Construction news

• Severfield hires former Robert Bird boss as technical chief

  09-11-2026 11:31 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Steelwork contractor Severfield has hired former Robert Bird Group boss Simon Nicholas to muscle in earlier on major projects.
  Nicholas joins as chief technical officer and executive committee member with a brief to bring design, manufacturing and construction closer together.
  The steelwork giant wants to secure more early involvement through pre-construction services agreements, helping shape designs and iron out delivery challenges before work hits site.Reporting to chief executive Paul McNern
  
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• Tilbury Douglas snaps up Vinci director for northern push

  10-11-2026 09:03 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Tilbury Douglas has recruited Vinci construction director Dave Clarke to lead its Yorkshire and North East building business.
  Clarke takes the regional director role as the contractor targets further growth across the north, backed by national and regional framework places.
  He joins from Vinci, where he was construction director for the same patch. He previously worked at Shepherd from 2006 before joining Wates in 2015, where he became operations director.Clarke brings more than 20 years’ regi
  
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• Renaker unveils plan for 54-storey Salford tower

  10-11-2026 08:53 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Renaker has unveiled plans for a 54-storey residential skyscraper that would become the tallest tower in Salford’s growing Greengate cluster.
  The developer-contractor has launched public consultation on the proposed 166m Aldridge tower, which would deliver 556 apartments.
  Subject to planning approval, Renaker is targeting a December 2027 construction start, with the building programme expected to take three and a half years.Designed by architect Denton Corker Marshall, the tower would provide
  
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• Trainee scaffolder killed in five-metre fall

  10-11-2026 08:24 via Construction Enquirer
  
  A scaffolding contractor has been fined £16,000 after a trainee scaffolder died in a five-metre fall on a new housing job.
  Michael Swales was working for Ask Scaffolding Ltd on July 5 2023 at a residential development near Ripon in North Yorkshire.
  Swales and a colleague were erecting scaffolding at the front of a two-storey house under construction when he fell five metres after standing on an unsecured scaffolding board.An HSE investigation found that Ask Scaffolding Ltd had failed to ensure
  
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• Gateway 2 approval times improve to 20 weeks

  10-11-2026 08:17 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Gateway 2 approval times for new high-rise buildings and conversions have fallen to 20 weeks as applications plunged following the rush to beat the Building Safety Levy.
  New submissions dropped from 64 in September to just six in October after the levy came into force on 1 October. BSR believes the fall reflects a dip following the pre-levy surge.
  The rush had forced the regulator to bolster teams and triage applications as incoming schemes outpaced decisions.Latest figures for the 12 weeks to 1
  
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• Bovis cleared to start £385m London tower build

  09-11-2026 23:44 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Bovis has secured the main works go-ahead for Sellar’s £385m office tower at 60 Gracechurch Street in the City of London.
  The 36-storey scheme will link the main City tower cluster to the Walkie-talkie on the capital’s skyline, delivering around 430,000 sq ft of offices.
  Main construction is due to start imminently, with completion targeted for the final quarter of 2029.
  Bovis has been providing pre-construction services since July 2025, working with Sellar and building owner Obayashi Prope
  
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• Bidding starts for £2bn Pagabo small to medium works deal

  09-11-2026 12:17 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Pagabo has opened bidding for a £2bn small to medium works framework offering regional contractors up to 75% of appointments.
  The four-year deal will launch in April 2027, covering new build, refurbishment, highways, public realm, accessibility, decarbonisation and M&E work.
  Contractors have until 5 January 2027 to submit bids, with tenders assessed on a 70% quality and 30% price split.
  Four value bands will each be divided into 40 geographical areas across the UK, giving local firms a rout
  
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• BAM bags both ends of EGL3 power superhighway

  09-11-2026 11:59 via Construction Enquirer
  
  BAM has landed the southern converter station works on Eastern Green Link 3, securing civil engineering roles at both ends of the planned Scotland-to-England power superhighway.
  National Grid has appointed the contractor for the Walpole scheme in Norfolk, with Mott MacDonald supporting as lead civil and structural designer.
  The win follows BAM’s early contractor involvement deal for the northern converter station near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire.The value of the latest package has not been disc
  
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• Digger maker Kobelco swoops for control of rival Case

  09-11-2026 11:21 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Japanese plant giant Kobelco has struck a deal to take control of Case Construction as owner CNH switches its focus to farming machinery.
  Kobelco will pay around £524m for a 70% stake in CNH’s construction equipment business, which also includes New Holland Construction and Eurocomach.
  The deal values the division at around £749m, with CNH keeping a 30% stake in the new joint venture.The tie-up brings CNH’s loaders, dozers, graders and backhoes together with Kobelco’s tracked excavator a
  
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• Council to rebid A38 job after Octavius price busts budget

  09-11-2026 09:17 via Construction Enquirer
  North Somerset Council is putting a £24m A38 highways job back out to tender after Octavius’s construction price came in too high.
  Octavius was appointed in 2025 under a two-stage design and build deal to develop the scheme and agree a Stage 2 construction price.
  But council papers say the contractor’s estimate overshot both the original budget assumptions and the approved funding position.A benchmarking review by Rider Levett Bucknall also found the gap could not be fully explained by infl
  
