Month: March 2019

The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

 

Microplastics are most common waste found along Mediterranean coast, study says

Polyethylene used to make plastic shopping bags and cling film forms most of plastic found in coastal waters, according to marine scientists from University of Barcelona. Read more…

EU re-approves NI water protection plans

The EU has given its re-approval for plans to protect water quality in Northern Ireland. Read more…

Graham wins £18m Carlisle cancer centre

Graham has been awarded an £18.3m contract to design and construct the new cancer centre at Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle for North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust. Read more…

Network Rail to spend £42bn on railway improvements to ‘restore public trust’

Network Rail is to spend £42bn on the railway over the next five years in a bid to improve poor punctuality in “the biggest modernisation of our rail network in over a century.” Read more…

Heathrow shortlists 18 construction hub sites

Heathrow Airport today revealed 18 sites left in the running to become construction hubs for the third runway project. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Property Industry:

First Brighton build to rent scheme approved

Legal & General’s housing arm has gained planning for Brighton’s first build to rent scheme near the city’s train station. Read more…

Bellway launches London Partnerships arm

House builder Bellway has launched a new housing partnerships business in London while it still looks for further regional expansion of its private homes business. Read more…

£3.7 million confirmed to fund five new garden towns across England

New garden towns will provide up to 64,000 much needed homes in five locations across England from Hertfordshire to Gloucestershire, it has been confirmed. Read more…

Business booming for building services giant TClarke

Business is booming at TClarke as the building services specialist posted results ahead of market expectations. Read more,,,

Estate agents fees in Europe are cheapest in the UK

New research has found that home sellers in the UK pay much less in estate agent fees than other countries in Europe, and appear to pay less than anyone else. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

 

 

MGJV secures £14.6M pipeline contract with Southern

The joint venture between Galliford Try and Morrison Utility Services (MGJV) has been awarded a £14.6 million contract by framework client Southern Water to lay a 10km pipeline in West Sussex. Read more…

Clancy Docwra, Kier secure leakage detection contract with Anglian

Clancy Docwra and Kier have been awarded a contract to carry out leakage detection services for Anglian Water as part of the IMR Water alliance. Read more…

Ofgem grants price cap derogation extension to three firms

Energy industry regulator Ofgem has extended the derogation it has given to three renewable energy suppliers in relation to the standard variable tariff (SVT) price cap. Read more…

Shell Energy: First Utility rebranded as over 700,000 customers are switched to renewable power

Shell has today further underlined its growing interest in the power and renewables sector, announcing today that First Utility is to rebranded as Shell Energy and will from today provide over 700,000…Read more…

UK’s Largest Waste Wood Gasifier Becomes Operational

Bioenergy Infrastructure Group (“BIG”), an independent power producer specialising in energy-from-waste and biomass, has announced that one of its largest assets in the UK, Ince Bio Power, has become fully operational after successfully completing its testing phase. Read more…

 

 

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The latest news this week in the Construction Industry:

Guinness and Stonewater to build 4,500 homes by 2022

Homes England has signed off another major strategic framework agreement with social housing providers Guinness Partnership and Stonewater. Read more…

Morgan Sindall set for £60m St Albans mixed-use scheme

Morgan Sindall Construction has been named preferred bidder for a mixed-use development in the heart of St Albans city centre. Read more…

Business booming for building services giant TClarke

Business is booming at TClarke as the building services specialist posted results ahead of market expectations. Read more…

Vast York Central scheme gains outline approval

Outline planning has been granted to develop over 2,500 homes and a new commercial district next to York railway station. Read more…

McLaren wins £27m North London HQ job

McLaren Construction has secured the £26.7m job to build a headquarters in North London for software giant Metaswitch. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Rail Industry:

 

Week on the Network

You can find Network Rails ‘Week on the Network’ here.

