New Zealand’s North Island.
BAM Properties to axe North west director Clive Perrin

BAM Properties is parting company with its North-west development director with the company blaming a lack of opportunities in the region.
Beckett: Thames Gateway can 'weather crisis'

The £9.6 billion plans to regenerate the Thames Gateway region will not be watered down despite the economic crisis, the minister responsible for the scheme said today.
Birmingham £2m Education

Early planning
Birmingham £3m Residential & Commercial

Plans approved
Birmingham set for new office and retail development

Developer Calthorpe Estates has received planning permission for a £4.5 million office and retail development on a major route into Birmingham.
BLOG: More money for banks

Has there ever been a more critical pre-budget announcement?
Bracknell £4.5m Residential

Early planning
Braintree £2.9m Commercial

Early planning
Branding gives you an edge – as long as you back it up

Create a positive image and you can gain a competitive advantage before you even meet potential clients
BRE set to begin board production

The Building Research Establishment and a consortium of partners including Tarmac are due to begin factory production of construction board made from recycled fibre extracted from domestic waste.
Cambridge £19m Commercial

Plans approved
Cambridge £7m Education

Plans approved
Cantillon and Goliath cut a swathe through Thames warehouses

Heayweight equipment and river barges have proved invaluable on a tricky London job. By Kevin Walsh
Cardiff £1.2m Industrial

Early planning
Carillion, Willmott Dixon and Mace to join UKCG

Three major contractors have signed up to the UK Contractors Group, despite not being members of its predecessor, the Major Contractors Group.
CN Survey: Conservatives And The Construction Industry

We are surveying Construction News readers about what a Conservative government might mean for construction and the issues you would want to see them tackle first. To take part click in the survey here.
Colchester £2.6m Commercial

Early planning
Construction industry facing a skills shortage

The construction industry faces a major skills shortage in years to come with employment in the sector expected to fall by 14 per cent in the next 18 months.
Construction Parliamentary Update - 21 November 2008

A round up of all the construction news from Westminster over the last seven days brought to you by the Madano Partnership.
Coventry £1.7m Residential

Early planning
Credit Crunch Survey

Banks are increasingly getting tough on businesses over lending rates and credit facilities. We want to know to what extent the construction industry has
Cromer £26m Commercial

Early planning
D.B. Concrete installs Liebherr concrete conveyor

Essex-based Readymix supplier D.B. Concrete has installed a Liebherr LTB 12+4+1 concrete conveyor.
Darling’s spending plans will hurt industry

Chancellor Alistair Darling’s package of measures to stimulate the economy could hurt the construction industry in years to come after it was warned his estimates for private sector recovery are too optimistic.
Deeside £3.6m Commercial

Plans approved
Dorset BSF job goes £15m over budget

Construction of a new school in Dorset has bust its budget by £15.6 million due to escalating materials prices and design changes.
Doyle chief executive Rob Johnson to leave

Doyle chief executive Rob Johnson has announced he will leave the concrete specialist firm at the end of the month.
Dubai developer put on credit watch list

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services is growing increasingly concerned about its long-term 'BBB-' corporate credit rating for the ETA Group and has placed the Dubai-based conglomerate on CreditWatch.
Dundee £75m Commercial & Industrial

Early planning
Dunfermline £5m Residential & Commercial

Early planning
Durham £1.1m Residential

Early planning
East Riding College plans to relocated

East Riding College has put forward proposals to relocate to the site of a former chemical factory and museum in Beverly.
Edinburgh £27m Residential

Plans approved
Erith £3m Commercial & Residential

Early planning
Falmouth £4.4m Leisure

Early planning
Firms fined for Sellafield fatality

A Middlesbrough demolition firm has been fined £100,000 and been ordered to pay £25,000 in costs after pleading guilty for causing the death of an employee.
Galashiels £3.6m Residential & Commercial

Early planning
Glasgow £4.7m Commercial

Early planning
Glasgow £7m Commercial

Plans approved
Gloucester £20.7m Residential

Plans approved
Gloucester Quays shopping mall installation raises the roof

In Gloucester English Architectural Glazing are installing an innovative roof on the city’s latest retail development. By Paul Thompson
Govt backs proposals to reduce planning system bureaucracy

New proposals to reduce bureaucracy in the planning system by removing the need for it to deal with many small scale commercial applications have been backed by the Government.
Govt missed housing opportunity, says Home Builders Federation

The house-building industry has expressed disappointment at the pre-Budget report, calling it a “missed opportunity” to kick-start the housing market.
Govt warned of civil contractor job losses

The Civil Engineering Contractor’s Association has alerted the Government that 8,400 job losses are imminent among the UK’s small and medium sized civil engineering firms.
HCA in talks with TfL over Gateway options