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• Government has no plans to take over struggling Vistry

  09-11-2026 09:13 via Construction Enquirer
  
  The Government has no plans to buy or nationalise struggling house builder Vistry as it cuts jobs and battles to bring borrowing under control.
  Housing minister Matthew Pennycook confirmed the position as the partnership housing giant seeks to refinance £900m of bank facilities and more than halve its regional operations.
  Responding to a written question from shadow housing minister David Simmonds, Pennycook said: “The government has no plans to purchase or nationalise Vistry.”Chief executi
  
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• Taylor Wimpey starts talks on job cuts

  09-11-2026 08:30 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Taylor Wimpey has started consultation on a round of redundancies as the housing market continues to flounder.
  The job losses will be spread nationwide and are part of a company cost cutting drive which has included slashing payouts to shareholders.
  The company has not given an indication on redundancy numbers among its 4,500 staff but they are understood to be on a much smaller scale than the ongoing programme at rival Vistry.In a statement to the Enquirer Taylor Wimpey said: “In response to
  
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• South Wales highways framework jumps £135m to £405m

  09-11-2026 08:12 via Construction Enquirer
  The forecast value of a major South Wales highways framework has jumped by £135m to £405m as councils launch the formal race for contractors.
  The SWTRA Highways & Structures Framework 2027 was previously advertised at £270m but has now been increased by 50%, offering firms a significantly bigger pipeline of roads and bridges work.
  Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is leading the procurement alongside Carmarthenshire and Monmouthshire councils.Up to eight contractors will share the
  
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• Kier bags contracts league double with £347m haul

  09-11-2026 01:21 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Kier stormed back to the top of the contracts league in October as three major wins helped deliver a £347m haul.
  Rail, education and water work powered the contractor into first place for the month and restored its lead in the rolling 12-month rankings.
  The biggest wins included Manchester Airport station’s upgrade, St Gregory’s Catholic Science College in north west London and the overhaul of Harpenden sewage treatment works in Hertfordshire.
  Kier’s £54m airport station contract involve
  
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• Bids invited for £1bn construction and refurb framework

  06-11-2026 17:18 via Construction Enquirer
  Fusion21 is inviting bids for its latest £1bn national Construction & Refurbishment Framework.
  The procurement specialist is looking for supply partners with experience of delivering construction and refurbishment works in housing, health, education and wider public sector environments.
  This will be the third version of the framework with previous years delivering 95 projects with a total value of £675m and an average project value of £7.2m.The deal will run from 2027–31 and be divided
  
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• Plant dealer Molson files administration notice

  06-11-2026 15:03 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Plant dealer Molson has filed notices of intention to appoint administrators after its latest published accounts revealed a £10.3m pre-tax loss.
  Founder and chief executive Robin Powell is understood to have announced the decision to staff this morning.
  The Bristol-based business supplies major machinery brands including Kobelco, Hyundai Construction Equipment, Terex ranges, Sennebogen, Bell Equipment, Thwaites, Merlo and Husqvarna demolition robots.Molson is the UK’s largest independent new
  
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• Plant dealer Molson enters administration

  06-11-2026 15:03 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Plant giant Molson has crashed into administration with PwC winding down its UK business employing around 330 people.
  Founder and chief executive Robin Powell revealed the decision to staff on Friday morning in what one descibed as an ’emotional’ teams meeting.
  Administrators have taken control of five group companies and are selling off remaining machinery and parts stock while chasing outstanding debts.The Bristol-based dealer ran into a funding crunch after suffering significant financial
  
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• £3.7bn Windermere clean-up takes major tender step

  06-11-2026 09:10 via Construction Enquirer
  
  United Utilities has launched the race for a design and integration deal worth up to £600m to drive its proposed £3.7bn Windermere clean-up.
  The water company wants a partner to turn its Only Rainwater into Windermere proposals into a consented construction programme spanning tunnels, sewers, pumping stations and treatment infrastructure.
  An initial four-year development phase is expected to be worth £60m-£100m. Extensions covering design and integration during construction could take the ap
  
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• GWR lines up 16 builders for £90m station upgrades

  06-11-2026 08:56 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Great Western Railway has lined up 16 contractors for a £90m programme of station upgrades, depot improvements and building works.
  AmcoGiffen, Hollywell Building Services, Jamieson Contracting and Walker Construction scored a clean sweep, securing places across all three framework lots.
  Vinci Construction UK picked up places for minor works and depot projects, with Spencer Rail Engineering, Trackwork and Emeg Group also joining the depot line-up.
  Contractor
  Minorworks
  Majorstation
  Depotworks
  Am
  
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• First time buyer scheme to stall housing market for months

  06-11-2026 08:36 via Construction Enquirer
  
  MJ Gleeson is warning that the government’s new Your First Home scheme could stall the housing market for months.
  The house builder welcomed the scheme for first time buyers in a trading update today but flagged issues over its timing.
  The initiative was confirmed in last month’s budget but applications for the first loans won’t begin until February.Gleeson said: “The announcement of the scheme some five months before its launch is likely to postpone demand in the intervening period and
  