Government gives ‘hugely important’ £208m Belfast Transport Hub the green light

A new £208m Belfast Transport Hub with major rail and bus connections has been granted planning permission by the Department of Infrastructure. Read more…

ScotRail submits £18m improvement plan in response to government improvement notice

Under-fire train operator ScotRail has unveiled an £18m remedial plan to recruit more staff and bring in additional high-speed trains in response to the government’s improvement demands last month. Read more…

Easter engineering work “quietest for many years”

Although some routes will experience significant disruption, Network Rail said its Easter engineering work is “the quietest for many years” and will leave the majority of the country unaffected. Read more…

Major redevelopment plans for Edinburgh Waverley station unveiled

Network Rail has launched a consultation on a multi-million long-term redevelopment plan for Edinburgh’s Waverley Station. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

‘Compelling case’ put forward for £4bn metro network for Cambridgeshire

There is a “compelling case” for a metro scheme for Greater Cambridge after a feasibility report has claimed it could create 100,000 jobs and 60,000 new homes, but could cost £4bn. Read more…

Vinci wins £100m UCL East student blocks deal

University College London has picked Vinci Construction as preferred contractor to deliver two high-rise student blocks for a planned new campus at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London. Read more…

Thames Water launches interactive water calculator

Thames Water has launched an interactive online tool to help customers save money by gaining a better understanding of their water use. Read more…

Nestlé And Veolia Join Forces To Tackle Plastics Leakage

Nestlé and Veolia have announced a collaboration to work on waste collection, sorting and recycling of plastic material, with a particular emphasis on flexible plastic packaging. Read more…

How a no deal Brexit will transform the construction industry

The UK is due to leave the European Union, yet talks between the government and the EU about the withdrawal deal remain deadlocked. Joanne Starkie of the Immigration Advice Service looks at what a “no deal” scenario could mean for the construction industry. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Property Industry:

Spring housing market dampened by Brexit uncertainty

The latest figures from Rightmove have revealed that the usual buoyancy associated with the spring housing market has failed to materialise this time round largely due to Brexit. Read more…

Tolent to build first homes at £400m Leeds scheme

Tolent has won the job to build the first prototype houses at Kirkstall Forge in Leeds, paving the way for the initial 112-homes at the £400m site. Read more…

Placefirst unveils £27.5m build to rent plan for Bolton

Placefirst has unveiled its vision to transform a key site in Bolton Council’s town centre masterplan, the town’s first urban village. Read more…

Build to rent specialist plans Bolton urban village

Build to Rent developer Placefirst has unveiled £27.5m plans for a Bolton town centre site. Read more…

Buyer fees scrapped at Network Auctions

Network Auctions’ has announced that their ‘E’ online property buying platform has been revamped and buyer fees have been scrapped as they adapt to the changing market. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

Severn Trent names contractors for £2bn programme

Water company Severn Trent has named the first contractors that it intends to use to deliver its £2bn investment in its construction projects for AMP7. Read more…

Kier names Davies as new chief executive

Kier Group has announced the appointment of Andrew Davies as chief executive with effect from 15 April. Read more…

England may run short of water within 25 years – EA chief exec

Environment Agency chief executive Sir James Bevan has warned that England is on course to run short of water in less than 25 years. Read more…

Nestlé And Veolia Join Forces To Tackle Plastics Leakage

Nestlé and Veolia have announced a collaboration to work on waste collection, sorting and recycling of plastic material, with a particular emphasis on flexible plastic packaging. Read more…

Thames Water launches interactive water calculator

Thames Water has launched an interactive online tool to help customers save money by gaining a better understanding of their water use. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Construction Industry:

Hi-Vis site wear launched for pregnant women

Pregnant construction workers can now buy a range of hi-vis clothing to wear on site. Read more…

Tolent awarded £400m Kirkstall Forge project in Leeds

Tolent has been awarded the contract to build the first residential stage at Kirkstall Forge, a flagship £400m project in Leeds. Read more…

Interserve £170m prison project to be rebid

The Ministry of Justice is to retender the £170m HMP Glen Parva new build prison project in Leicestershire. Read more…

ENGIE secures £20m Scarborough LIFEstyle scheme

Scarborough Borough Council has approved a planning application by ENGIE, to build a bespoke over 55s housing development in Scarborough. Read more…

Griffiths to restart Dawnus Kingsway transformation project

Swansea Council has revealed that Welsh civil engineering contractor Griffiths will complete work on the £12m Kingsway transformation project. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Rail Industry:

 

 

Network Rail reveals the winner of final track works contract worth £1.5bn

Network Rail has announced Balfour Beatty as the preferred bidder to carry out track upgrades across central England for the next decade in a contract worth an estimated £1.5bn. Read more…

