Month: May 2019

The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

Welsh Water to restore reservoir to natural state

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has begun a project to return a decommissioned reservoir to its natural state, in a move that will create walking opportunities and enhance the environment. Read more…

Reading between the lines

Today we might take the ability to read and write for granted – but not so long ago that wasn’t a given. In an industry like rail, so dependent on the written word, via rules, regulations and more, difficulties with reading, in particular, might have had real safety implications. Read more…

Plan for UK’s biggest plastics recycling plant

Waste specialist Viridor has unveiled plans to build what will be the UK’s biggest plastics recycling plant at Avonmouth. Read more…

Property transactions up in April – despite fall in demand

In April, the number of property sales agreed per estate agency branch increased to the highest level seen since October, according to the latest data from the NAEA. Read more…

Staffordshire Uni £40m skills hub approved

Staffordshire University has got the planning green light for its £40m Catalyst building. Read more…


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The latest news this week in the Property Industry:

Galliford Try rejects £950m Bovis bid for housing business

Galliford Try has rejected a £950m bid by Bovis Homes to buy its Linden Homes and Partnerships & Regeneration businesses. Read more…

Telford’s profits fall as it shifts focus to build to rent

The housebuilder reports that its profit fell during its financial year, as it turns its attention to build to rent properties in a challenging market. Read more…

Arbroath affordable housing development officially opens

The £8.1m affordable development of 71 urgently needed affordable homes in Arbroath is to be opened by local MSP Graeme Dey. Read more…

April new home starts up 21% as London soars

New homes registrations jumped by a just over a fifth in April compared to the same time last year. Read more…

House prices set to rise in south east London in wake of major regeneration

A new report from JLL has highlighted that property prices in south east London are set to rise are set to rise faster than much of Greater London thanks to significant regeneration throughout the area. Read more…

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

Record streak continues: Britain closes in on 12 days straight without coal

At more than 280 hours and counting, could the UK see its first entire fortnight without coal power by the end of the week? Read more…

SDS acquires Waterscan’s water recycling business

Water infrastructure systems supplier SDS has announced its acquisition of the water recycling division of Waterscan Ltd and affirmed its strategic vision to advance the development of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) for water reuse. Read more…

New 2,300-property development near Edinburgh gets connected

Scottish Water Horizons has completed work to connect the third phase of a new 2,300 property village near Edinburgh to Scottish Water’s network. Read more…

IEMA sets out sustainability assurances needed from government

Leading bodies from business, environment and professional institutions (including CIWM) have set out key assurances “needed” from Government to put sustainability at the heart of the UK’s economic model. Read more…

EV charge points outstrip petrol stations for first time ever

There are now more EV charging locations than petrol stations in the UK, according to the latest industry data. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Construction Industry:

Urban Land Institute launches Urban Technology Framework

The Urban Land Institute, creators of sustainable communities, has launched an Urban Technology Framework to help cities advance into the next generation. Read more…

New consulting outfit lands first major contracts

A new consultancy business has picked up a string of wins with major contractors just months after setting-up. Read more…

TfL secures 12 major developments on Crossrail infrastructure sites

Transport for London (TfL) has secured a deal with Aviva Investors to build a mixed-use scheme, above Crossrail infrastructure and opposite the new Liverpool Street Elizabeth line station. Read more…

Plans in for £125m Birmingham build to rent scheme

Developer Taylor Grange has submitted plans to clear an old factory site in Birmingham’s Digbeth area for a 500-home build to rent scheme. Read more…

Major contractors warned again over late payment work ban

Cabinet minister Oliver Dowden has fired another warning at major contractors over late payment. Read more…

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This weeks latest news in the Rail Industry:

Network Rail unveils new regional managing directors

Network Rail has announced five new regional managing directors as part of its “evolution” towards a more passenger-focused approach. Read more…

Evolution not revolution

Metal wheels on metal rails have, for almost 200 years, provided energy-efficient transport due to their low rolling resistance and effective load bearing. Read more…

Late May bank holiday works complete – Network Rail

Our huge team worked round the clock this late May bank holiday weekend to carry out vital upgrades for passengers. Read more…

Technical Seminars at Railtex – Keynote Speeches Revised

The Technical Seminar programme, arranged and hosted by Rail Engineer, gives Railtex exhibitors the opportunity to talk about their latest developments to an enquiring and knowledgeable audience. Read more…

How rail timetabling works

A new rail timetable went live on May 19, introducing 1,000 new services every day. Read more…

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Our Water and Infrastructure Director, Rob Kelly, visited the University of Southampton at the beginning of the month to deliver a workshop for the students.

