Construction news

• Farrans to build new Stansted skylink walkways

  06-08-2026 23:11 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  London Stansted has confirmed Farrans as contractor for the construction of the airport’s new skylink walkways.
  The new skylinks will create walkways to directly connect the terminal to existing satellite buildings that are home to the departure and arrival gates.
  Their construction will enable Stansted’s track transit people mover system to be decommissioned, creating the space for the terminal building to be extended towards the airfield in later phases of the transformation work.T
  
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• Multiplex gets start date for City Road 36-storey tower

  10-08-2026 14:36 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Multiplex will start main construction works within weeks after being confirmed as main contractor at the 99 City Road scheme in central London by developer Endurance Land.
  Practical completion is targeted for 2030 on the 36-storey tower which will deliver 475,000 sq ft of commercial space.
  The £300m scheme is located at the intersection of Old Street and the City and the build contract signing follows Multiplex’s earlier involvement under a Pre-Construction Services Agreement.R
  
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• Trade credit insurer cuts cover for Vistry suppliers

  10-08-2026 11:33 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Trade credit insurer Allianz Trade has cut the credit insurance cover it provides to suppliers of Vistry.
  The reduction in cover, understood to be as much as 70% for some suppliers, comes as Vistry steps up efforts to generate cash and reduce daily net debt, which stood at close to £800m at the half year.
  Industry sources said Allianz Trade has been informing suppliers in recent weeks that it is reducing credit limits on new trading with Vistry.According to a report in the Financial Times
  
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• M&E specialist ACES files administration notice

  10-08-2026 09:08 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  M&E contractor Avon Combined Electrical Services (ACES) has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators just a year after opening a London office to target bigger and more complex projects.
  The Bristol-based specialist lodged the notice at the High Court, giving the company temporary protection from creditor action.
  Founded in 1988 as an electrical contractor, ACES spent nearly four decades building its reputation across the South West before broadening into mechanical services, fi
  
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• Higgins lands Brentford estate revamp

  10-08-2026 09:02 via constructionenquirer.com
  Hounslow Council has appointed Higgins Partnerships to deliver 182 new council homes as part of the regeneration of the Charlton House and Albany House estate in Brentford.
  The scheme will replace 92 ageing homes with 182 new ones alongside ground-floor commercial space, providing opportunities for local businesses and services, while more than 2,500 square metres  landscaped green space will create a more vibrant neighbourhood.
  Construction is expected to begin in the Autumn following exte
  
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• Portsmouth picks ECF for 2,300-home city centre regeneration

  10-08-2026 08:59 via constructionenquirer.com
  Portsmouth City Council has picked ECF as its preferred regeneration partner for the next phase of its City Centre North redevelopment.
  The deal could pave the way for one of the south coast’s biggest mixed-use regeneration schemes on a large former car park site once home to the now-demolished Tricorn shopping centre in the heart of the city.
  The 13.25-hectare brownfield site has the potential to deliver up to 2,300 homes alongside new commercial space, leisure facilities and more than 24
  
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• Newcastle office block plan unveiled

  10-08-2026 08:45 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  A planning application has been submitted for an office block at the £70m One Founders Place development in Newcastle.
  Submitted by Founders Place LLP – a joint venture between igloo and Newcastle City Council – the 185,000 sq ft, 12-storey development has been designed by architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.
  The scheme will also include one of Newcastle’s most significant new civic spaces – Founders Square – transforming an area that currently lacks a maj
  
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• Eric Wright to start £65m Tebay-style M56 services

  10-08-2026 08:22 via constructionenquirer.com
  Eric Wright is set to start building work shortly on a £65m Tebay-style motorway services development in Cheshire that will replace the traditional fast-food model with a farm shop and kitchen showcasing local produce.
  The services are being developed between Junctions 7 and 8 of the M56 near Millington and Rostherne through a partnership between Westmorland, the acclaimed family-run operator behind Tebay and Gloucester Services, and the Tatton Estate.
  Designed by Howells, the scheme is du
  
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• Eric Wright breaks ground on £65m Tebay-style M56 services

  10-08-2026 08:22 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Eric Wright has started work on a £65m Tebay-style motorway services development in Cheshire that will replace the traditional fast-food model with a farm shop and kitchen showcasing local produce.
  The services are being developed between Junctions 7 and 8 of the M56 near Millington and Rostherne through a partnership between Westmorland, the acclaimed family-run operator behind Tebay and Gloucester Services, and the Tatton Estate.
  Designed by Howells, the scheme is due to open in spring 2
  
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• Plans in for retrofit of London Charing Cross office icon

  09-08-2026 20:19 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Plans have gone in to retrofit one of London’s best-known 1980s office buildings above Charing Cross Station.
  Developer Bridgemont wants to reinvent 1 Embankment Place rather than demolish it, retaining around 90% of the existing structure and floorplate and about 60% of the façade in one of Westminster’s largest retrofit-first commercial schemes.
  Hopkins Architects has redesigned the landmark Terry Farrell building to deliver 35,000 sq m of Grade A office space while dramatic
  