The Homes and Communities Agency has revealed it is in talks with Transport for London over potential transport options to the Barking and Barking Riverside areas in the Thames Gateway.
HCA to have a regional focus

The Homes and Communities Agency will work on a regional as well as national basis to ensure a close relationship to the areas it will serve.
High Court raises hope of asbestos compensation

High Court ruling on insurance liability increases hope of asbestos victims receiving compensation.
Homes agency to buy private land

The new Homes and Communities Agency plans to acquire land from stricken house builders in a bid to build new developments and boost the stagnant housing market.
Homeserve reports profit rise but warns of year ahead

Emergency repair group Homeserve has reported higher profits but warned current conditions could reduce the full-year haul by up to £3 million.
Hounslow £1.5m Residential

Early planning
HSE stops work on 12 sites in Waltham Forest blitz

The Health and Safety Executive has shut down 12 sites in Waltham Forest in a crackdown on dangerous working practices.
HSE to conduct North-west CDM blitz

A blitz targeting CDM shortcomings across the sector will be carried out by the Health and Safety Executive over the next few weeks.
Hull £80m Education

Early planning
Huntingdon £119m Commercial

Early planning
Invest in your staff

Investing in your staff can help win clients and see you through tough times
Jaguar design driving the thinking behind a Liverpool academy

How a door handle came to inspire the design of a school
Jarvis takeover talks shelved after steady results

Jarvis has said it is no longer in takeover talks after posting half year results which are in line with expectations.
JCB and Lafarge donate to National Construction College

JCB and Lafarge are among a number of suppliers that have donated equipment to the National Construction College to help train students and apprentices in construction-related trades.
Kuwait-Bahrain joint venture to develop Lusail project

Bahrain's Arcapita Bank and Kuwait's Al-Imtiaz Investment Company have signed a joint venture agreement to develop a $3.5bn golf residential project in Qatar.
Laing O'Rourke wins £420m Australian rail job

A Laing O’Rourke-led team has won a £420 million a five year contract for signalling, track and railway infrastructure work in New South Wales, Australia.
Largs £510k Residential

Early planning
Leeds £20m Residential

Early planning
Leighton JV secures £2.4bn Pearl Dubai contract

Dubai-based developer Pearl Dubai has awarded a £2.4 billion construction contract to a UAE joint venture of Australia's Leighton Holdings.
Leominster £1.9m Residential

Early planning
Liebherr’s to launch Generation 6 crawler excavators

Liebherr’s is set to launch its new Generation 6 crawler excavators.
Liverpool £23.1m Commercial

Early planning
London £23.7m Residential & Commercial

Early planning
London £40m Commercial

Plans approved
London £43.5m Residential & Commercial

Early planning
London councils get £168m

London boroughs have received £168.3 million of funding from London mayor Boris Johnson.
Loughborough £7.5m Commercial

Plans approved
Mablethorpe £1.2m Residential

Plans approved
Major council projects hit by delays and increased costs

A third of councils have experienced delays to major projects as a result of the economic downturn, according to new research. By Ben Cook
Manchester £20.3m Commercial

Plans approved
Market Rasen £9.7m Residential

Early planning
Mersey Gateway bridge gets roads minister's support

Halton Borough Council has received a boost in its bid to build a new bridge over the River Mersey with approval from new roads minister Paul Clark MP.
Middlesbrough £13.8m Education

Plans approved
Mitie reports profits up

Project management firm Mitie Group has reported a strong six-month performance this morning with profits of £25.9 million compared to £22.4 million last year.
More Pettifer jobs at risk

Pettifer Group chairman Brian Pettifer has warned a further 150 jobs could go after 120 jobs were cut as its contracting arm went into administration today.
Morgan Ashurst in £4.7m schools win

Morgan Ashurst has won a £4.7 million replacement building for Bellbird School in Sawston for Cambridgeshire County Council.
Morgan Sindall to build £350m Swindon scheme

Morgan Sindall’s urban regeneration arm Muse Developments has won a £350 million contract to build a mixed-use development in Swindon.
Motherwell £700k Education

Plans approved
National Investment Corporation to issue Fairmont hotel tender

The National Investment Corporation is preparing to issue tender documents for the main construction package for the Fairmont hotel and serviced apartments development in Abu Dhabi.
Newport £1.3m Residential

Early planning
NHBC: New home starts fall to record low

New home starts in October fell to the lowest level since the early 1980s, new house-building statistics published by the NHBC revealed today.
Northacre aims for stability in an uncertain environment

One developer is ignoring the downturn and redeveloping an historic building using 500 tonnes of steel supports
NSCC launches builders profile service

The National Specialist Contractors’ Council is to offer a paperless pre-qualification information service to its members at a reduced fee.
ODA reveals West Ham plans

The Olympic Delivery Authority has revealed plans for West Ham station, a key transport hub for the 2012 Games.
Oldham Athletic new stadium plans shelved

