News

Canary Wharf Contractors is introducing the latest technology to plot safe routes for lorries making site deliveries to its new Southbank Place development. Routes will try and avoid left turns in a bid to make London’s roads safer for cyclists. The move follows a raft of measures unveiled by Mayor of London Boris Johnson earlier this month to protect cyclists from HGVs. Canary Wharf Contractors Ltd (CWCL) is implementing technology from PIE Mapping to help construction HGV drivers take alternative routes, reduce pollution and congestion and protect cyclists. The company will create workable routes which minimise road sharing between HGVs and cyclists so that they avoid each other during peak periods. Testing and careful modelling of all left turns coming into London is currently underway and the …

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The Government’s competition watchdog has set out plans to ban cement companies from issuing generic price rise letters to the industry. The new measure, which is now out to industry consultation, is one of a series of actions aimed at raising competition in the aggregates, cement and ready-mix concrete markets following an in depth probe by the Competition Commission last year. Instead, any future price announcement letters will have to be specific and relevant to contractors receiving them, including setting out the last unit price paid, the new unit price, and specific details of any other fees and charges that apply to each firm. At the end of July. Lafarge Tarmac sold one of its cement plants and Hanson sold one of its ground granulated blast furnace …

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More than 60% of construction workers polled by constructaquote.com admitted that they didn’t have an employment contract and a further 20% said that they weren’t sure whether they did have a contract or not. The study, which polled more than 1000* UK adults who work in the construction industry, also questioned the respondents about their annual leave entitlement and sick leave. Four out of five (82%) revealed that they did not receive any sick pay from their employer and 86% don’t get any paid annual leave. When asked if they get paid if the weather stopped them from working, only 12% said that they did, with a further 4% stating that it would depend on the circumstances. When asked if they considered themselves to be …

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UCATT general secretary Steve Murphy has resigned after being on sick leave for six months. He leaves as the construction union has laid off up to 16 staff amid deepening financial turmoil and falling membership. Murphy’s decision to quit will now trigger a new leadership race, which is likely start before the end of the year. Brian Rye, UCATT’s national secretary, who has been covering Murphy’s duties over the last six months, said: “We wish Steve and his family all the best for the future.”

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Affordable housing and maintenance contractor Wates Living Space has formed a new national business structure to double turnover in the next four years. The business has now been split into two separate divisions under the Living Space brand; a Maintenance division and a Homes division. Managing Director of Wates Living Space, Andy Hobart, who joined the firm from Balfour Beatty Workplace at the end of 2012, aims to grow both divisions to create a sustainable £500m maintenance division and a £250m homes division. He said: “Today’s announcement brings us even closer becoming the UK’s leading affordable housing and maintenance contractor. “The clear separation of our maintenance and homes divisions under the Wates Living Space brand gives us a strong foundation on which to seize emerging business …

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A brand new study has revealed that, on average, construction workers will lose around £1300 during the summer as a result of having to take time off and take care of their children during school holidays. Furthermore the poll found that London construction workers lose the most money due to having to care for their children; with an average of £1850 lost as a result of having nowhere and no one to look after their children. As we enter the last few weeks of the school summer holidays before the Autumn term commences, a new piece of research conducted by a leading business insurance website has revealed the amount that construction workers are set to lose over the summer months because they have nowhere to send their …

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Job vacancies for construction staff continued to rise strongly at the start of the third quarter. The latest Report on Jobs, published by KPMG and the REC showed construction in joint-first place out of nine industries in the table of demand for permanent staff – and top in the rankings for temp staff. At 68.3 in July, the index measuring demand for permanent construction employees was up from 58.6 in June. The equivalent index for temporary/contract construction workers came in at 69.6, up from 61.0 in June and indicative of a marked and accelerated rate of growth. Richard Threlfall, Head of Infrastructure, Building and Construction at KPMG, said: “It is clear we are in the grip of an industry wide skills shortage, which shows no signs of abating. “Businesses …

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Germany has been known for its manufacturing efficiency for many years. In the automobile industry, they are almost unrivalled in their capacity to build functional, attractive and affordable vehicles. They seem to have this knack for doing things right. In recent years, Germany has built a reputation in the prefab homebuilding arena. So what can UK homebuilders learn from their German counterparts? The short answer is a lot! Prefab German homes come in at around 10 to 25% cheaper than on-site construction. That figure alone is enough to have the industry sitting up and taking notice. But in what areas can we learn from the Germans. Eco-friendly homes For years Scandinavia, and in particular Sweden, has been using prefabrication techniques to construct energy-efficient homes. In …

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Barratt London is preparing to start construction of a 28-storey twisting tower on one of the last remaining Thames riverfront sites in Wandsworth. Enabling and piling works will get underway this month after the developer gained full planning for the 135 apartment scheme at Lombard Wharf, adjacent to the Grade II listed Cremone Bridge. Barratt London has allocated 20% of the apartments for on-site ‘affordable’ housing and is committing £1.6m to improve local infrastructure. Designed by local architects Patel Taylor, wraparound balconies, rotated at an angle of two degrees, appear as a series of ‘rotating discs’. This optical twist is achieved by the diagonal lines of tapered solid balustrades jutting against the horizontal lines of the balconies. Homes will achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 and a …

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One of the UK’s largest employment agencies has lost a Court of Appeal hearing contesting up to £158m in unpaid tax. Employment giant Reed has been fighting a long-running battle with HM Revenue & Customs over unpaid tax on the salaries of thousands of temporary workers. The Court of Appeal has now found in the Revenue’s favour following the appeal by Reed against an Upper Tribunal tax court ruling in April 2014. Reed aimed to make non-taxable payments to its employed temps for travel expenses with tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs) savings being shared between Reed and the employed temp. The Court of Appeal agreed with HMRC’s argument that the payments were made as part of overall wages and, as a result, should have …

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