Parliament tower refurb delayed after tender blunder
Work to repair parliament’s tallest structure, the Victoria Tower, faces a year’s delay due to a botched procurement process, Construction News can reveal. Last May, parliamentary authorities launched...
View ArticleLabour reveals greenbelt housing plan as government ditches key pledge
The Labour Party has called for more homes to be built on greenbelt land, shortly after the government scrapped a pledge to build 180,000 affordable homes. Announcing its “golden rules” for...
View ArticleAI is no silver bullet for contract drafting
Bill Barton is a director at Barton Legal There has been no shortage of excitement about the potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) across the legal sector. Some have even foreseen a...
View ArticleGeoffrey Osborne subsidiaries apply for administration
Geoffrey Osborne subsidiaries, Osborne Construction and Osborne Homes, have joined their parent in applying to go into administration. Early yesterday (19 April), Geoffrey Osborne’s chairman, Andrew...
View ArticleBam Construct profit hit by £20m contract provision
Pre-tax profit at Bam Construct & Ventures fell by more than a quarter in 2022 after it set aside £20m to deal with an unnamed contract. The company’s profit totalled £14.6m in the year ending 31...
View ArticleNo government action on product safety a year after landmark report
The government has failed to respond to a key post-Grenfell construction product safety report a year after its publication. Report co-author Paul Morrell has consistently hit out at the government for...
View ArticleNuclear weapons client plans £900m framework
The Ministry of Defence’s Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) is looking to speak to suppliers as it shapes multibillion-pound infrastructure plans. The body, which is responsible for the UK’s nuclear...
View ArticleAsbestos: the forgotten safety crisis
Asbestos was banned 25 years ago, yet thousands are still dying as a result of its presence. CN examines the long legacy of the former go-to building material and whether enough is being done about the...
View ArticleEarth Day 2024: Navigating the future of conservation
Sean Ripley is principal ecologist at Mace As we mark Earth Day today (22 April), it is timely to reflect on the significant environmental policy shifts that have been rolled out in England and will...
View ArticleNew skills partnerships unveiled in CITB business plan
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is to launch four more sector-specific skills partnerships, including one for repairs and maintenance. The new sector plans, announced today (22 April)...
View ArticleParliament renewal programme leaders quit
Both client-side bodies running the programme to repair the Palace of Westminster are losing their chief executives simultaneously, Construction News has learnt. David Goldstone, chief executive of the...
View ArticleStaff at building services firm hold strike ballot
Staff at Crane Building Services & Utilities (BS&U) in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, are holding a strike ballot over pay. The ballot opened on Thursday (18 April) among 105 workers – or 78 per cent...
View ArticleVinci on course for expansion of Ryder Cup resort in West Midlands
Vinci Building is carrying out the expansion and renovation of the Belfry Hotel and Resort in the West Midlands. Construction News understands the deal is worth approximately £40m to the contractor....
View ArticleCollapsed contractor’s ex-employees still waiting for pay after five years
More than 60 former employees of a collapsed contractor have waited more than five years to be paid money they are owed. A new report, filed earlier this month at Companies House by administrators at...
View ArticleWhat you need to know about the new JCT Design and Build Contract
Connor Guinea is an associate at Brodies LLP On 17 April 2024 the JCT published the first of its new edition of standard contracts – JCT 2024 – starting with the Design and Build Contract (DB2024). New...
View ArticleWatkin Jones finance chief replaced months after new boss joins
Watkin Jones has replaced its chief financial officer (CFO) with a finance executive from the property sector. Sarah Sergeant is stepping down after two and a half years in the role, the firm announced...
View ArticleSupplier of the year went under ‘after dispute with Vinci’
The former director of a subcontractor has blamed a dispute with Vinci's UK building solutions arm for putting his company out of business. Ex-Marshdale Construction Ltd director Ben Edgar made the...
View ArticleGalliford Try scoops multiple spots on £300m road surfacing framework
Galliford Try and Colas are among 15 contractors that have been selected for work on road surfacing projects in Yorkshire. The firms scooped spots on the £300m four-year framework, with Galliford Try...
View ArticleBig hitters scoop spots on £1.6bn decarb framework
Tier one contractors Kier, Morgan Sindall and Tilbury Douglas have gained places on a major decarbonisation framework. The four-year agreement from Pagabo will cover decarbonisation works across all...
View ArticleMace appoints new engineering chief
Mace has appointed a new head of civil and structural engineering. Martin Feakes served as UK market director for buildings and as head of buildings London during 18 years in two spells with structural...
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