An £80 million scheme to build a new stadium for League One football team Oldham Athletic, plus 550 neighbouring homes, has been shelved.
Ormskirk £1.9m Leisure

Early planning
Oxford £400m Commercial

Plans approved
Penryn £20m Commercial

Early planning
Perth £5m Commercial

Plans approved
Pettifer Construction goes into administration

Pettifer Construction is understood to have gone into administration today with the loss of up to 150 jobs.
PRE-BUDGET REPORT: 300,000 jobs as risk unless Govt fast tracks projects, says RICS

The construction industry could shed 300,000 jobs unless the Government brings forward much needed construction projects in the Pre-Budget Report, says RICS.
PRE-BUDGET REPORT: CBI calls for Govt support for small businesses

Ahead of the Pre-Budget Report, the CBI has called on the Government to improve cash flow, or risk healthy firms going under and unnecessarily prolonging the recession.
PRE-BUDGET REPORT: Construction industry reaction

The reaction from the construction industry has been largely positively to the pre-budget from Alistair Darling, although some wonder whether it has gone far enough
PRE-BUDGET REPORT: Construction product prices to fall after VAT cuts

Construction products are expected to fall in price after today’s Pre-Budget Report revealed cuts in Value Added Tax.
PRE-BUDGET REPORT: Darling demands banks back small businesses

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling have unveiled measures to ensure banks support small businesses.
PRE-BUDGET REPORT: Darling to create 10,000 jobs insulating homes

More than 10,000 construction jobs will be created by a plan to insulate homes in the private and public sectors.
PRE-BUDGET REPORT: Hoon announces £1bn transport spend

Secretary of state for transport Geoff Hoon has announced £1 billion worth of spending to be fast-tracked as part of the Government’s Delivering a Sustainable Transport System strategy.
PRE-BUDGET REPORT: NHBC and CPA call for fast track housing work

Construction trade organisations are calling for the Government to fast track housing work in its Pre-Budget Report.
PRE-BUDGET REPORT: Public borrowing to reach record highs

Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling said today’s Pre-Budget Report represented a £20 billion stimulus for the economy, but he admitted he will borrow to fund it.
PRE-BUDGET REPORT: Public spending sees huge boost

In his Pre-Budget speech the Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling revealed £3 billion worth of public spending will be brought forward 2010/11.
Project stops surge 15pc as tenders hit three-year low

Virtually £3.2 billion-worth of work has been mothballed in the past fortnight, exclusive Construction News research reveals, as the credit crunch eats into the industry’s workload. By Steve Menary
Public cash best hope for avoiding ‘90s style decline

If the Government does not deliver on its spending pledges, the construction industry will be in for a tough few years
Public sector spending should hold

Maintaining Government spending over the next few years in line with the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, and the 2008 budget, is critical to limiting the construction recession. By Dr Noble Francis
Qatar's Al-Madar plans Suhail Tower in Dubai

Qatar's Al-Madar Investments plans to build the AED1.4bn ($381m) residential Suhail Tower in Dubai Waterfront.
Redrow chief executive Neil Fitzsimmons joins HBF

Redrow Homes chief executive Neil Fitzsimmons has joined the board of the Home Builders Federation.
Renew Holdings profits rise 29pc

Renew Holdings has posted a 29 per cent increase in pre-tax profits after taking decisive action to reduce costs and move into less exposed markets.
Roads jobs get boost from speeded up spending

Access to ports and airports is to be made easier under the Government’s plans to speed up public spending in a bid to boost the economy.
Saudi Arabia housing shortage set to increase

Saudi Arabia's housing shortage is expected to double by 2012 to 1 million units, according to a new report by international real estate advisory firm Jones Lange LaSalle.
Scottish Gov to finance housing developments

Scottish deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon revealed that accelerated investment of £9 million, which will finance a string of housing developments across Scotland.
Scottish Govt gives £25m to council housing

Scottish local authorities are being invited to apply for a share of £25 million to help kickstart a new generation of council housebuilding.
SEC meets Mandelson to discuss payment issues

Members of the Specialist Engineering Contractors Group have met with Lord Mandelson to discuss payment issues following a statement in the House of Lords last month to improve cash flow for SME’s.
Sellafield contract worth £22bn signed

Nuclear Management Partners has agreed a contract with the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority which will see it responsible for the management and operations of the Sellafield nuclear complex for the next five years.
SHARE WATCH: Construction firms enjoy best share day in weeks

Publicly listed construction firms had their first positive day on the stock market this week on the back of big rises in oil and bank shares.
SHARE WATCH: Construction shares gain on back of Pre-Budget Report

Construction shares continued to rise this morning on the back of the Chancellor's Pre-Budget Report.
SHARE WATCH: Construction shares mixed morning after UK GDP fall

