Construction news

• Bricklayers hurt in makeshift platform collapse

  10-03-2022 09:09 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  A contractors has been fined £36,000 after two bricklayers fell from height during the construction of a parapet wall.
  Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that on 31 October 2019, two employees suffered serious injuries at a property in Over Alderley, Cheshire when the makeshift platform they were working on collapsed.
  The two men, along with plywood boards and bricks, fell approximately eight feet to the concrete floor below.The first man sustained fractured ribs, severe bruising an
  
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• AI project management platform launched for SME contractors

  13-03-2026 16:36 via constructionenquirer.com
  Project management software built with AI at its core has been launched targeting the 98% of UK construction firms that have been priced out of enterprise technology.
  Construction AI is aimed at smaller firms who struggle to afford the fees charged by giant software firms.
  It has been developed by experienced building director Steve McKenna whose expertise spans quantity surveying, contract administration and construction dispute resolution.
  McKenna said: “Most smaller firms still run
  
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• Sypro renews software deal with Willmott Dixon

  13-03-2026 16:06 via constructionenquirer.com
  Contract management software specialist Sypro has announced the renewal of its partnership with Willmott Dixon.
  Sypro’s contract management software – a project oversight and collaboration hub – has played a key role in 244 high-value Willmott Dixon projects, spanning New Engineering Contract (NEC), Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) and bespoke contract types.
  Notable projects include the Grade I listed National Maritime Museum, which was successfully comp
  
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• TCC adds expertise to Upminster Travelodge site

  13-03-2026 15:43 via constructionenquirer.com
  A new 82-bedroom hotel is taking shape in Greater London, with help from a leading Birmingham-based construction consultancy.
  The Construction Consultants (TCC) has been appointed to support the development of a new £8.6m Travelodge in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering.
  TCC is providing contract administrator and quantity surveying services to the creation of the new hotel in Station Road. It will be Travelodge’s 86th hotel in London, and add to the hotel chain’s port
  
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• Berkeley holds profit forecast despite global turmoil

  13-03-2026 13:01 via constructionenquirer.com
  London-focused house builder Berkeley Group has reaffirmed its £450m pre-tax profit target for the current financial year despite warning that geopolitical tensions, stubborn inflation risks and regulatory delays continue to weigh on the housing market.
  In a trading update covering the period from November to the end of February, the house builder said it still expects to deliver around £450m pre-tax profit this year and a similar level in 2027.
  The group is also targeting a year-end
  
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• Framework orders lift Tomlinson turnover to £93m

  13-03-2026 11:41 via constructionenquirer.com
  Derby contractor G F Tomlinson has grown turnover by 16% as a steady stream of public sector framework work underpinned trading during the year to June 2025.
  Revenue climbed to £93m as the regional builder continued to rely on programmes such as Scape, Pagabo and Construction West Midlands for a consistent flow of education, civic and health schemes.
  Pre-tax profit edged up to £1.17m from £1.01m with operating margin largely unchanged at around 1.1%, highlighting how margins ac
  
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• Wet winter and nervous clients hit construction workload

  13-03-2026 08:44 via constructionenquirer.com
  The construction industry endured a soggy and sluggish start to the year, with official figures showing output continued to slide in the three months to January as wet weather and weak business confidence hit activity.
  Total construction output is estimated to have fallen by 2% over the three-month period, reinforcing concerns that the industry entered 2026 on the back foot.
  The downturn was driven mainly by a drop in new work, which fell 3.2% over the period, while repair and maintenance activi
  
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• VolkerFitzpatrick wins Didcot Science Bridge

  13-03-2026 08:38 via constructionenquirer.com
  VolkerFitzpatrick has been awarded the contract by Oxfordshire County Council to build the Didcot Science Bridge.
  It is the latest deal under a £332m scheme to improve infrastructure around Didcot.
  GRAHAM is undertaking the detailed design of the Culham river crossing and the Clifton Hampden bypass elements of the scheme.VolkerFitzpatrick will create a dual carriageway along the A4130 east of the A34 Milton Interchange and a new single carriageway bridge across the railway line and Mi
  
