Construction news

• Eight take key spots on £250m Prosper framework

  08-05-2025 12:18 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Eight contractors have secured spots on the key all-building lot for Prosper’s £250m investment works framework covering the North East, Cumbria and North Yorkshire.
  The four-year framework is set up to serve councils, housing associations, schools, NHS trusts and emergency services.
  Bell Group, Fortem, Lovell, Novus, Equans, Esh Construction, RE:GEN North East and CLC Contractors have all been appointed to deliver full-service refurbishment and investment works.
  This lot was reserve
  
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• Building boss fined for ignoring safety warnings

  14-01-2026 15:21 via constructionenquirer.com
  A director and his contracting firm have been fined after failing to comply with multiple enforcement notices and failing to suitably plan, manage and monitor construction work.
  Vasilis Paraskeva and his London-based company, VNP Constructions Limited, were the appointed contractor for the conversion of a former public house and adjoining building into residential flats on White Lion Street, London.
  During a proactive HSE visit to the site on 1 September 2022 inspectors identified several issues
  
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• Industry standards body racks-up huge loss

  14-01-2026 14:21 via constructionenquirer.com
  Latest accounts from the Considerate Constructors Scheme show the industry standards body has suffered large losses.
  Accounts for the year to December 31 2024 show a pre-tax loss of £769,000 from a profit of £165,000 last time as turnover rose to £5.9m from £5.3m.
  During the period covered by the latest filings Amit Oberoi was Executive Chairman of the CCS after his appointment in March 2023.He left the CCS in August 2025 at the same time as former consultant and Chief St
  
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• Milton Keynes plans £76m events venue

  14-01-2026 09:10 via constructionenquirer.com
  Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP) has selected ATG Entertainment (ATG) to operate a planned £76m multi-purpose events venue in the city.
  The 4,000-capacity venue forms part of MKDP’s updated Business Plan for 2024–2027 which focuses on placemaking projects to enhance the city centre.
  It will complement ATG’s successful operation of Milton Keynes Theatre since it opened in 1999 by enabling larger-scale music performances and live experiences that the existing th
  
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• Kier Construction appoints new southern region chief

  14-01-2026 09:05 via constructionenquirer.com
  Kier has appointed former Bouygues regional MD John Boughton to lead its growing southern construction business.
  Broughton led the South West and Wales regional business of Bouygues for around five years, and before that worked at Willmott Dixon for around 14 years rising to deputy managing director in the south west.
  As southern construction MD at Kier, Boughton will oversee a £123m flagship project at the University of Southampton, including a 15,000 sqm  teaching and learning buil
  
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• Vistry saved by second half margin rebound to 8.4%

  14-01-2026 08:39 via constructionenquirer.com
  Partnership homes specialist Vistry has delivered a resilient full-year performance after a strong second half margin rebound helped offset weaker housing volumes and flat revenues.
  In a trading update this morning, the firm said adjusted pre-tax profit for the year to December 2025 was expected to come in at around £270m, up from £264m last year and in line with market expectations.
  Revenue held broadly flat at £4.2bn as total completions slipped 9% to around 15,700 homes in a
  
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• USA contractor acquires London super-prime specialist

  14-01-2026 08:36 via constructionenquirer.com
  USA and Caribbean based construction company Remian has acquired London super-prime specialist Rossco.
  Construction management and project management firm Rossco works with private individuals on high-end homes and investment developments.
  David Chekemian joint CEO at Remian UK & Europe said:  “This is an exciting step forward in our growth strategy.“Our acquisition of Rossco allows us to work with an outstanding team. The UK super prime market is changing, and we feel that
  
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• Treasury unlocks £1.1bn to revive Northern Powerhouse Rail

  13-01-2026 23:36 via constructionenquirer.com
  The government has finally moved to drag the Northern Powerhouse Rail mega-scheme out of limbo, committing fresh cash and promising tighter cost control after years of drift and delay.
  Ministers will today pledge to keep the Northern east–west rail programme within a hard £45bn funding envelope, in a bid to avoid the spiralling overruns that derailed HS2 and spooked the Treasury.
  To get the stalled project moving, the Treasury will now release an initial £1.1bn to kickstart det
  