Construction firms had a mixed morning on the stock market after official figures revealed UK GDP suffered its biggest fall since 1990.
SHARE WATCH: Construction shares rise ahead of Pre-Budget Report

Stock market listed construction firms enjoyed a morning of share price rises with investors in a positive mood ahead of the Pre-Budget Report.
Shaylor Contruction wins £12m Hagley Road job

Shaylor Construction has been chosen as main contractor on the £12 million Hagley Road scheme in Birmingham for Calthorpe Estates.
Sheffield £10.3m Residential & Commercial

Plans approved
Sheffield £3m Leisure

Plans approved
Skanska to cut 3,400 Nordic staff

Swedish construction firm Skanska has said it will cut 6 per cent of its workforce, as its order book shrinks because of an 'extremely sharp decline in residential markets'.
Sleaford £1.3m Residential

Early planning
Sleaford £2.1m Residential

Early planning
Sorouh invites firms to express interest in Al-Mashtal

Local developer Sorouh Real Estate has invited selected contractors to express interest in the contract to design and build the Al-Mashtal mixed-use development in the Khalidiyah area on Abu Dhabi island.
Speed concrete crushing impresses Sheffield plant hire

A plant hire business which road tested a Bavtrak 025 concrete crusher has purchased the machine after seeing it crush 48 tonnes of limestone, rock and bricks in just eight hours.
Speedy Hire cuts 492 jobs and closes 38 depots

Speedy Hire has cut 492 jobs and closed 38 depots in a bid to make cost savings of over £24 million to offset the pressures of the credit crunch.
Stockton-On-Tees £11m Commercial

Plans approved
Subcontractor killed at a Leeds Laing O’Rourke site

Laing O’Rourke ‘devastated’ by second death this month after a subcontractor killed at a site near Leeds.
Swansea £3.5m Commercial & Industrial

Plans approved
Swansea £6m Commercial

Early planning
Swindon £8m Commercial

Plans approved
Taylor Woodrow to be sentenced for worker death

Taylor Woodrow will today be sentenced for the death of a man who was killed whilst working on the Welsh Assembly's debating chamber four years ago.
Ten things to cut in the recession before you cut your marketing – no. 3

As times get worse in this industry – which is now 70,000 jobs lighter according to reports – it becomes even more important to cut those costs to the bone.By Ross Sturley
Terrace Hill wins approval for £45m Tindale Crescent job

Terrace Hill Group has been granted planning permission by Wear Valley District Council for a 150,000 sq ft leisure and retail park in County Durham.
TfL set to renew £500m project management framework

Transport for London is looking to renew its £500 million engineering and project management framework.
Thames Water on target for £1bn investment this year

Thames Water has posted steady half year results while maintaining its highest ever levels of investment in its infrastructure.
The Dubai government backs development

The Dubai government has said it will support property developers in the region to ensure the construction boom holds up during the economic slowdown.
The Pre-Budget: What it means for the construction sector

Chancellor Alistair Darling has cut VAT and taken UK borrowing to record levels, but what measures will actually affect the construction sector?
Thetford £3m Commercial

Early planning
Torquay £1.1m Residential

Early planning
UK plant manufacturers forced to cut back workforces as downturn worsens

When JCB announced a programme of redundancies and short-working in July, nobody was surprised that the UK’s leading plant manufacturer should have to adapt to a fall in demand for its products.
UKTI boosts British building firms partnerships in Middle East

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is helping dozens of small British businesses to seek out partnerships in the Middle East at the region’s top construction fair, ‘The Big Five’ in Dubai.
Velodrome costs on ‘difficult ground’

Construction costs for the 2012 Olympic Velodrome are coming under pressure because of difficult ground conditions at the site.
VIDEO: ICE's Tom Foulkes on what the chief construction officer's priorities should be

Institution of Civil Engineers director general Tom Foulkes on the vital role of Whitehall's chief construction officer and what their priorities should be
Vp profit up 15pc in first half

Profits at equipment rental specialist Vp jumped 15 per cent in the six months to September 2008.
Wallsend £23.2m Commercial

Early planning
Wallsend £23.2m Commercial

Early planning
Wasl plans Umm Ramool redevelopment project

Local developer Wasl is planning a major urban redevelopment project in the Umm Ramool area of Dubai.
Welwyn Garden City £7.2m Commercial

Early planning
What Labour is doing to ease the pain

The construction minister on outlines his views on skills, SMEs and fair payment
Wigan £11m Residential & Commercial

Early planning
Wirral £10m Commercial

Early planning
Worker killed in vehicle accident

A construction worker has been killed in Gloucestershire after the vehicle he was operating overturned.
York House Construction goes under putting 90 jobs at risk

York House Construction has gone into administration putting all 90 staff at risk of redundancy.

Construction News27 November 2008

Construction News
27 November 2008