Construction news

• Equans back in black after costly new-build housing exit

  28-07-2026 21:13 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Equans Regeneration has returned to profit after two painful years of restructuring as the cost of quitting mainstream house building finally began to fade.
  The Bouygues-owned contractor posted a pre-tax profit of £3.8m for 2025, reversing last year’s £29m loss after slashing one-off restructuring and legacy new build costs from £50m to £17m.
  Turnover fell 17% to £650m as the business completed its retreat from loss-making construction markets, but the underly
  
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• Multiplex signs main works for £200m Derwent Baker Street job

  28-07-2026 19:37 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Multiplex has sealed the main works contract to deliver Derwent London’s flagship 50 Baker Street mixed-use development in Marylebone.
  The firm has spent the past year working alongside the developer under a pre-construction services agreement to refine the engineering and delivery strategy for the £200m scheme.
  Confirmation of the main works contract paves the way for work to start next year, following completion of demolition and enabling works by McGee.Designed by AHMM, the 236,00
  
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• London house building stirs as national starts slide again

  28-07-2026 10:13 via constructionenquirer.com
  London’s house building market is showing its first meaningful signs of life after a prolonged slump, despite developers cutting back new home starts across the UK.
  Latest NHBC figures show new home registrations in the capital surged 170% in the second quarter, climbing from just 896 homes a year ago to 2,417.While the rebound comes from an exceptionally low base, it suggests the easing of Building Safety Regulator Gateway 2 approval bottlenecks is finally beginning to feed through into c
  
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• Burnham vows to value “hard hat as much as graduation cap”

  28-07-2026 09:02 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Prime Minister Andy Burnham will launch a fundamental change to the education system today in a bid to put technical education on an equal footing with the traditional academic path.
  In a message to students, he will say “whether you choose construction, coding or classics, you’ll get the skills you need and be given the respect you deserve.”
  From age 14 (Year 10), students will have the chance to combine core academic subjects – including English, maths and science &ndas
  
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• JN Bentley warns water sector heading for capacity crunch

  28-07-2026 08:53 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Water engineering specialist JN Bentley has warned the biggest investment cycle in the sector’s history risks running into labour shortages and capacity constraints as AMP8 projects gather pace.
  The Mott MacDonald-owned contractor delivered one of its strongest trading performances in recent years, lifting operating margin to 4.8% from 3.7% in the year to December 2025.
  Pre-tax profit surged over a third to £26m on revenue up 5% to £534m.
  The business also expanded its workforc
  
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• HG Construction go-ahead for Manchester student rooms

  28-07-2026 08:50 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  HG Construction has secured Gateway 2 approval to start work on a 239-bed purpose built student accommodation scheme in Manchester for Singapore developer Far East Orchard.
  The Plymouth Grove development will be the developer’s first Manchester project.
  The scheme will deliver 239 student rooms on a site close to both the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University. Completion is targeted for 2028.HG Construction is working alongside development manager DML Group, with
  
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• Build costs choke off new student housing pipeline

  28-07-2026 08:49 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Britain’s biggest student accommodation developer has warned new purpose-built student housing will slow sharply over the next two to three years because soaring construction costs have made most schemes financially unviable.
  Unite Group chief executive Joe Lister said higher build costs, tighter regulation and weaker investment values meant new projects no longer stacked up in most regional markets, with developers now needing rents above £300 a week to justify construction outside
  
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• Brick sales slide at Forterra set to continue

  28-07-2026 08:41 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Turnover at materials giant Forterra slumped by 13.5% during the first half of this year with no expectation of a bounce-back during the rest of this year.
  Latest results for the six months to June 30 2026 show revenue down to £168.8m from £195.1m last time.
  But pre-tax profits were up to £11.5m from £8.4m as the company introduced a cost efficiency programme across its factories and a “low single digit” price increase stuck across the market.Forterra said it
  
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• Sunderland film studio project closes in on build start

  28-07-2026 07:59 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Construction of Sunderland’s flagship Crown Works film studios could start this autumn after final plans for the first phase were submitted for approval.
  The revised application, lodged with Sunderland City Council, sets out the detailed design for Studio One, the opening phase of the 31 hectare Crown Works Growth Zone regeneration on the south bank of the River Wear.
  The revised application follows a major rethink of the project after original private backers Cain International and Fulwel
  
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