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• McLaren takes 256-bed Leeds student tower job

  13-01-2026 16:38 via constructionenquirer.com
  Local developer Pullans has secured planning approval and appointed McLaren Construction as main contractor for a 14-storey student tower at Joseph’s Well former factory site in Leeds city centre.
  Full consent has been granted for the major new purpose-built student accommodation scheme, marking the biggest transformation of the Joseph’s Well estate in more than 45 years.
  The project, known as The Tower, will deliver 256 student bedrooms and represents the single largest investment i
  
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• Tower crane drivers set to strike

  13-01-2026 08:55 via constructionenquirer.com
  Tower crane drivers are planning a series of strikes starting with a one-day stoppage later this month.
  The action could halt major sites across the country with London hardest hit.
  Drivers at leading crane rental company Wolffkran, represented by Unite, have voted to start a series of 24-hour strikes on Tuesday January 27 then every fortnight after that.The Enquirer understands around 90 drivers are union members at the crane rental giant.
  A crane driver source said the dispute centred on a lac
  
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• Persimmon builds momentum with 12% jump in completions

  13-01-2026 08:48 via constructionenquirer.com
  House builder Persimmon has posted a stronger-than-expected trading performance for 2025 after lifting completions by 12%.
  In a trading statement ahead of reporting annual results the firm signaled that full-year underlying profit before tax would be at the top end of City forecasts.
  It completed 11,905 homes in the year to 31 December, up from 10,664 a year earlier, driven by an expanding outlet base and steady demand across its regional footprint.But looking ahead chief executive Dean Finch sa
  
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• Henry Boot seals planning for Goole 5.5m sq ft freeport

  13-01-2026 08:26 via constructionenquirer.com
  Henry Boot has securedoutline planning consent for a 5.5m sq ft freeport industrial and logistics giant in Goole in a major boost for the Humber manufacturing corridor.
  The scheme, known as FREEPORT 36, is being brought forward by Henry Boot’s development arm HBD in partnership with landowner St John’s College Cambridge.
  The consent paves the way for a 300-acre industrial and manufacturing park delivering buildings from 40,000 sq ft to more than 1m sq ft.
  Detailed plans will be drawn
  
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• Henry Boot seal planning for Goole 5.5m sq ft freeport

  13-01-2026 08:26 via constructionenquirer.com
  Henry Boot has securedoutline planning consent for a 5.5m sq ft freeport industrial and logistics giant in Goole in a major boost for the Humber manufacturing corridor.
  The scheme, known as FREEPORT 36, is being brought forward by Henry Boot’s development arm HBD in partnership with landowner St John’s College Cambridge.
  The consent paves the way for a 300-acre industrial and manufacturing park delivering buildings from 40,000 sq ft to more than 1m sq ft.
  Detailed plans will be drawn
  
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• FP McCann buys roofing products firm Easy-Trim

  13-01-2026 08:25 via constructionenquirer.com
  Precast concrete manufacturer FP McCann has acquired Easy-Trim Roofing and Construction Products Ltd out of administration.
  Lancashire based Easy-Trim posted a turnover of £18.1m in its latest results for the year to December 31 2023 generating a pre-tax profit of £233,000.
  McCann said: “The acquisition of Easy-Trim is a fantastic addition to the FP McCann group and a significant step in the growth of our roofing and building products division.“Easy-Trim’s commitmen
  
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• Trade body BESA boots out five more firms in standards purge

  13-01-2026 00:58 via constructionenquirer.com
  The Building Engineering Services Association has suspended five more member firms as it tightens the screws on technical and professional standards across the heating and ventilating sector.
  The competency crackdown takes the total number of firms suspended by the trade body in the past eight months to 19.BESA’s council said it was taking robust action in the interests of the wider building services sector and clients.The suspended firms failed its independent Competence Assessment Standa
  