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• Billington cuts profit forecast despite record orders

  06-11-2026 08:32 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Steelwork specialist Billington has warned annual profit could come in at around half of market expectations after a problem industrial job and delays to a major bridge contract.
  The group now expects underlying pre-tax profit of £4m–£5.5m for 2026, against analysts’ forecasts of £8.3m. Last year it delivered £4.1m.
  The biggest squeeze comes from an industrial project in the north of England which has proved tougher to deliver than expected.Billington has reassessed the costs to complete
  
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• Urban Splash hit with £46.5m flats fire repair bill

  06-11-2026 08:00 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Urban Splash and four associated businesses have been ordered to pay £46.5m towards fire safety repairs at seven Manchester apartment blocks.
  The firms have until 3 December to pay following a Government legal battle to recover taxpayers’ money spent fixing the former Urban Splash developments.
  The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) rejected arguments that public funding had driven unnecessarily expensive repairs. But it cut the publicly funded element of the claim by 10% to reflect Gover
  
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• Housing main drag on industry again in October

  05-11-2026 12:40 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Construction buyers have reported the lowest level of residential work since last December as the housing market continues to rag down the whole industry.
  The bellwether S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index recorded 43.6 in October – down from 46.1 the previous month.
  The index registered below the neutral 50.0 value for the twenty-second month running.Residential activity (index at 35.1) was by far the weakest-performing segment, with the latest reading the lowest since
  
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• Sizewell C backs drive to ditch diesel and cut carbon

  05-11-2026 12:04 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Sizewell C has put contractors on notice to prepare for life after diesel and a squeeze on the most carbon-intensive building materials.
  The nuclear developer has signed an industry pledge to drive down construction emissions through buying decisions, contract incentives and cleaner site operations.
  The move puts plant fleets, concrete mixes and steel sourcing firmly in the spotlight across the project’s supply chain.Under the Construction Leadership Council’s Five Client Carbon Commitments,
  
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• JRL gets green light for 359-unit Sutton co-living revamp

  05-11-2026 08:48 via Construction Enquirer
  
  JRL Group and development partner Halcyon have secured planning permission to transform a vacant office block in Sutton town centre into a 359-unit co-living development.
  Sutton Council has approved the redevelopment of St Nicholas House, clearing the way for a major refurbishment and extension of the former 12-storey office building.
  The scheme will see the existing structure partially demolished, retained and extended to create a building rising to 15 storeys.Designed by Assael Architecture, t
  
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• Vistry jobs cull begins as daily debt heads for £800m

  05-11-2026 08:47 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Vistry has started wielding the jobs axe as it moves to more than half its regional operations amid worsening market conditions.
  In a trading statement this morning, the house builder warned that average daily net debt was heading towards £800m in the second half as tough trading and delays to partner-funded deals squeeze cash.
  Chief executive Adam Daniels said he had started driving through plans for a smaller business focused on generating cash and cutting borrowing.
  The partnership homes foc
  
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• Morgan Sindall to beat profit targets again

  05-11-2026 08:39 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Morgan Sindall is set to beat its profit targets again this year as construction and fit-out continue t0 out-perform the general market.
  In a trading update today the contractor said: “Strong trading momentum has continued and, together with strong visibility of secured orders through to the end of the year, the Group now anticipates that its full year results for 2026 will be slightly ahead of its previous expectations.”
  It added: “The Construction division has continued to perform strong
  
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• Euston Station mega scheme set for 26-year build programme

  05-11-2026 08:08 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Lendlease and The Crown Estate have set out plans for the Euston station mega development with a building programme stretching over 26 years.
  The partners’ Impact Partnership joint venture is leading the 60-acre regeneration above and around the rail hub as the Government’s master development partner.An environmental scoping report submitted to Camden Council reveals proposals for up to 650,000 sq m of development, with landmark buildings rising to 25 storeys.
  Architect Allies and Morrison i
  
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• Forco is the new name for Mace Construct

  04-11-2026 12:00 via Construction Enquirer
  
  Mace Construct has confirmed it will be known as Forco when it launches its new brand in January 2027.
  The contractor said the new name is “short, impactful and easy to pronounce.”
  Mace Construct and Mace Consult became two separate businesses in March, with the agreement that Mace Consult would retain the Mace brand.The business will continue to trade as Mace Construct until the New Year then go forward as Forco with a new corporate strategy unveiled alongside productivity targets through t
  
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• Morgan Sindall Operations Director joins GMI

  04-11-2026 08:55 via Construction Enquirer
  
  GMI Construction Group has appointed James Garnett to the newly created role of Group Operations Director.
  Garnett joins from Morgan Sindall where he has spent the last seven years most recently as Operations Director for the North East and Cumbria business.
  At GMI Garnett will work with the Board and regional leadership teams to strengthen operational performance and support project delivery.His priorities include improving processes, streamlining reporting, and making better use of data to sup
  
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