Worcestershire builder Benniman weathered a lull in the shed building market last year to maintain profit levels. The warehouse market slowdown saw revenue drop by around a fifth to £130m, but Benniman managed to keep pre-tax profit level at £8.4m. The shed builder also managed to end the year with stronger net cash at £55m,

Manchester University has named its new line-up of contractors to deliver its ongoing works and expansion programme. The new build framework will be used to deliver the University’s next five-year investment strategy. It has been divided into four lots that will also cover demolition, refurbishment, decoration and landscaping, up to a total value of £260m. Twenty

Contractor Geoffrey Osborne has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator. The famous industry name was founded in 1966 by civil engineer Geoffrey Osborne and its main shareholders are still the Osborne family. Latest published accounts for the firm showed a turnover for the year to September 30 2021 of £325.8m generating a

Sir Robert McAlpine has today signed the main building contract for a dual high-rise building at Broadgate in London. The vast 750,000 sq ft 2 Finsbury Avenue project consists of a large 12-storey podium supporting a 36-storey East Tower and 21-storey West Tower. Both buildings will be characterised by triangular patterns combining a solid and

Firefighters battled for six hours to rescue a man trapped in a collapsed trench at a construction site in south London on Tuesday. The trench, approximately twelve metres long and four metres deep, collapsed and trapped a man up to his waist in sand and clay at the site in Charlton. Five Fire Rescue Units

Contractors have until early next month to submit applications for places on a major works framework for the University of Greenwich. The University is planning a £300m programme of works covering a mix of refurbishment, rebuild and new build at its three campuses. Three to five firms will be selected to deliver the 2030 masterplan

Developer Delancey has submitted plans to build 200,000 sq ft of research and laboratory space overflying railway tunnels close to the surface on a brownfield site near London’s King’s Cross station. Situated in the growing Knowledge Quarter and Innovation District, the constrained site is located next to the disused York Road underground station, The innovative

Michael Gove has waded-in to another planning debate and put proposals for a major mixed-use scheme in the City of London on hold. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities issued an Article 31 notice this week on the plans for the redevelopment of the 140 and 150 London Wall sites, known

Sellar and Japanese developer Obayashi Properties UK are planning a landmark office tower that would link the City cluster to the Walkie-talkie on the capital’s skyline. The proposed tower at 60 Gracechurch Street within the Square Mile is being designed by Danish architectural practice 3XN, whose projects include 2 Finsbury Avenue at Broadgate. The intention

Britain’ s biggest steelwork contractor ended its financial year on a high with a record order book up 6% to £511m. In a trading update this morning the firm said it expected to announce pre-tax profits slightly ahead of market expectations and would be launching a £10m share buyback to return excess capital to investors.