The aim was to help students by giving advice on the essentials needed to land a job after they graduate. Covering CVs and Interview tips, Rob went into detail about:

  • CV format
  • CV content
  • Tailoring techniques
  • Personal profiles
  • Interview preparation
  • Organisation research
  • Killer questions
  • Interview approach
  • STAR technique.

The STAR technique is designed to guide you through competency-based interview questions, often questions starting with ‘Tell me about a time you did X’.

S – Situation T – Task A – Approach R – Result

Competency questions are generally used to find out how candidates would react to certain situations, by asking for real-world examples to back-up their claims.

Don’t let their open-ended nature fool you. There is a formula you can apply to keep your answers on track, which is where STAR comes in. Click here to read the full details and examples with how this technique can help you.

If you are looking for some help with writing your CV or would like tips about what you can do to prepare for an upcoming interview, our Advance Advice page is where you need to go next! We have lots of articles here to help and these have come from top, experienced recruiters who know recruitment processes like the back of their hand.

Click here to read more interview tips.

Click here to view our CV tips and Click here to download our FREE CV template

The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

SDS acquires Waterscan’s water recycling business

Water infrastructure systems supplier SDS has announced its acquisition of the water recycling division of Waterscan Ltd and affirmed its strategic vision to advance the development of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) for water reuse. Read more…

First UK housebuilder to debut waste plastic road

Springfield Properties has become the UK’s first housebuilder to use waste plastic to build a road on a housing development. Read more…

Bid race starts for £240m housing upgrade framework

Bids are being invited for places on a £240m framework run by the procurement arm of regional social housing consortium Efficiency North. Read more…

Network Rail unveils new regional managing directors

Network Rail has announced five new regional managing directors as part of its “evolution” towards a more passenger-focused approach. Read more…

Winvic nets 935,000 sq ft M5 business park

Developer St Modwen has struck a deal with industrial shed specialist Winvic to start work on the first phase of its 935,000 sq ft industrial and logistics development in Gloucester. Read more…


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The latest news this week in the Property Industry:

Contract race underway for £500m Tottenham Hale scheme

Plans have been unveiled for a £500m development in Tottenham Hale containing seven residential blocks. Read more…

£1bn regeneration scheme in Merton gains traction

Plans for a £1bn regeneration scheme in the London Borough of Merton have progressed with the submission of two further detailed planning applications. Read more…

Housing association buys house builder to boost construction

Hampshire based housing association Vivid has bought local house builder Bargate Homes. Read more…

Farrans to build tallest offices in Northern Ireland, City Quays 3

Farrans has secured a £50m contract to build the new City Quays 3 project on behalf of Belfast Harbour – the largest development project undertaken by the client to date. Read more…

Average prices in the UK increased by 1.4% in the year to March 2019, official data shows

Average house prices in the UK increased by 1.4% in the year to March 2019, up from 1% in February 2019, the latest official figures shows. Read more…


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

Southern Water targets invasive species with extra training

Southern Water is working to train up its staff and contractors to help recognise invasive non-native species (INNS). Read more…

Gove takes action to ban plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has today (22 May) confirmed a ban on plastic straws, drinks stirrers, and plastic stemmed cotton buds in England, following overwhelming public support for the move. Read more…

Severn Trent and Nottinghamshire council team up on flooding

Severn Trent has worked in partnership with Nottinghamshire County Council to provide additional flood protection to over 40 homes as part of its £60 million project to improve the water and waste network in Newark. Read more…

Unilever pioneers detectable pigment for black plastic

Unilever has pioneered the use of a new detectable black pigment for its High Density Polyethelyne (HDPE) bottles for its leading brands, TRESemmé and Lynx, so they can be detected by recycling plant scanners and sorted for recycling. Read more…

Deephams wins ICE ‘Greatest Contribution to London’ award

Thames Water’s £250 million Deephams sewage works upgrade won the ‘Greatest Contribution to London’ trophy at the ICE London Civil Engineering Awards. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Construction Industry:

Newcastle firm targets £50bn London rooftop homes sector

Newcastle developer, The High Street Group of Companies, has bought London rooftop homes specialist First Penthouse. Read more…

London office construction hits three-year high

The construction of new offices in London is at its highest level in three years, according to Deloitte Real Estate’s latest London Office Crane Survey. Read more…

BAM Nuttall profit hits 10-year high

Operating margins at BAM Nuttall recovered to 3% last year after the UK civil engineering contractor delivered strong growth. Read more…

Interserve wins £8m specialist education construction contract

Interserve Group Limited has been selected by the Department for Education to design and build Prospect House to deliver specialist education for children in Blackley, Manchester. Read more…

VolkerFitzpatrick wins £27m rail station upgrade

VolkerFitzpatrick will upgrade East Anglian railway stations at Waterbeach and Littleport as part of a significant enhancement scheme to tackle congestion between Cambridge and King’s Lynn. Read more…