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• Cardiff clears path for Wales’ tallest tower

  13-03-2026 08:18 via constructionenquirer.com
  Plans to build a 50-storey skyscraper in central Cardiff that will become the tallest building in Wales have gained planning.
  REAP 3, a subsidiary of specialist build to rent developer BlueCastle Capital, aims to replace its previously approved 35-storey scheme with a much taller mixed-use tower next to Cardiff Central Station and the Principality Stadium.
  This new approved proposal includes 528 build-to-rent flats, made up of 344 one-beds and 184 two-beds, along with an assoctaed two-story Pavi
  
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• Vistry eyes summer start for Camden estate rebuild

  13-03-2026 08:16 via constructionenquirer.com
  Vistry and housing association Riverside have secured planning approval to rebuild the Juniper Crescent Estate at Chalk Farm in London with nearly 480 new homes.
  Camden Council’s planning committee has backed the regeneration plans for the North London estate, clearing the way for construction to start this summer.
  The redevelopment will deliver 478 homes across a mix of social rent, intermediate rent and market sale tenures, with 44% classed as affordable housing.Architect PRP has designe
  
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• Vistry eyes summer start for 480-home Camden estate rebuild

  13-03-2026 08:16 via constructionenquirer.com
  Vistry and housing association Riverside have secured planning approval to rebuild the Juniper Crescent Estate at Chalk Farm in London with nearly 480 new homes.
  Camden Council’s planning committee has backed the regeneration plans for the North London estate, clearing the way for construction to start this summer.
  The redevelopment will deliver 478 homes across a mix of social rent, intermediate rent and market sale tenures, with 44% classed as affordable housing.Architect PRP has designe
  
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• Morgan Sindall starts delayed £29m Newcastle leisure centre

  12-03-2026 16:53 via constructionenquirer.com
  Construction has finally started on Newcastle’s long-awaited £29m Outer West Leisure Centre in West Denton – nearly six years after the area’s previous swimming pool closed.
  Morgan Sindall has finally broken ground on the new complex, with activity on site set to ramp up in the coming weeks and completion expected in late 2027.
  The project replaces the former West Denton pool built in the 1960s, which shut during the pandemic and never reopened.The new leisure centre will
  
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• Mace and Arup land roles for UK’s first small modular reactor

  12-03-2026 16:23 via constructionenquirer.com
  Mace and Arup have been brought in to help shape the early engineering and delivery strategy for the UK’s first small modular reactor project at Wylfa in North Wales.
  Great British Energy–Nuclear has appointed Arup to lead early phase foundation engineering, while Mace will bring programme management expertise for the Anglesey scheme.
  They will work alongside Gleeds, LDA Design and TÜV SÜD Nuclear Technologies to develop the site’s first integrated design.The team wil
  
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• Green light for Sheffield Cole Brothers store revival

  12-03-2026 15:49 via constructionenquirer.com
  Urban Splash has secured planning approval to revive Sheffield’s landmark Cole Brothers department store, kick-starting the transformation of one of the city centre’s most prominent vacant buildings.
  The Grade II-listed 1963 building at Barker’s Pool will be converted into a mixed-use destination combining leisure, food and drink, retail and flexible workspace under plans designed by AHMM.
  Urban Splash was selected by Sheffield City Council to lead the revival of the landmark b
  
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• Green light for Sheffield Cole Brother store revival

  12-03-2026 15:49 via constructionenquirer.com
  Urban Splash has secured planning approval to revive Sheffield’s landmark Cole Brothers department store, kick-starting the transformation of one of the city centre’s most prominent vacant buildings.
  The Grade II-listed 1963 building at Barker’s Pool will be converted into a mixed-use destination combining leisure, food and drink, retail and flexible workspace under plans designed by AHMM.
  Urban Splash was selected by Sheffield City Council to lead the revival of the landmark b
  
