Category

Developer Peel has unveiled plans for the next phase of its vast Liverpool Waters scheme, releasing a raft of new construction plots. New Central Docks plan includes buildings up to 44 storeys high The firm said the eight new plots in the Central Docks area were attracting interest from investors and developers, with several groups visiting Liverpool to see the opportunities on offer first hand. It has already signed up a developer for a residential scheme and expects more than £300m of construction work to be underway across the historic docklands site by the end of the year. The Central Docks neighbourhood forms part of the £5bn scheme to transform 150 acres in the biggest regeneration project in the history of Liverpool. Peel has already agreed terms…

Read more »

The Classic Barn Company Our Background Our family business specializes in crafted English oak framed buildings, our business has grown from a small acorn to a grand old oak tree by simply sticking to good business ethics. Our ethos is simple. To create beautifully detailed oak framed barns that become renowned for their superior quality. Support this with a service that is both transparent and efficient to ensure each client receives excellent overall value, enabling our good name to be passed on. This ethos has won us numerous awards, appearances on TV and various publications. Campaign “The Best of British, facing Brexit”. So Brexit is on its way and apparently we all have a challenge. No one knows what effects are on the horizon but one things …

Read more »

Bovis Homes has confirmed it is in ongoing talks with Galliford Try about a possible merger. Bovis said that it has received proposals from Galliford Try and Redrow about a potential merger. Both initial approaches have been rebuffed but Bovis is still talking to Galliford Try. Bovis said: “The decision to reject the proposals was communicated to the two parties. “Redrow subsequently indicated that it was not willing to improve the terms of its proposal and discussions were terminated. Discussions with Galliford Try are ongoing.” The company added: “In the meantime, the Board is making good progress with plans to recover and improve group profitability and enhance return on capital employed. “The search for a new Chief Executive is also progressing well. “The Board of Bovis…

Read more »

Thousands of young people are being placed on “dead-end” classroom based construction courses which fail to equip them for a career in the industry. The Unite union has discovered that the number of classroom based construction courses increased by 14% last year – totally dwarfing the number of apprentices beginning their training. Unite is describing the courses as ‘dead-end’ because trainees are only usually able to achieve a technical qualification because they don’t have access to on-site training. The only qualification recognised in construction is the NVQ and this can’t be achieved without substantial site experience. An NVQ or equivalent qualification is necessary to acquire a Construction Sector Certification Scheme (CSCS) card required to work on sites. In most cases people undertaking classroom training…

Read more »

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has given the nod to Chelsea Football Club’s plans for a £500m stadium on the site of their existing Stamford Bridge ground. Plans for the new stadium will see Chelsea’s match-day capacity increase from 41,600 to 60,000 and will include the construction of an elevated walkway over the nearby District Line, linking the stadium to Fulham Broadway station. Chelsea will now begin looking for a contractor, with Multiplex, Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine tipped to be interested. His decision today further builds on his support for London football, including his move to give the green light to a new stadium for AFC Wimbledon, which sees the ‘Dons’ set to return to their Plough Lane home nearly three decades after leaving it in 1991.  Chelsea’s…

Read more »

Strong growth in UK construction workloads helped to take Carillion through the £5bn turnover barrier last year. According to 2016 results published this morning total group revenue jumped 14% to £5.2bn in 2016, helped by the uplift in UK construction turnover from £1.2bn to £1.5bn. Support services continues to be the main profit driver, although revenue growth at the division was more modest, up 7% to £2.71bn. Underlying margins across the business came under pressure, falling from 5.3% to 4.9%, due to decreases for Public Private Partnership projects and Middle East construction services. UK construction margins slipped from 3% to 2.7% – still an industry beating level for a major contractor. The squeeze saw group pre-tax profits slide 5% to £147m. Carillion …

Read more »

Nine construction tradesmen from Widnes and Liverpool have been sentenced for trying to steal £300,000 in an organised tax fraud. James Roberts was central to the scam The men, who worked as subcontractors including painters, decorators, builders, and roofers, submitted false claims for tax repayments. James Roberts, of Widnes, was at the centre of the conspiracy, which was uncovered by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigators. He was found to have made multiple fraudulent amendments to his own tax returns and allowed his bank account to be used by other members of the gang. Roberts’ partner, Natasha Sinnott, 22, of Bootle, helped the fraudsters by allowing the stolen taxes to be laundered through her bank account. The fraud was uncovered by the Income Tax Self-Assessment Repayments Taskforce…

Read more »

The chairman of the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Select Committee, Neil Parish MP, has been on a fact-finding mission to a damage restoration depot in his own constituency. Mr Parish was shown Richfords Fire & Flood’s facility at Cullompton on 17th February 2017 where he saw the equipment used to dry out buildings after an escape of water or flooding. The EFRA chair was also shown a training mock-up of a stud-wall which had been rigged up for injection drying and remote monitoring. After his tour, the Tiverton & Honiton MP said: “I applaud the work of Richfords in allowing people back into their homes much more quickly and then, in the future, increase the resilience of that property. That’s great news because people …

Read more »

A planning application is set to be submitted for a new 48 storey tower on Old Hall Street in Liverpool which could become the city’s tallest building. Plans for the  Ovatus 2 tower have been put forward by a joint venture between Prospect Capital and Wilcocks & Wilcocks. It will sit next to the 27-storey Ovatus 1 tower which was submitted for planning last December with a target construction start date of April 2017 for the £37m contract. The adjacent plot of Ovatus 2 currently houses a Shop Direct data centre. Developers will have to wait until 2018 for the building to become vacant before any building work starts. Ovatus 2 has been designed by Hodder+Partners and comprises a total of 530 apartments reaching eight storeys higher than West Tower – the city’s current…

Read more »

The director of a joinery specialist is launching a probe into payment abuse in the industry. Chris Bennett said he has suffered at the hands of late payment by main contractors. And now he is taking an MSc in Construction Management at Liverpool John Moore’s University with payment abuse as one of his specialist subjects. More than 100 firms have already taken part in the survey which is anonymous but will be used to inform future debate on how subcontractors are treated. The initiative is being promoted by pressure group Streetwise Subbi. Director Barry Ashmore said: Most, if not all, specialist contractors will experience payment problems of one form or another at some time in their lives. “As a director of a joinery business, Chris Bennett, experienced first…

Read more »