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• Father-of-six dies in demolition site tragedy

  12-01-2026 15:59 via constructionenquirer.com
  A father-of-six has been confirmed as the worker who died in an accident at a demolition site in Renfrewshire.
  Derek Russell was fatally injured while working on a regeneration project demolishing empty flat blocks in Paisley on Friday.
  The 36-year-old was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow but died from his injuries the following day.He was employed by Greenock based demolition specialist Caskie Limited.
  Euan Caskie, a director of the company, told the BBC: “This is a
  
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• Winvic wins £340m M&S mega shed at DIRFT

  12-01-2026 12:35 via constructionenquirer.com
  Winvic has landed the job to build a vast 1.3m sq ft national distribution centre for Marks & Spencer at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal.
  Appointed by Prologis, the £340m scheme will become a flagship hub in M&S’s food supply chain as the retailer targets major growth.
  The 52-week build will see Winvic deliver two low-carbon warehouses with multi-storey offices, a security hub and vehicle maintenance unit, alongside major infrastructure works next to the M1.The f
  
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• Bidders day set for £4.5bn Southern Construction Framework

  12-01-2026 08:51 via constructionenquirer.com
  Contractors are being called to a bidders day in London as councils move to re-procure the £4.5bn Southern Construction Framework.
  Devon County Council and Hampshire County Council are preparing to launch the sixth generation of the framework, with around 20 firms expected to battle to retain their places.
  Tendering is due to go live in March, with the bidders day on 21 January setting out plans for the next framework and sharing findings from earlier market engagement.
  The current Souther
  
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• British Land CEO to join warehouse developer

  12-01-2026 08:41 via constructionenquirer.com
  British Land CEO Simon Carter is leaving the business to take-up a similar role at warehouse developer and investor P3 Logistics Parks.
  Carter has been in charge at British Land for five years and first joined the developer in 2004.
  He has a 12-month notice period and British Land will now start the hunt for his successor.William Rucker, Chairman, said: “On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Simon for his significant contribution to British Land. During his 18 years here across two stint
  
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• Skanska slides 4,200 tonne railway bridge into place

  12-01-2026 08:27 via constructionenquirer.com
  Skanska has completed the installation of a 4,200-tonne railway bridge over the M6 through Cumbria 13 hours ahead of schedule during a road closure over the weekend.
  Clifton railway bridge near Penrith has been replaced by Network Rail and Skanska as part of a £60m investment in the West Coast Main Line.
  The new 130-metre-long structure was carefully manoeuvred into place with millimetre precision on Saturday.Time-lapse footage shows how the new pre-built bridge – which has been wait
  
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• Facade specialist Permasteelisa (UK) hit by third year of losses

  12-01-2026 08:15 via constructionenquirer.com
  Facade specialist Permasteelisa (UK) slipped to a deeper loss as legacy projects, inflation and fixed-price contract pressures continued to bite.
  The façade specialist grew revenue 24% to £182m in the year to 31 March 2025, driven by strong order intake and the UK emerging as the group’s largest regional contributor.
  But operating performance deteriorated, with the business posting an operating loss for the third consecutive year up to£8.5m from £5.6m a year earlie
  
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• Paddington life sciences tower moves into planning

  12-01-2026 07:23 via constructionenquirer.com
  Plans have been submitted for a 16-storey clinical life sciences hub next to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington.
  The 48,000 sq m Paddington Hub scheme, designed by HOK and promoted by Bartlet Asset Management, is proposed for the former Imperial College Medical School site in Westminster.
  The building is designed to house more than 1,800 clinicians, researchers and support staff, bringing together clinical trials, diagnostics and emerging health technologies in a single, purpose-built facili
  
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• “Future of construction” firm in administration