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• Former facade boss Lee Marks joins Skanska

  12-03-2026 13:06 via constructionenquirer.com
  Lee Marks is joining Skanska UK next week as Executive Vice President and new leader of the Building business.
  He will take over the reins over the next few months from Terry Muckian who will assume executive responsibility at the Infrastructure operations and Cementation Skanska.
  Marks’ last major industry role was as COO at facade speciailist Permasteelisa which he left late last year.Prior to that he held senior roles at NG Bailey, Laing O’Rourke and Galliford Try.
  Marks also led
  
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• Vistry boss buys £893k shares after stock slide

  12-03-2026 08:50 via constructionenquirer.com
  Vistry chairman and CEO Greg Fitzgerald has moved to back the business with his own money, snapping up £893,000 of shares just days after the house builder’s stock was hammered on margin fears and news of his retirement.
  Fitzgerald bought 219,377 shares at £4.072 each yesterday, lifting his total holding to 1,509,167 shares, equal to around 0.47% of voting rights.
  The dealing comes after Vistry shares slumped more than 20% last week to a near-decade low after the group warned 2
  
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• CITB accused of cutting cash for small contractors

  12-03-2026 08:43 via constructionenquirer.com
  The CITB is coming under fire again after announcing more changes to how it hands cash back to contractors.
  From April only micro, small, and medium size employers can use the Employer Networks funding route.
  The annual budget for the programme has been set at £11.5m for the upcoming financial year with an annual cap on claims for smaller firms of between £1,500 and £4,500.The previous cap was £15,000 and the Enquirer has asked CITB for details of how the total £11.
  
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• Morgan Sindall submits Crystal Palace refurb plans

  12-03-2026 08:26 via constructionenquirer.com
  Morgan Sindall has submitted plans for a transformation of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.
  The refurbishment project has been procured using the Southern Construction Framework (SCF), with Morgan Sindall appointed main contractor.
  Plans will rejuvenate the sports centre – which originally opened in 1964 – by bringing the 15-hectare site up to a modern standard while showcasing its heritage and historic features.This will include enhancing facilities to support sports from
  
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• £25m Dartford town centre housing job heads for tender

  12-03-2026 08:23 via constructionenquirer.com
  Dartford Borough Council is preparing to launch the contest for a contractor to deliver a £25m town centre housing scheme after submitting a planning application for the long-awaited Westgate Village redevelopment.
  The council has lodged plans to transform the derelict former Co-op site between Spital Street and Hythe Street into a new neighbourhood delivering 69 homes across a mix of blocks rising to 4 storeys and town houses.
  Around 22,000 sq ft of Class E commercial space will also be d
  
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• UK’s biggest AI data centre plan approved

  12-03-2026 08:17 via constructionenquirer.com
  Plans to build the UK’s largest data centres near Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire have gained outline approval.
  The massive AI data centre campus would deliver over 1.5m square metres of hyperscale floorspace across a campus of 15 data halls and is expected to cost around £7.5bn to build.
  This makes one the most ambitious digital infrastructure projects ever targeting 1,000MW of IT load to serve the accelerating needs of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
  The project is fr
  
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• Galliford back in affordable housing with £28m Chester job

  11-03-2026 17:26 via constructionenquirer.com
  Galliford Try has secured a £28m contract to deliver 126 social rent flats at the City Place development in Chester for Clarion Housing Group.
  The job marks the contractor’s first standalone affordable housing scheme exiting the sector over six years ago as part of the terms of a deal with Vistry to buy its affording housing and Linden Homes business for £1.1bn.Located beside the Shropshire Union Canal and close to the Grade II-listed Chester Shot Tower, the development will de
  
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• Data centre sites to jump queue for grid connections