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This weeks latest news in the Rail Industry:

RailStaff Awards: A conduit for change

When Lee Woolcott-Ellis was recognised at the 2018 RailStaff Awards, it launched a roller coaster ride that he’s yet to get off.  Read more…

Young Rail Professionals: A call to action

Before joining the rail group, I had the privilege of moving between different sectors – most recently higher education. Read more…

Railway Children to reconquer Kilimanjaro

Think back to 2009 and you might remember watching a group of celebrities take on the challenge of reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day.  Read more…

Military is good for rail

Stewart Thorpe finds out why so many service leavers turn to and succeed in the industry. Read more…

The value of community rail

A new report from the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) has evaluated the benefits of the community rail movement to individuals, local areas and society. Read more…


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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

5G: An opportunity to revolutionise on-train connectivity

FirstGroup and its partners are excited to be close to delivering a viable 5G millimetre Wave (mmWave) solution to the global rail market; one that can offer connectivity which until now, seemed unattainable. Read more…

Environment Minister launches major Hull flood alleviation scheme

Construction of one of the biggest flood defence schemes in the country was officially launched by the Environment Minister in Hull yesterday (Thursday 16 May). Read more…

Affordable and build to rent homes lift Countryside

Housebuilder Countryside lifted completions by 43% to 2,362 homes in the first half of the year, after strong growth in affordable and build to rent homes. Read more…

Making the railways safer and more reliable with Ze-Power

Professor Meiling Zhu, chair of mechanical engineering and head of the Energy Harvesting Research Group (EHRG) at the University of Exeter, introduces us to Ze-Power (Zero Power, Large Area Rail Track Monitoring): an innovative Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project aiming to make the railway tracks safer and more reliable. Read more…

Waitrose & Partners reveals winners of £1million fund to fight plastic pollution

Waitrose & Partners has revealed the projects it will be supporting with its unique £1 million grant fund designed to tackle plastic pollution. Read more…

1,000 new homes for Cardiff by 2020

The authority’s Capital Ambition targets at least 1,000 new council homes to be completed by May 2022. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

Meet the UK’s first Climate Change Teacher

Bec Wakefield becomes the first UK teacher to become accredited under the UN’s Climate Change Teacher pilot programme. Read more…

Downing starts £250m London student tower

Liverpool-based developer Downing has started work on its largest London project to date. Read more…

Thames saving 20 million litres a day after 250,000 home visits

Thames Water has now helped 250,000 homes save 20 million litres of water every day as part of its award-winning smarter home visit project. Read more…

Network Rail announces £136m contract winner to manage its road vehicle fleet

Network Rail has awarded a £136m contract to Hitachi Capital to manage its road vehicle fleet for the next four years. Read more…

Plan for 1,300-home led scheme near Harrow

Housing association Network Homes has bought land next to Northwick Park Hospital in Brent to kick-start a major regeneration project, bringing new homes and commercial space to the area. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Property Industry:

Bank Holiday house hunters shake off Brexit gloom

Recent figures have shown that UK house hunters are growing weary of the ‘wait and see’ approach and are returning to the market. Read more…

Downing starts £250m London student tower

Liverpool-based developer Downing has started work on its largest London project to date. Read more…

Location remains vital for landlords

Location, location, location has long been a major factor in the decision-making process of property buyers everywhere, and this is certainly no different when it comes to landlords. Read more…

L&G targets last-time buyers with 3,000 homes plan

Legal & General is making a move on the retirement homes sector setting up a specialist developer and operator called Guild Living to build urban later living communities. Read more…

Surge in number of older buy to let investors during 2018

Newly released data from specialist buy to let broker, Commercial Trust Limited, has revealed that the idea of slowing down for a large number of the UK’s senior population is not an option. Read more…

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

Northumbrian Water in roadside mapping project

Northumbrian Water vans are about to get smarter as a result of a new project with Ordnance Survey and intel company Mobileye. Read more…

Scotland’s 20p DRS Will Include Aluminium And Glass

Scotland’s new Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will include aluminium and steel cans as well as drinks containers made of glass and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic with a 20p deposit as part of plans to combat climate change. Read more…

Exciting time for water sensors, says Ofwat director

It is an exciting time for the roll-out of sensors in the water industry, Ofwat associate director Alison Fergusson has said, in advance of her appearance at the Sensing in Water conference. Read more…

New Project To Explore Fate Of Electricals And E-Waste

A new study has been announced that will look the fate and destination of electricals and electronics to support strategies on WEEE collection and reporting. Read more…

Pesticide amnesty helps environment for South East Water

An anonymous pesticide amnesty sponsored by South East Water has enabled the safe removal of over a tonne of unused and out-of-date pesticides from farms in Kent. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Construction Industry:

