Paul Hamer has stepped down as chief executive of Sir Robert McAlpine and been replaced by former Lendlease chief Neil Martin. Hamer has been on gardening leave for several weeks prompting rumours in the industry about his looming departure. Sir Robert McAlpine announced changes at the top in an email to staff this morning. It

Building control chiefs are warning that councils will not be able to offer inspections from April when a new competence regime is due to come into force. The HSE-run Building Safety Regulator requires all building control professionals to be registered and prove their competence by April 6 as part of the post-Grenfell industry shake-up. At

Manchester Metropolitan University has got the green light to build a landmark campus library in the heart of the city. Architects HawkinsBrown and Schmidt Hammer Lassen designed the futuristic-looking building that will replace the current library at All Saints on Oxford Road. Demolition works are expected to begin on site in the Autumn of 2024.

Mace has got the go-ahead to start construction this November on an headquarters for research of medium-range weather forecasts at the University of Reading. The Government Property Agency was granted planning permission yesterday to push ahead with cutting-edge headquarters, which will house 300 scientists at the University’s Whiteknight’s campus. The HQ will mean Reading will

Campaigning development company Human Nature has secured planning for a 685-home riverside estate conceived, built and operated on circular principles and community-first thinking. The Lewes-based company, which was founded by former Greenpeace directors Michael Manolson and Jonathan Smales, has called on a dozen architects to design the UK’s ‘most sustainable neighbourhood’. Its visionary project, known

Sisk has appointed John Hennessey as regional director at its data centre division. Hennessey joins Sisk from global data centre specialist STACK Infrastructure where he served as construction director EMEA with responsibility for the delivery of its data centre projects across Europe. He brings nearly 40 years of experience delivering complex projects in Ireland, the

A construction company has been fined £450,000 and the firm’s director has received a suspended prison sentence after a labourer was crushed to death at a building site. Simon Briggs, 61, principal director of Stonehurst Estates Ltd, was sentenced to 23 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, for a health and safety offence following the

Balfour Beatty has just started work on a 1900-bed student accommodation scheme for Sussex University after closing a 54-year design, build, finance and maintain deal. The West Slope Residences is the next stage in the Unversity’s campus modernisation plan, which saw Balfour deliver the East Slope Residences project back in 2020. Balfour Beatty Investments will

Construction new work contracted by 2% last year as the slowdown in house building dragged the industry down. But despite the fall in new work activity, a sharp 8.3% rise in RMI work managed to lift the industry’s overall output into positive growth of 2% last year. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics

Supply chain issues and cost overruns at a large project plunged BAM’s UK building business to a £13m loss last year. But the problems at BAM Construction were avoided at the Dutch construction group’s UK civils business. BAM Nuttall consolidated its position as the biggest of the two UK businesses while putting in a stellar