  11-03-2026 11:51 via constructionenquirer.com
  Planned data centre schemes will be prioritised for grid connections under new government proposals.
  The move is part of a proposed revamp of how grid connection requests are handled after the current system was swamped with speculative applications from developers.
  Applications grew 450% last year leaving some developments a 15-year wait to hook-up to the national energy grid.Under the changes schemes like data centres and AI Growth Zones, EV charging hubs and electrified in
  
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• Birmingham sets out high-rise city centre vision

  11-03-2026 09:16 via constructionenquirer.com
  Birmingham has unveiled a major regeneration blueprint centred on the HS2 Curzon Street station that could deliver more than 5,000 new homes alongside a huge new commercial district in the city centre.
  The Central Heart prospectus, launched to global investors at MIPIM, sets out plans to transform around four hectares of under-used retail and office space into a high-rise neighbourhood.
  Across a cluster of redevelopment sites, the vision includes up to 400,000 sq m of commercial floorspace, spac
  
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• Forterra ‘insulated’ from Iran war gas price shocks

  11-03-2026 09:00 via constructionenquirer.com
  Materials giant Forterra said it is covered for short-term gas supplies as energy prices continue to fluctuate during the ongoing war with Iran.
  In its full-year results Forterra said: “We have around 80% of our gas usage secured for the remainder of 2026 with the month of March 100% covered, insulating us somewhat from the current price volatility caused by the situation in the Middle East.“We also have a good level of layered coverage beyond this, with around 70% of our usage secur
  
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• Balfour Beatty construction margin hits 3.5%

  11-03-2026 08:50 via constructionenquirer.com
  Balfour Beatty’s UK construction business fired on all cylinders last year as booming energy work helped push margin through the 3% barrier and drove a record £22.7bn order book across the group.
  The contractor posted a standout performance from its home construction arm, where turnover rose 3% to £3.1bn and operating profit jumped 36% to £110m.
  Margin climbed to 3.5% from 2.7%, beating the division’s long-running 3% target a year ahead of plan.That stronger UK show
  
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• Keepmoat and Cussins to complete £200m South Shields site

  11-03-2026 08:42 via constructionenquirer.com
  Keepmoat and Cussins are set to start the final phase of a £200m regeneration scheme in South Tyneside.
  The site at Holborn, South Shields has undergone extensive remediation works including decontamination of the ground, raising of the former dry docks to overcome serious flooding issues, and construction of a new quay edge wall.
  The civil engineering is now complete and has been handed over to developers for the final phase of house building.Phases one and two have already delivered 135
  
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• Plans unveiled for 70-storey Liverpool tower

  10-03-2026 19:23 via constructionenquirer.com
  Designs have been unveiled for a 70-storey tower to form the centrepiece of the £1bn Kings project on the Liverpool waterfront.
  The tower, designed by SimpsonHaugh, will comprise a 5-star hotel and luxury residences managed by the hotel operator.
  The latest designs come just weeks after the scheme’s first tower of 28 storeys, named No. 1 Kings, received consent from Liverpool City Council.Demolition works are set to start this spring for Davos Property Developments Limited
  
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• FRC probes accountants over Vistry South division reporting

  10-03-2026 12:16 via constructionenquirer.com
  The Financial Reporting Council has launched an investigation into the conduct of two accountants linked to the financial reporting and forecasting of Vistry Group’s South Division.
  The probe will examine work connected to the house builder’s financial statements for the years ending 31 December 2023 and 31 December 2024.
  The regulator confirmed the investigation will be led by the FRC’s Executive Counsel.Vistry issued the first of three profit warnings back in October 2024, li
  
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• North East Mayor to pump cash into arena and film studio jobs

  10-03-2026 09:14 via constructionenquirer.com
  A £104m public funding package to kick-start a new arena, film studios and cultural infrastructure across the North East is set to unlock major construction work starting this summer.
  North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said the investment programme would help to unlock a new film studio complex plan for Sunderland and enabling works for a long-planned arena at Gateshead Quays.
  The largest single project is the £39m Crown Works Studios development in Sunderland, where construction prepar
  
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