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Irish petrol forecourt firm Applegreen is planning major motorway service stations on the M42 near Birmingham and M3 near Basingstoke. Subject to planning, the largest scheme will be built at junction 4 of the M42 near Shirley and will boast a rolling ‘green roof’ on the main amenity building. The location of the 21.5-acre site means Applegreen plans to deliver a very compact scheme that does not require building significant new access road infrastructure in the Green Belt. Under the plans, drawn up by architect Axis, the main parking area will cater for over 600 cars and 70 HGVs with separate fuel and parking for trucks and coaches. A new pedestrian bridge over the M42 will also be required. Applegreen is expanding its operations after a successful IPO in June…

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Laing O’Rourke is calling for the introduction of construction GCSEs and A-levels in a bid to solve the industry’s skills crisis. The suggestion is part of a ten-point plan put forward by the contractor in a report launched today. O’Rourke wants to see the introduction of GCSEs and A-levels in Design, Engineer and Construct (DEC). Schoolchildren can currently learn DEC as part of the curriculum but the existing qualifications are not recognised by many universities. And only 42 schools out of a possible 3,401 state-funded secondary schools in England offer the DEC curriculum. O’Rourke said: “The government has the opportunity to work with the industry to create GCSEs and A-levels in DEC and incentivise schools and colleges to offer them to pupils and students…

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The number of females in professional construction roles is less than many analysts predicted, according to a survey carried out by specialist construction recruitment firm, One Way. In a survey of professionals from across the industry, the firm found that 65% of respondents work in a company where less than 5% of the workforce is made up of women in an actual construction role. When asked about the challenges for women in construction, over half (58%) stated that businesses themselves are to blame due to a range of issues such as stereotyping in the recruitment process and a lack of commitment from employers. Just over a third (35%) felt that it simply isn’t a popular career choice for women. The survey – carried out as …

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Union leaders are calling for housing sites to be closed down when temperatures plummet below freezing. Chiefs at UCATT have written to the major house builders demanding the introduction of extreme weather health and safety guidelines for construction workers. The National House Building Council publishes minimum temperature guidance to protect materials on site. Now UCATT wants to see similar recommendations to protect workers. It said: “The NHBC makes it clear mortar should not be used below 2 degrees C, whilst construction workers should put their gloves on, get out there and suffer.” The union also hit out at an “institutionalised” macho culture which prevents workers from complaining about the cold. UCATT Acting General Secretary, Brian Rye, said: “It’s a complete indictment of an industry that has temperature…

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Tax rebate specialists Brian Alfred are offering new and existing customers the opportunity to get an early tax rebate months before the usual tax refund date of April 2017. This is a unique and exciting opportunity for those in the construction industry who fancy some extra cash for Christmas or even to beat the January blues. Construction workers who make use of the early tax rebate offer will receive up to 60% of their tax rebate amount for the year 2016-2017 early, with the remainder being paid at the usual time next April. There are no hidden fees, loan agreements or credit checks needed, Brian Alfred will simply advance part of the full year rebate early. For the average UK CIS worker, this could mean they can claim an …

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Considerate Constructors Scheme crowns Most Considerate Companies and Most Considerate Supplier at 2016 National Awards London, United Kingdom, 15 November 2016: The Considerate Constructors Scheme – the national scheme established by the construction industry to improve its image – has recognised the Most Considerate Companies and Suppliers at this year’s National Awards. Four companies were presented with the coveted top award of ‘Most Considerate Company 2016’, they are: Connect Plus Services (annual turnover: £10m and over); Rydon Maintenance – Islington (annual turnover: £3.5m to <£10m); Linfoot Country Homes Ltd (annual turnover: £250k to <£3.5m) and Solent Industrial Roofing Systems (annual turnover: Under £250k). HSS Hire Service Group Ltd triumphed as the ‘Most Considerate Supplier 2016’, making them the first registered supplier to …

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Skills chiefs are pumping more cash into non-trades training including money for sales and marketing staff at house builders. The Construction Industry Training Board and Homes for Scotland have launched the £250,000 scheme to train non-trade employees. The training money will go to “all areas involved in the production of new homes such as surveying, management and sales and marketing.” The Homes for Scotland Professional Skills Fund will run from November 2016 to December 2017. Michael Lennox, Strategic Partnerships Manager at CITB Scotland, said: “Scottish housebuilders told us that more needs to be done to address the range of skills challenges in the sector. “Working with HFS, this investment is a step towards addressing that important issue and will boost technical and professional skills to ensure…

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Work has started on construction of Europe’s tallest block of flats using purely modular construction at a site in south London. The 26-storey tower is London housing developer Pocket’s most ambitious scheme to date in the capital. Use of modular construction on the Mapleton Crescent site in Wandsworth will shave around six months off the tower’s total build time and see the project completed in summer 2018. Modular units are being constructed at the Vision Modular Factory in Bedford where all internal finishes, M&E installations, windows, external insulation and some external finishes are applied. Pocket specialises in designing compact starter homes for singles and couples with an average household income of around £37,000. The £40m scheme will provide 53 affordable flats to be sold outright at a discount of at least…

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Ministers are planning new measures to encourage banks to lend to offsite housing specialists to help tackle the housing crisis. They hope the prefabricated housing push will speed up delivery and lead to major savings through economies of scale. A white paper is due out next month designed to galvanise the sector, according to a report in the Sunday Telegraph. More than 100,000 pre-packed modular homes could be created as the government looks at ways to meet its one million homes target by 2020. Housing and planning minister Gavin Barwell said: “Offsite construction could provide a huge opportunity to increase housing supply and we want to see more innovation like this emulated across the housebuilding sector. “The £3 billion Home Building Fund will help build more than 225,000 new homes and provide…

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Winners of Considerate Constructors Scheme 2016 National Awards to be revealed Top performing registered companies and suppliers get ready to celebrate success at Considerate Constructors Scheme National Awards London, United Kingdom, 1 November 2016: The Considerate Constructors Scheme – the national scheme established by the construction industry to improve its image – is getting ready to reveal the UK’s most considerate companies and suppliers of 2016. The Scheme, which has registered around 900 companies and suppliers in the past 12 months, will be hosting the 2016 National Awards on 10th and 11th November, at the luxurious Four Seasons hotel on Park Lane. Supplier Registration was introduced in 2014 and this year’s awards mark the first year that suppliers will be eligible to win a National Award. Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of …

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