Construction news

• Police ban mobile cranes from roads over Easter

  28-03-2024 17:47 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Crane and plant hire companies are up-in-arms after police forces across the country banned them from moving kit on the roads this Easter.
  Mobile cranes and some larger plant are covered by Special Types General Orders (STGO) which restrict the hours they can be transported mainly during peak traffic times.
  But a growing number of police forces are extending the travel embargoes with vast swathes of the country facing restrictions across the Easter holiday.Forces banning big machines from the ro
  
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• Laing O’Rourke names new Expanded Structures boss

  14-10-2026 09:23 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Laing O’Rourke has promoted Conor Considine to lead Expanded Structures, 19 years after he joined the business as a site engineer.
  Considine moves up from operations leader to take the top job on 19 October.
  The civil engineer joined in 2007 and rose to project leader in 2021. His track record includes work on Old Oak Common and the Olympia redevelopment.Considine replaces Ray O’Rourke’s nephew Stephen O’Rourke who left the firm last month to explore opportunities outside
  
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• Winners named for £2bn LHC construction deal

  14-10-2026 08:53 via constructionenquirer.com
  LHC Procurement Group has selected 64 contractors for the larger building lots and civil infrastructure work on its £2bn public buildings framework.
  Galliford Try and Midlands contractor McPhillips secured places across all five categories, spanning civils and building projects worth more than £25m.
  Kier, Morgan Sindall, Tilbury Douglas and Willmott Dixon also feature among the 20 firms picked for the biggest building jobs.
  They join winners including Baxall, Beard, Farrans, GMI, Gui
  
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• Amey lands twin Northern Powerhouse Rail roles

  14-10-2026 08:37 via constructionenquirer.com
  Amey has bagged two Northern Powerhouse Rail deals to help shape upgrades across Yorkshire.
  Network Rail’s latest award puts the consultant in charge of making six projects work together as one railway.
  It follows a separate win to develop Leeds to Sheffield corridor upgrades, paving the way for more trains and faster journeys.Both deals were awarded through Network Rail’s Development and Design Partnership Framework. Contract values have not been disclosed.
  The latest system integra
  
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• Green light for £600m Westminster office scheme

  14-10-2026 08:30 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Investment manager Meadow Partners has secured planning approval for the £600m redevelopment of 10–20 Victoria Street in Westminster.
  Plans will transform two existing buildings into a 12-storey Grade A office development providing 24,000 sq. m of workspace and 754 sq. m of new retail and restaurant space designed by Piercy & Company.
  J. Andrew McDaniel, co-founder and partner at Meadow Partners, said: “10-20 Victoria Street, located along a heavily trafficked and prestigio
  
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• Roads axe hits 24 projects across England

  14-10-2026 08:26 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Two dozen road projects across England have been dropped from the government’s funding programme.
  The cuts tear into the future civils pipeline, with four of the biggest schemes alone carrying a combined price tag of more than £1.6bn.
  The Department for Transport has not publicly published the official list but has started to write to each impacted council informing them of the cancellations.
  They include the £930m M5 Junction 9 and A46 upgrade in Gloucestershire, £303m M
  
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• Wates calls for £100m bundles in NHS health centres build plan

  13-10-2026 16:37 via constructionenquirer.com
  Wates has called for the Government’s planned building programme of NHS neighbourhood health centres to be bundled into £100m-plus regional packages to pull in private cash and get builders on site faster.
  The contractor warns a patchwork of standalone jobs risks bogging down delivery with repeated tender exercises, higher costs and lengthy approvals.
  Its prescription is a new public-private partnership model giving contractors and investors a clear pipeline of work.The government pl
  
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• Briggs & Forrester names Benedetti as next chief executive