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• HG seals hat-trick of Gateway 2 project approvals

  07-08-2026 09:10 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  HG Construction has secured Building Safety Regulator Gateway 2 approval for three major residential developments in a single month.
  This clears the way for work to start on projects in Bristol, Manchester and London delivering a combined 664 build-to-rent apartments and student beds.
  The latest approvals take the firm’s total Gateway 2 tally to 15 since the Building Safety Act regime came into force.Three schemes approvedYork Gate, Bristol – 221 build-to-rent apartments with ground-
  
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• Ceiling specialist Zentia went down owing suppliers £5.6m

  07-08-2026 08:31 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Acoustic ceiling manufacturer Zentia went into administration owing subcontractors and suppliers £5.6m.
  The scale of the firms’ debts was revealed in an update from administrators filed at Companies House.
  Gateshead based Zentia Limited and Zentia Profiles had a combined turnover of more than £50m when Interpath were appointed as administrators in June and most of the 163 staff lost their jobs.The firms were market leading manufacturers of complete acoustic ceiling solutio
  
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• Plan in for 53-storey Birmingham build to rent tower

  07-08-2026 08:26 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  London-based Bluecastle Capital has lodged plans for a 53-storey build to rent tower that would bring 729 homes to Birmingham city centre.
  It would be Birmingham’s tallest building alongside 172m-tall Curzon Wharf scheme, which secured approval three years ago but has not moved to construction.
  Designed by architect Squire & Partners, the mixed-use scheme would be built on the long-vacant former Marks & Spencer site opposite the future HS2 Curzon Street station.The 42 High Street d
  
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• Kier bags biggest sewage treatment job yet

  07-08-2026 08:07 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Kier has landed its biggest wastewater job yet with a key role on Thames Water’s £265m Maple Lodge treatment works overhaul in Hertfordshire.
  The contractor has sealed an £8.7m early contractor involvement deal to develop the flagship AMP8 scheme, working with Thames Water and its design team to finalise the design, manage delivery risks and prepare the project for construction.
  Maple Lodge Sewage Treatment Works at Maple Cross near Rickmansworth serves almost 500,000 people ac
  
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• Construction buyers see first signs of a turnaround

  06-08-2026 10:48 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Construction buyers saw output levels fall at the slowest rate since March last month as first signs of an industry turnaround appeared.
  The bellwether S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index was 44.7 in July, up from 38.4 in June but still below the 50 growth threshold.
  Much slower rates of contraction were seen in all three main sub-sectors in July. Commercial work (index at 46.8) showed the greatest resilience, while civil engineering activity again saw the steepest pa
  
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• Mears secures £4.2bn pipeline after contract winning spree

  06-08-2026 10:26 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Mears has secured more than £1.4bn of housing maintenance work in the first half as its order book climbed to a record £4.2bn despite profits easing during a busy period of contract mobilisations.
  The public sector housing maintenance specialist said it remained on track to meet full-year expectations after winning two major new clients and successfully defending a string of long-term maintenance contracts.
  Adjusted pre-tax profit slipped 10% to £29m on revenue of £560m a
  
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• £90m bid race for iconic Foster museum revamp

  06-08-2026 09:11 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  The University of East Anglia is launching a £90m tender race for the refurbishment of the iconic Sainsbury Centre after securing funding for the biggest overhaul of the landmark Norman Foster-designed museum since it opened nearly 50 years ago.
  A principal contractor will be appointed to deliver the complex scheme, which will replace the building’s external envelope and extensively upgrade its mechanical and electrical systems to improve energy efficiency.
  The project follows a &pou
  
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• Persimmon sharpens axe on costs as inflation threat grows

  06-08-2026 08:41 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Persimmon is stepping up a procurement and cost-cutting drive after warning inflation could add up to £50m to its build costs over the next 18 months.
  The house builder, which increased first-half completions by 13% to 5,189 homes, said it has already identified enough procurement savings and operational efficiencies to offset at least half of the expected inflation hit, with more savings still being pursued.
  Chief executive Dean Finch said the group has launched a broad review covering pr
  
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• Panattoni submits plans for 1m sq ft Kent scheme

  06-08-2026 08:22 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Developer Panattoni has submitted a hybrid planning application for a major new 1.04 million sq ft industrial and logistics development in Maidstone, Kent.
  The application includes detailed proposals for the first phase, comprising two units of 100,000 sq ft and 150,000 sq ft.
  Outline permission is also being sought for the second phase, which will provide customers with opportunities to secure flexible built-to-suit facilities tailored to their operational requirements.The 70-acre site at Lenha
  
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• Forshaw Demolition goes into administration

  06-08-2026 08:10 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Bolton based Forshaw Demolition has gone into administration.
  The family-owned specialist has been in business since 2003 taking on packages worth up to £2m across the UK.
  The company’s website said its was “competent in all aspects of demolition including residential; city centre; high rise; road & rail infrastructure; industrial dismantling, we provide a fully integrated package for demolition solutions throughout the UK.”The company is now in the hands of administr
  