  09-01-2026 15:36 via constructionenquirer.com
  Pioneering graphene firm Versarien is now in administration.
  The firm’s products included Cementene – a concrete admixture hailed as the “future of construction” which boosts strength and cuts carbon.
  Versarien has trialled its products on HS2 and signed a deal with Balfour Beatty to work on new products.Andrew Knowles and Andrew Poxon from Leonard Curtis have now been appointed Joint Administrators of the AIM listed firm.
  The company had been making losses for several ye
  
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• Balfour secures £900m Midlands highways upkeep deal

  09-01-2026 11:18 via constructionenquirer.com
  Balfour Beatty has landed a huge Midlands highways maintenance term contract worth £900m after three local authorities joined forces to bundle their long-term road upkeep programmes.
  The seven-year deal has been awarded to Balfour Beatty Living Places following a joint procurement by Warwickshire County Council, Coventry City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.
  The contract will run from May 2026 to May 2033 and can be extended by up to a further six years, taking the potent
  
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• Student rooms builder cancels London and defers Bristol projects

  09-01-2026 08:59 via constructionenquirer.com
  Unite Students has slammed the brakes on parts of its development pipeline, blaming mounting viability pressures and a tougher planning environment as it pivots capital towards higher-yielding universities and shareholder returns.
  The country’s biggest student accommodation developer this morning said it had deferred delivery of its 500-bed Freestone Island scheme in Bristol while it explores options to secure “best value” from the project.
  The move releases around £55m o
  
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• Mace crowned annual contracts league champion

  09-01-2026 08:06 via constructionenquirer.com
  Mace has been crowned the industry’s top contracts league winner after a blockbuster year of deal-making that left rivals trailing in its wake.
  The London-focused contractor emerged as 2025’s biggest work winner after banking £3.18bn of secured orders, powered by a hoard of projects including the £1.1bn British Library extension and a string of heavyweight office schemes in the Capital.
  The haul came in the same year Mace offloaded its profitable consultancy arm to concen
  
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• Leeds United to kick off stadium expansion this summer

  08-01-2026 21:50 via constructionenquirer.com
  Leeds United will start work on a major expansion of Elland Road this summer after securing planning approval.
  Councillors at Leeds City Council gave green light yesterday evening to plans to raise capacity to up to 53,000, cementing its position as one of the largest club stadiums in the country.
  The scheme will see West and North stands partially demolished and rebuilt alongside targeted alterations to the South Stand, transforming the ground into a UEFA Category 4 stadium capable of hosting m
  
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• Leeds United set to kick off stadium expansion this summer

  08-01-2026 21:50 via constructionenquirer.com
  Leeds United will start work on a major expansion of Elland Road this summer after securing planning approval.
  Councillors at Leeds City Council gave green light yesterday evening to plans to raise capacity to up to 53,000, cementing its position as one of the largest club stadiums in the country.
  The scheme will see West and North stands partially demolished and rebuilt alongside targeted alterations to the South Stand, transforming the ground into a UEFA Category 4 stadium capable of hosting m
  
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• Offsite specialist Merit went down owing suppliers £17m

  08-01-2026 15:56 via constructionenquirer.com
  Subcontractors and suppliers have been left holding unpaid bills worth £17.4m following the collapse of offsite specialist Merit.
  The scale of the company’s debts have been revealed in an update by administrator Interpath who took control in November.
  The administrator’s proposals  for Merit Holdings state it is “highly unlikely” unsecured creditors will receive a penny for their outstanding invoices.Merit employed 284 staff at the time of administration who we
  
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• Bovis hires Sisk healthcare chief to scale up NHS work

  08-01-2026 15:05 via constructionenquirer.com
  Bovis Construction (Europe) has hired former Sisk healthcare lead Nadeem Chaudhry to spearhead its hospital work push.
  Chaudhry joins the contractor with more than 24 years’ experience delivering complex, high-value healthcare schemes and a track record across major NHS and private sector projects.
  He arrives from Sisk, where he spent four years leading the firm’s UK healthcare portfolio, overseeing delivery through key frameworks including CCS P23 and NHS SBS.During his time at Sisk
  
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