  13-10-2026 15:52 via constructionenquirer.com
  M&E specialist Briggs & Forrester has named Duncan Benedetti as its next group chief executive, with Paul Burton stepping down from the role at the start of next year.
  Burton will remain group chairman as the Northampton-based building services contractor enters its 80th year.
  Benedetti steps up on 1 January 2027 after two decades with the £240m turnover group. He currently heads its Living business and sits on the group board.His promotion also triggers a change at Living, where o
  
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• Contractors called up for £60m Hampshire housing job

  13-10-2026 15:13 via constructionenquirer.com
  Eastleigh Borough Council has gone out to tender for a design and build contractor to deliver 192 mixed-tenure homes at Kings Copse Avenue in Botley.
  Full planning permission is already in place and the council is pushing ahead with infrastructure and enabling work before the main contractor comes on board.
  The scheme will be delivered in one phase and includes the homes, roads, utilities, landscaping and public open space.Eastleigh will use an initial qualification round to cut the field to fou
  
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• Call for three-year freeze on new housing red tape

  13-10-2026 09:03 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  House builders are being hit with more than £38,000 of extra regulation, tax and policy costs on every new home compared with 2020.
  According to a new housing commission led by former housing minister Gavin Barwell extra rules and taxes are pushing viable schemes into the red.
  The Prosper UK Housing Commission said the total cost of delivering a typical home has risen by around £76,000 in six years, with roughly half of the increase coming from government requirements rather than lab
  
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• Bellway stands firm on subcontractor rates

  13-10-2026 08:48 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Bellway is standing-firm on agreed rates with subcontractors despite rising costs.
  In its latest results Chief Executive Jason Honeyman said: “Build cost inflation was at low single-digit levels during the first half of the financial year but increased in the second half, principally reflecting greater pressure on material and energy costs amid heightened geopolitical and supply chain uncertainty.“The Group has received price increase requests from suppliers and subcontractors but ha
  
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• Balfour Beatty sells Hong Kong Gammon stake for £250m

  13-10-2026 08:24 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Balfour Beatty has sold its half share in Hong Kong contractor Gammon for £250m as chief executive Philip Hoare sharpens the group’s focus on the UK and US.
  Long-standing joint venture partner Jardine Matheson has taken full ownership of the civil engineering and building business, ending a partnership dating back to 2004.
  The deal completed today but Balfour will receive the cash in three equal instalments, with the final payment due by the end of 2028.Hoare said: “Balfour Bea
  
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• Winners named for £240m Network Rail steel supply deal

  13-10-2026 08:18 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  The winning firms have been confirmed for a £240m Network Rail framework to supply steel products and structures for overhead line equipment (OLE) across the UK.
  The largest packages are £99m for steel structures and £70m for steel piles.The winning firms are:
  Steel Piles (£70m):Adey Steel
  European Active Projects
  Severfield Structural SolutionsSteel Structures (£99m):Adey Steel
  Fullmen
  Pro Steel Engineering
  Taziker IndustrialOther winners for the smaller lots inclu
  
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• McLaren clears Gateway 2 for £229m Ebury estate rebuild

  12-10-2026 16:15 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  McLaren Construction has cleared the Gateway 2 hurdle for the £229m second phase of Westminster’s Ebury Bridge estate regeneration.
  The Building Safety Regulator approved four separate applications covering five buildings, clearing the way for major construction work to start.
  The 334-home phase is the largest of three planned in Westminster City Council’s redevelopment of the 1930s estate.It follows completion of the first phase and will deliver a mixed-tenure neighbourhood as
  
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• Graham bags £45m Stratford student scheme

  12-10-2026 13:55 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Graham has landed a £45m student accommodation scheme for Gamuda Land UK at Marshgate Lane in Stratford, east London.
  The 321-bed development will rise between Stratford High Street and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, just 100m from Pudding Mill Lane DLR station.
  The appointment takes the project into construction as Gamuda expands its London development portfolio.The scheme will provide a mix of cluster flats and self-contained studios, with shared kitchen, dining and social spaces, a gym a
  
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• Lovell lined up to rescue £25m east London housing job

