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Costain is seeking planning permission to develop a major solar farm on disused land north of Heathrow. The proposed scheme on land owned by Costain since the early 1960s could generate 5.5MW of energy, enough to power around 1,650 homes. The 37-acre site, near Sipson Road and Holloway Lane in the London Borough of Hillingdon, was originally used for gravel extraction. Later it was used by the local council for landfill and sealed and reinstated in 1972 before being returned to Costain. Due to its poor state, the land has since been unused and undeveloped. Costain said a solar farm could be a viable proposition, in the light of new planning guidance encouraging energy from renewable sources. Ian Shervell of Costain’s Investments Team, said: “A number of projects have …

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Durham County Council says it will recommend for approval a plan that promises 31,400 new homes; 9500 sq m of new retail floorspace and land for warehousing and offices. Planning The County Durham-wide plans, which include proposals for each of the county’s 12 main towns and for rural areas, are expected to be agreed next month and set the agenda leading up to 2030. If approved, the strategy would be referred to the Government for approval and could be adopted by 2015. Cllr Neil Foster, Cabinet member for economic development, said: “We welcome the positive feedback and appreciate the time everyone has taken to give us their comments. This is a hugely important document and we look forward to it getting the formal go-ahead and are ready to make sure it …

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Canary Wharf Group has received planning to build its first major residential tower on the east London Docklands site. The 58-storey Diamond Tower takes its name from the repeat pattern of the shell supporting steelwork, which will  soar 218m into the sky. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has granted planning permission for the tower and it will be referred to the Mayor of London who is expected to rubber stamp final approval. The development marks a new stage in the evolution of Canary Wharf, which first opened in the early 1990s. It is the first of several major residential tower block schemes  to get the green light planned around Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs. The tower will include 566 apartments, as well as shops and a health …

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Building of a planned 170m viewing tower in Brighton will start in the summer after councillors agreed to take out a government loan for the scheme – and pass it onto developers. The ambitious plan to draw in tourists with a new south coast attraction looked set to crash when a private backer withdrew a £15m funding offer last year. But now the council has agreed to provide extra top up lending of £21.4m on top of the £14.8m previously agreed to get the scheme off the ground. The elevating viewing platform project is to be built near the ruined West Pier and is expected to earn the council three times more than it needs to cover its loan repayments. The extra £21m …

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A construction worker was killed in a Crossrail tunnel last Friday morning by a piece of falling concrete. The 43-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering head injuries ten metres below ground in the tunnel at Fisher Street, Holborn. He was spraying concrete onto the floor of the tunnel when a piece fell from the ceiling. Main contractor on the western tunnels section is BAM, Ferrovial, Kier (BFK). Six fire rescue units, three fire engines and over 50 firefighters and officers were called to the scene. A Crossrail statement said: “Sadly, at approximately 5am this morning a contractor working at our site in Fisher Street, London was fatally injured. “Our first and foremost thoughts are with the family and friends affected by this. The …

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Building surveyor Sophie Lydia Smith has been crowned Miss Cheltenham and will now compete in this summer’s Miss England pageant. Lydia Smith works for Stroud District Council after completing a two-year course in construction and civil engineering. She told the Gloucestershire Echo: “I work in building conservation and construction so I don’t always look glamorous at work. “This was my chance to look glamorous.” Her mother Sonia added: “I think she can inspire many other young women and that you don’t have to be a man to work in her industry.”

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Disasters can strike when you least expect them. The recent UK floods show that even the best-prepared areas can face serious infrastructure damage when rising water levels, turbulent winds or serious earthquakes occur. Hindsight is a wonderful thing; it’s tough to prepare for a flood, earthquake or storm after it’s happened, so instead, the best way to fight against the effects of a natural disaster is to be prepared for it in advance. We spoke to neXpower to learn more about how you can prepare for power outages – a common occurrence during floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Have first aid and food ready When the power goes out, your oven, microwave, toaster, fridge and freezer will all stop working. Because of this, any perishable …

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It is a well-known truism that in the construction and manufacturing industries, compressed air is the fourth utility.  Costing each business which uses a compressed air system roughly a 10th of its overall bills cost, it is arguably imperative that businesses in construction and manufacturing examine their air compression systems to ensure they are as efficient as they can be.  Alongside this, government regulation states that companies should be doing more to reduce their carbon emissions, and by reducing waste, this will also help to reduce cost. Compressed Air Systems Basic compressed air systems are straightforward enough to understand. In essence, the system delivers a pressurised stream of air to its target at a regulated level. It does this by taking air in and …

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The latest PMI survey reveals jobs creation hits a 33-month record Manufacturers are creating new jobs at the fastest pace since May 2011, according to the latest CIPS/Markit purchasing managers’ index (PMI) survey. February’s reading of 56.9 for the index – where the 50 mark separates growth from contraction – was better than the 56.6 seen a month earlier. Levels of production and new business rose at an above-trend rate, which filtered through to the labour market, with jobs creation at a 33-month record. Despite the impact of flooding on large parts of the UK, the strengthening domestic market was the primary driver of the manufacturing recovery, with an 11th successive monthly rise in production volumes. New export business also posted a solid gain in February, although the …

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A Shrewsbury College student studying Brickwork has just competed in the SkillBuild National Final and has been selected as one of the top seven bricklayers in the country. Ryan Stevens who is completing his Apprenticeship NVQ Level 3 in Brickwork at Shrewsbury College is hoping to represent the UK with his skills, is pictured with some of his work. Ryan Stevens, 19, of Shawbirch, Telford, is just completing his NVQ Level 3 Apprenticeship at Shrewsbury College, having started in the 14-16 programme and completed his Levels 1 and 2. Although he didn’t win any prizes when he competed at the NEC SkillBuild National Final in November, judges were so impressed by Ryan’s expertise that he was chosen as a potential candidate to represent the UK at bricklaying after getting a high enough score …

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