Forterra is mothballing another brick factory at Claughton in Lancashire. The materials giant is also cutting production at its Aircrete blocks business as demand from the housing market continues to deteriorate. The moves were detailed in a trading update which warned that full year profits would now be below market expectations. Forterra said: “Consultation is
Kier is set to restart construction on two new railway stations on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line following the collapse of original contractor Buckingham Group. Ground preparation works on the Willenhall and Darlaston railway station sites was paused last month after Buckingham went into administration. Kier acquired Buckingham’s rail division following the collapse and is
Construction materials distributor Brickability has bought cladding installation and remediation contractor Topek. The deal complements Brickability’s existing cladding portfolio which includes Taylor Maxwell Cladding, SBS Cladding, and Architectural Facades and gives the group a full range of cladding capabilities including design, fabrication, supply, and installation. The £45m acquisition will also significantly increase the group’s presence
Contractor AmcoGiffen has signed an exclusive use deal to use an innovative robot-construction tunnel method in the rails sector. HyperTunnel technology employs an automated construction method that builds tunnels more than 10 times faster and at half the cost of conventional techniques. Using swarm construction methods according to a digital twin of the tunnel, a
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to build 1.5m new homes and a new generation of large-scale new towns. He said Labour would clear planning logjams and speed up National Grid expansion to deliver renewable energy. In his pitch to become the next Prime Minister, he said Labour would pave the way for a
Scaffolding trade body NASC is urging member firms to come forward and claim £180,000 available in free training cash. The NASC has already handed out £120,000 in the last year to help more than 30 firms with staff training. The cash can be used to subsidise courses by up to £200 a session. NASC President,
Skanska has signed a contract with data centre specialist Telehouse for a data centre project in London Docklands. The £158m project within the former East India Docks next to the A13 involves the mechanical and electrical fit-out of two of the floors, together with the installation of extra plant and infrastructure. The Telehouse West 2
Logistics development partners Opus North and Bridges Fund Management have gained outline planning for a half-million square feet scheme at City Fields in Wakefield. The partners will now submit a reserved matters application for enabling works on the 31-acre site. This will include site clearance and plateau preparation as well as drainage and utility installation
The Government has awarded £60m from the second tranche of brownfield land release funding to pave the way for 6,000 to be built. The awards to councils from Hull to Somerset will support nearly 100 regeneration projects. The investment is part of the second phase of the £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund, with cash going
Vistry has written to subcontractors asking them to take a 10% pay cut on existing contracts. The house builder confirmed the contents of a letter recently sent to its supply chain but declined to comment further on the move. Vistry announced a dramatic switch in its business model last month to become a partnerships-only housing
