News

The University of Leeds is on the hunt for main contractors to deliver two major upgrade jobs worth up to £25m. The biggest job coming up for grabs is the £16m refurbishment of the University’s grade II listed Edward Boyle Library. The original library building was completed in 1975, and was extended in the mid-1990?s. Works comprise full refurbishment of the study areas, replacement of M&E plant and roof coverings. Secondary glazing and some alterations to windows and glazing will be needed. Planning approval and listed building consent will be applied for in November, with tenders due to be issued to shortlisted contractors in mid-February 2015. Work on the 18-month programme is due to start at the end of June 2016. The University is also looking …

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Two Essex businessmen who evaded £2.5m in Corporation Tax and VAT in a fraud linked to the supply of labour to the rail construction industry have been jailed for 10 years. For seven years Michael Woodward, from Grays, Essex, failed to pay business taxes for the companies he ran. He lied about his company profits and created false invoices from bogus consultancy firms, controlled by his best friend and co-defendant Richard Ponsford from Ongar, Essex. Paul Barton, Assistant Director, Criminal Investigation, HMRC, said: “Woodward and Ponsford thought they had created the perfect crime, stealing millions from law-abiding taxpayers. “They thought their criminal actions would go undetected but they were wrong. They have lost their freedom which has been traded instead for time behind bars. “We …

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Taylor Wimpey has submitted a planning application for the first stage of a development that will see 500 new homes built on Moreton Hall, in Bury St Edmunds. The developer is seeking consent for the first of five build phases – for 100 homes north of Mount Road – with no more than 50 to be occupied before the completion of the Eastern Relief Road (ERR). It wants to build the houses to ‘stimulate funding for the construction’ of the ERR, but concerns remain about not having suitable infrastructure in place before the homes are occupied. Borough councillor Terry Buckle said: “I actually think the road ought to be put in before the houses and, if they build the houses, no-one should go in before the road is built….

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A crawler crane rigged with around 120 metres of boom and a back mast went over on a wind farm south of Lucknow, Ontario in Canada, on Wednesday. The crane fell while moving between turbines and thankfully there were no serious injuries. The crane’s crawlers sank into the soft ground Six people were working on the K2 Wind site at the time – which is located in a remote area to the west of Toronto – including the crane operator, and a number of ‘spotters’. The crane was moving over the wet and uneven ground when the tracks appear to have sunk at the back causing the crane to overturn backwards. The Ontario Ministry of Labour was notified, and is expected to launch an investigation. The crane …

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Measured surveys Nationwide and into Europe! Mobile CAD Surveying Solutions Ltd  can accommodate either a simple single property floor plan for a domestic or private customer to a complete schedule of buildings including whatever type of data collection the customer requires for a commercial customer. If you are an Architects or Surveyor and you require fast turn around building surveys, please give us a try! we currently work for dozens of architects and designers around the UK, where they haven’t the capacity or staff to handle their own surveys or where they just require someone to make sure the job is done right and first time. Currently we are working on many Commercial surveys around the country, with a number of domestic and Dimensional Property Surveys around …

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Wandsworth Council has granted planning for phase three of the Battersea Power Station redevelopment. The approval covers the south west corner of the site to create a new pedestrian high street running from Battersea Park Road to the power station building. It will be the main gateway to site from the south and include entrances to the new Northern Line tube station below. The scheme also includes a new pedestrian subway underneath Battersea Park Road, linking Stewards Road with the new power station development and providing another route into tube station. Phase three will include 1,305 homes including 103 which will be available for Wandsworth residents on low and middle incomes to rent at a reduced rate. To the  west of the new high street will be a distinctive …

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The Chartered Institute of Building is inviting entries for its annual photography competition. The Art of Building competition has a cash prize of £3,000 for the winning entry which showcases the built environment with the best picture. You can submit entries between now and November 23 of photos inspired by the building industry. CIOB spokesman Saul Townsend said: “The breadth of photography we see is amazing. “From those who are revealing a little known building to those showcasing a familiar icon in a new light. “Last year Kirsten Quist and her photojournalistic style switched voters onto the serious issue of forced child labour in India. “It was a fantastic example of the power of photography and its ability to tell a story in any language.” Each year …

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The hunt is on to find a firm to refurbish the Grade II listed Old Admiralty Building in Westminster. The Department for Education is due to move into the building in the summer of 2017 and has signed up Mace as project manager for the 250,000 sq ft modernisation programme. Mace has just started the search for a fit-out contractor to handle the big refurbishment job, which is due to start in November 2015. The move is a direct result of the Cabinet Office’s programme to consolidate and modernise the government estate. It will involve providing space for 1,600 staff, who are currently working in leasehold accommodation. Mace, working with BDP as lead designer and Hoare Lea, will be working closely with the DfE to deliver the project. It will …

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Soaring pay rates are concentrated in London and the South East for pre-construction professionals like planning and design managers. Estimators are also seeing wages rocket while the era of £100,000-a-year project managers is approaching. One recruitment specialist at a major contractor said: “It’s getting crazy out there – we are having to pay director-style wages to get professional staff.” Another contractor added: “It’s basic supply and demand around London. “There just aren’t enough qualified people to cope with the construction recovery so we’re having to pay top dollar – but even then it’s no guarantee of filling roles. “Planners, design managers and estimators are really hard to find. “And the volume of work coming through means that project managers on big jobs…

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The 36-year-old victim was taken by ambulance to Hull Royal Infirmary for treatment after sustaining serious but not life threatening injuries during the attack on Tuesday afternoon. A 33-year-old man was arrested and charged by Humberside Police with grievous bodily harm with intent, assaulting a person thereby occasioning actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. The accused is due to appear at Hull and Holderness Magistrates Court on Friday morning. The victim remains in a stable condition in hospital.

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