Greater Anglia train drivers taking leap into new technology

New state-of-the-art train simulators are being used to train 768 Greater Anglia drivers that will be driving the new trains due to replace all of the company’s existing fleet from later this year, when it starts to receive 38 bi-mode and 20 all-electric trains from Stadler followed by 111 more electric commuter trains from Bombardier. Read more…v

The Train Drivers Academy

In the months up until 2021, around 7,000 new vehicles are set to be introduced by train companies across the country. Drivers will swap some of the oldest rolling stock on the network for some of the most state- of-the-art in the world as a result of the country’s current multi-billion-pound train-building boom. Read more…

“Radical yet respectful” proposals for Birmingham Moor Street station revealed

Proposals for a “radical yet respectful” transformation to Birmingham Moor Street station have been released. Read more…

New Hitachi 385s to replace ScotRail’s ‘happy trains’

ScotRail has confirmed that it is withdrawing its Class 365 ‘happy trains’ fleet and replacing them with new Hitachi Class 385s. Read more…

 

 

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The latest news this week in the Property Industry:

 

 

Brexit uncertainty causes further damage to UK housing, says RICS

Prolonged Brexit uncertainty will likely cause further damage to the UK housing market, according to the latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey. Read more…

5 common reasons why your house is not selling

There are many stages that need to be completed before your house finally sells. Some naturally take longer than others and may be out of your control. Read more…

5 small changes to make your home more eco-friendly

Many homeowners are becoming more aware of the impact of their actions on the environment and pride themselves on living sustainably. Whether you are a first timer or a full blown eco-warrior, these five simple home improvement tweaks will make a real difference. Read more…

Torsion to build £65m twin towers in Leeds

Court Collaboration in partnership with Torsion Developments has submitted a planning application for a £65m two-tower block development in Leeds. Read more…

RealPage Energy Summit: The Power of Connecting

The best and brightest in multifamily utility management are convening this spring at the RealPage Energy Summit. At the company’s Richardson, Texas headquarters April 16-18, experts will offer a deep dive into the latest energy trends and regulations, and like-minded professionals will tackle some of the most pressing issues facing the industry. Read more…

 

 

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

 

Interserve to file for administration as rescue rejected

Interserve shareholders have rejected the proposed rescue plan leaving the board to file for administration today. Read more…

Brexit uncertainty causes further damage to UK housing, says RICS

Prolonged Brexit uncertainty will likely cause further damage to the UK housing market, according to the latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey. Read more…

Network Rail reveals winner of final track works contract worth £1.5bn

Network Rail has announced Balfour Beatty as the preferred bidder to carry out track upgrades across central England for the next decade in a contract worth an estimated £1.5bn. Read more…

New EnTrade scheme helps farmers protect Poole Harbour

A group of farmers in Dorset have been equally rewarded by Wessex Water for growing cover crops that brought reductions in the levels of nitrates that enter Poole Harbour. Read more…

Asda Removes 6,500 Tonnes Of Own Brand Plastic Packaging

Asda has announced it has removed 6500 tonnes of plastic from its own brand packaging since February 2018. Read more…

 

 

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 The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

 

 

IKEA and shipping giant CMA CGM to pilot first sustainable marine biofuel

Swedish furniture retailer teams up with shipping giant CMA CGM, GoodShipping Program and Port of Rotterdam to test marine biofuel made from forest residues and waste cooking oil. Read more…

Proposals To Tackle Non-Compliant Products Sold Online

Defra has published proposals to tackle non-compliant products sold through online marketplaces. Read more…

Mott MacDonald, Microsoft team up on smart infrastructure

Mott MacDonald and Microsoft have announced a strategic partnership to deliver smart infrastructure. Read more…

Biffa Acquires Specialist Waste Recycling Limited

Integrated waste management company Biffa has announced that it has today (12 March) acquired Specialist Waste Recycling Limited (‘SWRNewstar’), from a consortium of investors including Angus MacDonald OBE. Read more…

Tony Juniper appointed chair of Natural England

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has confirmed that Tony Juniper CBE will be the new Chair of Natural England. Read more…

 

 

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The latest news this week in the Construction Industry:

 

 