  12-10-2026 13:32 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Lovell Partnerships has been lined up to take over a stalled £25m housing scheme in east London following the collapse of Jerram Falkus Construction.
  Tower Hamlets Council has approved a pre-construction services agreement for Lovell to draw up a rescue plan for 62 affordable homes and five commercial units at Arnold Road in Bow.
  The deal puts Lovell in pole position to finish the job, although the main works contract remains subject to agreement on costs, programme and delivery arrangemen
  
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• Bennett Construction to build £132m Guildford scheme

  12-10-2026 12:36 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Native Land has appointed Bennett Construction to deliver the main phase of St Mary’s Wharf in Guildford.
  The contract award came as the developer confirmed £132m in funding for the 180-home development on the bank of the River Wey in Guildford town centre.
  Bennett will take over management of the 1.7-acre site to commence preparatory work immediately, with the main phase of construction work beginning in the coming weeks.Since securing planning consent in 2022, Native Land has subst
  
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• Willmott Dixon takes £24m starring role at Rugby school

  12-10-2026 09:22 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Willmott Dixon has bagged a £24m expansion of Rugby’s Avon Valley School & Performing Arts College.
  The Warwickshire County Council job will add 300 secondary places as new housing puts pressure on local classrooms.
  A new three-storey teaching block and four-court sports hall will boost facilities, with capacity rising to 1,400 pupils. The scheme also includes a 20-place specialist provision for pupils with communication and interaction needs.Michelle Cotterill, director at Willm
  
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• Taylor Woodrow loses bid to block Cardiff fire defects claim

  12-10-2026 09:04 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Contractor Taylor Woodrow has failed to block a fresh claim by house builder Taylor Wimpey to recover around £24m in costs to rectify alleged fire safety defects at seven high-rise apartment blocks in Cardiff.
  The High Court rejected the contractor’s argument that the house builder was trying to rerun a dispute already lost in arbitration.
  The ruling allows the housing developer to pursue its claim over Victoria Wharf under the Defective Premises Act. It is also seeking a building li
  
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• Vp back on track after Brandon Hire restructure

  12-10-2026 08:49 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Equipment rental giant Vp is on course to perform in line with market expectations for its latest results which are due to be unveiled next month.
  Analysts are expecting the firm to deliver turnover of £351.3m pre-tax profits of £32.5m for the year ending 31 March 2027.
  Vp said electricity transmission continues to perform well, rail remains stable and there is “encouraging momentum in water” as AMP8 activity has grown in the second quarter.During the year Vp announc
  
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• M&E firm Integral slashes losses after workforce cut by a fifth

  12-10-2026 08:22 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Building services and FM specialist Integral UK has slashed losses after a sweeping shake-up cut its workforce by more than a fifth.
  The JLL-owned firm chalked up its seventh straight year of pre-tax losses but moved closer to break-even as it trimmed its contract portfolio and largely closed out legacy construction jobs.
  Pre-tax losses narrowed to £921,000 in 2025 from £8.8m the year before.Turnover fell 7% to £273m as bosses prioritised profitability across engineering servic
  
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• HBC powers back towards £110m turnover

  12-10-2026 08:12 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  HBC Construction is on course to smash through the £100m turnover barrier this year after returning to profit in 2025.
  The former Henry Boot Construction business expects revenue to reach £110m in 2026, with a strong increase in profitability as major projects drive its recovery.
  In a financial update, HBC reported 2025 trading pre-tax profit of £1.24m against a £1.65m loss the previous year. Turnover jumped 43% to £71m from £50m.The accounts cover the trading
  
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• Wiltshire and Gloucestershire start £392m surfacing race

  12-10-2026 08:09 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Wiltshire and Gloucestershire councils have put £392m of road surfacing work up for grabs in a double boost for highways contractors.
  The neighbouring authorities have launched separate competitions for countywide programmes stretching into the next decade.
  Wiltshire’s £200m machine surfacing deal will run for an initial six years from June 2027, with two extensions of two years potentially taking it through to May 2037.The work covers machine surfacing and associated civils, r
  
