Construction news

• Planning officers to get powers to bypass committee stage for housing

  09-12-2024 14:31 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Planning officers will be able to bypass council committees to speed through approval of housing schemes under plans launched today by deputy prime minister and housing secretary Angela Rayner.
  Under push to modernise the planning approval process, applications that comply with local development plans could bypass the lengthy planning committee process entirely.
  A key plank of this plan is to give local planning officers enhanced decision-making power to implement agreed planning policy.
  The cha
  
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• Former Heathrow boss joins Mace in board rejig

  09-12-2024 13:31 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Mace has brought in the former chief executive of Heathrow Airport as a non-executive director in final appointment to a rejigged group board from the start of next year.
  Through his role at Heathrow, John Holland-Kaye has been a client to Mace and is currently serving as a non-executive director at Thames Water.
  He brings expertise in leading major infrastructure projects, and as CEO of Heathrow led its transformation to being one of the world’s leading airports.  He has also held se
  
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• Gratte Bros rides out cost rises with profit increase

  09-12-2024 09:08 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Family-owned building services specialist Gratte Brother has ridden out industry cost pressures to deliver a small rise in profit.
  Over the year to March 2024, pre-tax profit edged up to £2.7m from £2.5m previously on turnover slightly ahead at £226m.
  Despite the improvement in trading, the data centre and commercial M&E fit-out contractor warned that cost pressures remained an issue, with staff costs continuing to jump.While headline inflation rate has reduced during the y
  
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• National Insurance hike to delay construction recovery

  09-12-2024 08:36 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Increases to employer’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs) next April 2025 will add an estimated 0.75%–1% to construction costs and contribute to delaying a full industry recovery to 2026.
  The latest Market View report from Arcadis titled Stuck in the Middle highlights the challenges posed by stubborn inflation, escalating costs, and regulatory complexities.
  Aracdis experts said a full recovery is now anticipated in 2026 – later than previously forecast.The industry remain
  
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• Roofers caught using phone lights to work at night

  09-12-2024 08:19 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  A roofing firm has been fined and its directorhanded a suspended prison sentence after putting the lives of workers at risk during a roof renovation in Surrey.
  Weather Master Roofing Limited and company director Jack Avanzo, also known as Jack Avenzo, were sentenced at Brighton Magistrates’ Court following a prosecution by the HSE.
  The investigation found workers were seen operating without any scaffolding or edge protection on the roof of a house on Flint Hill, Dorking, on 21 February 202
  
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• £380m North West housing framework out for bid

  09-12-2024 08:15 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  North West housing association Torus is on the hunt for firms to help it build an ambitious new-build target of 9,000 homes by 2029.
  These homes will primarily be built across the Liverpool City Region, West Lancashire and Cheshire.
  The St Helens-based landlord is inviting firms to bid for a combined £380m building and retrofit framework to deliver its ambitions over the next four years.
  The framework has been divided into four key lots”Lot 1 – Retrofit Works (Any Project Value
  
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