A developer wanted for £1.5bn Manchester innovation district

The University of Manchester has unveiled ambitious plans to create a £1.5bn innovation district on the site of its North Campus near the planned HS2 station. Read more…

V&A museum begins search for contractor for £22m centre

The Victoria & Albert (V&A) museum in London has started the tender process to select the main contractor for a £22m scheme to create a research centre and space for its collections. Read more…

Simons Group lands starring role on £20m cinema scheme

Simons Group has been awarded the main contract to build a new £20m  cinema and restaurant complex at East Square in Basildon, Essex. Read more…

Watkin Jones forward funds £90m Wembley scheme

Student rooms and build-to-rent specialist Watkin Jones has forward sold a planned 600-bed student scheme in London near Wembley stadium. Read more…

Balfour Beatty hits 2.4% construction margin

Balfour Beatty has returned to industry standard margins and built up strong cash reserves completing a four-year turnaround plan. Read more…

 

 

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The latest news this week in the Rail Industry:

 

Network Rail: Week on the Network

Network Rail works hard to improve the network each week, here’s their weekly update, read more…

LNER trains for East Coast Main Line given approval to enter passenger services

New LNER rolling stock for the East Coast Main Line (ECML) has received approval for its Class 800 Azuma trains to enter passenger service. Read more…

We’re investing over £100m in the railway this Easter

This Easter we’ll deliver more than £100m of investment in a better railway. A 13,800-strong workforce will work around the clock to keep the railway open and deliver more reliable infrastructure, improved facilities and services for passengers. Read more…

Rail minister gives boost to Hull-Manchester Airport direct rail link

Rail minister Andrew Jones has pledged to look at the options for a direct train service from Hull to Manchester Airport. Read more…

Midland main line electrification extended

Network Rail has been instructed to design an extension of the Midland main line electrification programme from Kettering to Market Harborough station, rail minister Andrew Jones has confirmed. Read more…

SWR and Porterbrook trial new emission-slashing rail technology

Groundbreaking emission-reducing technology is to be fitted to South Western Railway (SWR) train units as part of a new trial aiming to cut down harmful emissions from diesel trains by 80%. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

 

 

AquaPea leak system finding success in insurance sector

Innovations company Qinov8 has partnered with Auger, a tech specialist for the insurance industry, on the AquaPea leak repair system for water supply pipes. Read more…

Peabody plans 1,000 homes at former Holloway Prison site

Peabody has today successfully acquired the former Holloway Women’s Prison site in London for around £80. Read more…

New May timetable announced as rail bosses insist ‘lessons learned’ following last year’s chaos

The rail industry has confirmed the new summer 2019 timetable, with 1,000 extra services added to relieve overcrowding as rail bosses say they “learned the lessons” of last year’s chaos.

Read more…

SWR and Porterbrook trial new emission-slashing rail technology

Groundbreaking emission-reducing technology is to be fitted to South Western Railway (SWR) train units as part of a new trial aiming to cut down harmful emissions from diesel trains by 80%. Read more…

Annual house price growth climbs to 2.8%

The latest data and analysis from Halifax has revealed that house prices in the three months to February were 2.8% higher than in the same three months a year earlier – a rising from 0.8% recorded in January. Read more…

 

 

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The latest news this week in the Property Industry:

CBRE & RICS announce the launch of new progressive diversity book

Global real estate advisor CBRE together with the RICS are pleased to celebrate the International Women’s day announcing the launch of a new book: Managing Diversity and Inclusion in the Real Estate Sector. The launch will take place at MIPIM 2019 in Cannes. Read more…

Final consent for £1bn Ford Dagenham housing scheme

Plans to build one of only three schemes in London with over 3,000 planned homes have cleared the final planning hurdle. Read more…

Peabody secures former Holloway prison site to build 1,000 homes

Peabody housing association has acquired the former Holloway Women’s Prison site in London for £82m, to build more than 600 social rented and affordable homes. Read more…

 

More encouragement needed for women in the property sector

As it’s International Women’s Day today (8 March 2019), Katy Jordan, Storey Homes’ Managing Director, explains what it’s like, as a woman, to have a career in the housebuilding industry. Read more…

Over a third of landlords set to slash spending

New research by specialist mortgage lender, Kent Reliance, finds that rising running costs and higher taxes are pushing around 36% of UK landlords into cutting their expenditure. Read more…