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• Public work bidders face 20% jobs and skills hurdle

  06-08-2026 08:06 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Contractors bidding for major government work will have to place far greater emphasis on creating jobs, raising skills and improving pay under a shake-up of Whitehall procurement rules.
  From 1 January 2027, firms competing for central government contracts worth more than £5m will see social value account for 20% of bid scoring – double the current weighting.
  The new Cabinet Office Social Value Model shifts the focus away from a broad range of social measures and instead rewards contr
  
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• Multiplex tops contracts league with £400m office job

  06-08-2026 08:01 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Multiplex came top of last month’s contracts rankings after securing a £400m deal to build a new office tower in the City of London.
  The 24-storey tower, known as the Dovetail building, will provide 450,000 sq ft of office space.
  Murphy ranked second also with a single contract for a major infrastructure project. Its £340m upgrade of Oxford Sewage Treatment Works will improve capacity by 40% and improve effluent quality that goes into the River Thames at the end of the sewage t
  
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• Construction arm lifts Muir Group back to profit growth

  05-08-2026 09:18 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Muir Group returned to stronger growth last year after its construction business more than doubled profits, helping lift group turnover nearly a third to £114m.
  The Scottish contractor posted pre-tax profit of just over £3m for the year to January 2026, up from £320,000 a year earlier, while cash balances climbed from £12m to £21m.
  The turnaround was driven by Muir Construction, where turnover increased to £86m and pre-tax profit jumped from £2.2m to &po
  
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• Orbit unveils £1.4bn long-term housing works pipeline

  05-08-2026 09:05 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Social landlord Orbit has launched one of the biggest long-term housing maintenance and new build procurements to hit the market this year.
  The housing association is seeking contractors for a £1.4bn programme covering planned investment, remediation and major projects across its housing stock.
  Its programme will be divided into five regional lots covering the Midlands, East of England and South East under contracts due to start in April 2028.Orbit plans to spend £1.4bn over the 15-y
  
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• Magrock lands £16m David Lloyd deal

  05-08-2026 08:42 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Magrock haa been appointed main contractor to deliver a new £16m David Lloyd Leisure health club at Bunford Park, Yeovil.
  Construction work will start this month with completion expected next summer.
  The club will feature a premium gym equipped with the latest fitness technology, multiple exercise studios, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a comprehensive wellness and spa offering. The dedicated spa retreat will include a Himalayan Salt Sauna, steam room, ice cave, plunge pool, hydrot
  
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• Ibstock makes £27m loss as brick demand dives

  05-08-2026 08:38 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Brick giant Ibstock made a pre-tax loss of £27m during the six months to June 30 as demand for its products slumped.
  The loss compared to an £8m profit last time as turnover fell to £164m from £193m.
  The losses came despite two price hikes during the period as production levels were reduced by 20 million units and mothballed facilities led to impairment charges of £24.7m.Joe Hudson, Chief Executive Officer said: “Ibstock delivered a solid first-half performanc
  
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• Yorkshire Water sounds out market for £3bn AMP9/10 plan

  05-08-2026 08:32 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Yorkshire Water has launched early market engagement for a £3bn infrastructure works programme spanning AMP9 and AMP10 as it prepares to reshape its long-term delivery strategy.
  The water company is inviting contractors and suppliers to help design the procurement model for the 10-year framework, which is expected to run from April 2028 to March 2038 with annual spending of around £330m.
  The programme will cover a broad range of water and wastewater infrastructure work across Yorkshi
  
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• Tribe lodges twin Greenwich student tower scheme

  05-08-2026 08:19 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Developer Tribe has lodged plans for a pair of high-rise towers on the Greenwich Peninsula delivering student accommodation, co-living homes and affordable housing beside the Silvertown Tunnel.
  The application proposes a 27-storey block with 673 purpose-built student bedrooms alongside a 23-storey tower providing 380 co-living homes. A further 80 affordable homes are also included within the wider development.
  Designed by architect CJCT, the scheme occupies a vacant site on Millennium Way, immed
  
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• Gatwick second runway cleared after court challenge fails

  04-08-2026 20:17 via constructionenquirer.com
  Gatwick Airport’s £2.2bn second runway expansion has cleared its final legal hurdle after the Court of Appeal dismissed a challenge against the project, paving the way for construction to begin.
  The government said the privately financed scheme is now on course to bring the airport’s standby northern runway into full use from 2030, allowing up to 100,000 additional flights a year and supporting 14,000 jobs across the region.
  Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the ruling e
  
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• More subcontractors wanted across London

  04-08-2026 09:14 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Constructionline is planning a second networking event for subcontractors across London.
  A host of work opportunities will be up for grabs at the latest Marketplace Live event for the North London region on Wednesday 9th September 2026.
  It will bring businesses together from across London, the South East, and Anglia regions at StoneX Stadium, Saracens, where Tier 1 and Tier 2 contractors will be looking to connect with pre-qualified subcontractors and suppliers to discuss upcoming work opportuni
  
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