Galliford Try tops April contracts league

Galliford Try booked the highest value of industry orders in April despite putting its whole construction arm under review following big losses on the Queensferry Crossing and Aberdeen Bypass. Read more…

Construction industry suppliers ‘prepared for Brexit’

Construction industry suppliers say they expect a slight dip in the market following Brexit, but reveal they are prepared thanks to contingency plans, according to a survey by MRA Research. Read more…

Most expensive cities for construction in 2019 revealed

New York, San Francisco and Hong Kong are the world’s most expensive cities to build in, according to the latest International Construction Cost Comparison published by Arcadis. Read more…

Hunt starts for Commonwealth Games stadium contractor

Birmingham City Council has started the hunt for a contractor to deliver the 2022 Commonwealth Games stadium. Read more…

Digitalisation in construction: The path ahead

If the construction industry wants to unlock its full potential through digital transformation, the next five years are essential, says Steve Radley, strategy and policy director of the Construction Industry Training Board. Read more…

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This weeks latest news in the Rail Industry:

Passengers set to benefit following early May bank holiday upgrades

A workforce of thousands across the country delivered renewed infrastructure and improved facilities – leading to better services for passengers. Read more…

Bond Street a year behind other Crossrail stations due to tunnelling problems

Crossrail’s Bond Street station is a year behind schedule compared to the rest of the project’s stations because of extensive tunnelling delays, Mark Wild has revealed. Read more…

Ex-HS2 manager reveals route design complexities

A former High Speed 2 (HS2) area manager has pinpointed two major challenges facing route designers working on the southern half of the project.  Read more…

Five things you didn’t know about our fleet – Network Rail

Our fleet of vehicles and machinery works hard all year round.

It plays a crucial role in keeping the railway safe for passengers and freight operators, such as each autumn, when 61 specialist trains and vehicles minimise the impact of leaf fall and help reduce the chances of delays. Read more…

First new driverless Subway trains arrive in Glasgow for testing

The first of Glasgow’s new subway fleet has arrived in Scotland and begun an intensive testing programme in preparation for their launch as the first driverless trains in the UK. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

Barclays announce further cuts to HTB rates

Barclays has announced that from tomorrow, new rate reductions on Help to Buy mortgage products will come into effect. Read more…

£14m Peak District rail freight extension unveiled

A £14m rail freight extension in the Peak District has been unveiled by Network Rail to boost construction productivity and take lorries off the road. Read more…

Which UK city has been crowned the best for families?

Now in its third year, the annual Family Living Index from MoneySuperMarket reveals this year’s best and worst locations in the UK to raise a family. Read more…

Driverless dump trucks used for first time on A14 site

Earthmoving contractor CA Blackwell has put self-driving trucks to work for the first time on Britain’s biggest road upgrade. Read more…

EA, OS and SEPA develop ‘MasterMap’ of Britain’s watercourses

Ordnance Survey (OS), the Environment Agency (EA) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have collaborated to bring together a nationally consistent view of Great Britain’s watercourses. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Property Industry:

Housebuilding props up UK construction sector in April

UK construction output marginally expanded in April driven by the quickest rise in housebuilding so far in 2019, according to the latest construction PMI. Read more…

New buildings must be net zero carbon by 2030

The industry has a little more than 10 years to take all new buildings over to net zero carbon if the Government is to hit its 2050 target on emissions. Read more…

Boom in build to rent lifts 2019 housing starts

Fast growth in multi-storey private rental housing has lifted new home registrations in the first three months of the year. Read more…

£9.4m construction project to deliver new homes in Bexley

Wates Residential has extended its partnership with Orbit after being appointed to help deliver a £9.4m project for new homes in the London Borough of Bexley. Read more…

£40m moveable modular homes deal to help homeless

Extraspace Solutions has won a £40m contract to provide modular homes for homeless Londoners. Read more…

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

Planning green light given for Ringsend upgrade

Planning permission has been granted for the upgrade of Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant near Dublin, Ireland’s largest wastewater treatment project. Read more…

Cash-for-trash initiative looks to save Britain’s waterways

Environmental consultancy APEM has launched a ‘cash-for-trash’ initiative to help tackle the problem of plastic pollution in Britain’s waterways. Read more…

Draft Environment Bill “Does Not Match EU Protections”

The Government’s draft Environment Bill does not match the current environmental protections provided by membership of the EU, according to the findings of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee. Read more…

Renationalisation may cost just £14.5 billion, Moody’s says

The cost of renationalising the water industry could be significantly lower than previous estimates, according to new research carried out by the rating agency Moody’s. Read more…

Yorkshire Water to install record number of acoustic loggers

Yorkshire Water has announced that it will invest £10 million to install a world-record number of acoustic loggers in its underground pipe network to detect leakage. Read more…

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