 

 

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

 

 

AquaPea leak system finding success in insurance sector

Innovations company Qinov8 has partnered with Auger, a tech specialist for the insurance industry, on the AquaPea leak repair system for water supply pipes. Read more…

Innovative household leakage technology set to appeal to home insurers

A ‘smart leak defence’ system which protects against water leaks in UK homes and properties is set to launch, with the promise of appealing to home insurers. Read more…

Plastic-Free Paper Cup Inventor Among Female Pioneers Awarded Funding

Pioneering female inventors have been recognised today (8 March) for innovations including a process to make disposable coffee cups waterproof without the need to use plastic. Read more…

Severn Trent begins £6M refurb of 100-year-old boreholes

Severn Trent has started work to refurbish two century-old boreholes in Wolverhampton to ensure customers continue to receive a reliable supply of drinking water in the area. Read more…

Yorkshire Water publishes ethnic pay gap

Yorkshire Water has revealed that its mean ethnic pay gap is 3 per cent and, after becoming one of the first companies in the county to publish, has encouraged others to follow suit. Read more…

 

 

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The latest news this week in the Construction Industry:

 

Henry Construction bags Croydon tower deals

Henry Construction has landed tower deals worth nearly £55m from the Brick by Brick housing development company set up by Croydon Council. Read more…

£900m Bishopsgate Goodsyard scheme downsized

Hammerson and its development partner Ballymore have dramatically downsized proposals for the £900m Bishopsgate Goodsyard scheme in London. Read more…

O’Keefe forecasts 12% revenue fall due to Brexit

South East groundworks and concrete contractor O’Keefe Construction is predicting that Brexit project delays will hit revenues by around 12% this year. Read more…

UK construction activity drops to 11-month low

UK construction activity fell during February, ending a ten-month period of sustained expansion, as a drop in commercial building and civil engineering activity was heavily to blame. Read more…

Laing O’Rourke to deliver Oxford University Biochemistry Building

Laing O’Rourke has signed a contract with the University of Oxford to complete the construction of their Biochemistry Building, due for completion in December 2020. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Rail Industry:

 

 

Predicting system failures before they occur

One of Network Rail’s key objectives is to improve service – and safety – for users and stakeholders. But it knows only too well that to achieve this, it must reduce the occurrence of system failures. Read more…

Bombardier plans digital takeoff with Heathrow Express fleet

Last month, it was reported that Porterbrook and Bombardier had signed a contract to upgrade a fleet of 12 Class 387 Electrostar units for the prestigious Heathrow Express service. The scope involves fitting the European Train Control System (ETCS) and a number of other passenger-focused upgrades. Read more…

Good Growth: Barking Riverside

Despite recent economic shocks, London’s population continues to grow. By 2041, the city’s population is expected to grow to over 10 million. Read more…

Lord Berkeley: TransPennine freight is being sidelined

Freight has suffered from the lack of capacity across the Pennines, especially for container trains needing W10 or W12 gauge. Read more…

Smart on Rail with Transport for the North

The launch of ‘Smart on Rail’ across the whole of the region marks a major milestone for Transport for the North (TfN). Read more…

 

 

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 The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

 

 

Llangollen railway: Funding bid to finish steam project

After 45 years of building a railway line between two Denbighshire towns, volunteers say they need £10,000 to finish the last stretch. Read more…

O’Rourke seals £70m Oxford Uni biochem project

Laing O’Rourke has finally signed a contract with the University of Oxford for phase two expansion of its acclaimed biochemistry building. Read more…

Thames Water turns up pressure on water thieves

Thames Water is ramping up the pressure on those who illegally tap into supplies and steal water after four separate offenders were heavily fined in court. Read more…

NatWest lifts DSS restrictions on BTL landlords following campaign

NatWest is lifting restrictions on buy-to-let landlords to allow them to let to tenants in receipt of housing benefit. Read more…

UK Collaboration Awarded £0.8m For Tech To Tackle Black Plastic

A unique project born from a collaboration between recycling compliance scheme Ecosurety, plastic innovations specialist Impact Solutions, recycling specialists Impact Recycling and plastics injection moulder company McLaren Plastics has been awarded £0.8 million by the Government’s Innovate UK grant scheme. Read more…

 

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