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• Lee Marley closes in on £100m turnover

  09-10-2026 09:09 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  The country’s largest integrated brickwork and scaffolding firm Lee Marley is closing in on £100m turnover despite a housing slowdown and Gateway 2 delays putting the brakes on project starts.
  The Reading-based subcontractor lifted revenue 9% to a record £95.4m in 2025, chalking up its sixth successive year of growth.
  Major regeneration packages helped underpin the rise, while schemes previously stalled by second staircase requirements finally moved into delivery.But delays thr
  
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• German investor pledges £1bn for UK affordable homes

  09-10-2026 08:39 via constructionenquirer.com
  German investment firm PATRIZIA has confirmed plans to add £1bn to its new UK Essential Living Platform which will deliver up to 4,000 affordable homes.
  The investor will work with mayors and local partners across the UK with a Regional Dialogue meeting set to take place next year to thrash out details.
  The news was unveiled by Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a visit to Berlin yesterday.Asoka Wöhrmann, CEO of PATRIZIA, said: “Our meeting with the Prime Minister reinforced a c
  
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• BW hires time-served Mace man as commercial director

  09-10-2026 08:36 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Fit-out specialist BW has recruited former Mace man Dominic Anstey as commercial director as it targets £350m turnover this year.
  Anstey brings 30 years of construction experience, including nearly two decades at Mace, to the London-based employee-owned contractor.
  He will work closely with managing director Kevin P’ng to strengthen resourcing, financial management and the links between pre-construction and delivery as BW drives its next phase of growth.
  His arrival heads a trio of s
  
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• Wates picked for £209m Penrhys estate regeneration

  09-10-2026 08:17 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Wates Construction is in line for a £209m deal to rebuild what was once Wales’ largest public sector housing estate.
  Housing association Trivallis has picked the contractor as development partner for the regeneration of Penrhys in the Rhondda, with around 800 to 900 homes planned and an initial phase of around 121 homes.
  The hillside estate opened in 1968 with 951 homes. Decades of demolition and resident relocation have since reduced it to around 200 homes spread across 24 hectares.
  
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• Berkeley’s 1,060-home south London plan rethink rejected

  09-10-2026 08:06 via constructionenquirer.com
  Berkeley has been refused permission for revised plans for 1,060 homes in south London after Southwark councillors rejected an affordable housing cut aimed at making the scheme viable.
  The house builder had reworked phases two and three of the Old Kent Road development to tackle rising costs and avoid a repeat of the delays that stalled its first phase.
  But councillors went against officers’ recommendation on Tuesday, rejecting the Bermondsey Place proposals to reduce affordable housing fr
  
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• Vistry partnerships boss Teagle to retire

  08-10-2026 20:23 via constructionenquirer.com
  Vistry Partnerships boss Stephen Teagle is to retire next March, with L&G Affordable Homes director Catherine Raynsford lined up to succeed him.
  Teagle helped build the group’s mixed-tenure partnerships business after joining Galliford Try in 2006 following 20 years in the housing association sector.
  He will step down as chief executive of partnerships and regeneration at the end of March 2027 but stay on part-time as an adviser to the board.Raynsford joins on 1 January as group partne
  
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• Statom raids Bauer for new Franki piling arm chief

  08-10-2026 13:02 via constructionenquirer.com
  
  Statom has hired Bauer Technologies boss John Theos to drive expansion at its Franki and Martello piling businesses.
  Theos takes over as managing director of Franki Group UK just over a year after Statom snapped up the specialists from Belgian contractor BESIX.
  His arrival fires the starting gun on a fresh growth push, with the two businesses sharpening their focus on distinct parts of the piling market.
  Martello will chase civil engineering and major projects through large-diameter rotary and C
  
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