£33m Cardiff housing plan pleases charity

Housing charity Shelter has praised plans to build up to 1,000 new homes in Cardiff but also called for more empty homes to be used in order to ease the swelling waiting list.Latest plans for further houses in the city - which could have the potential to create a number of property jobs - involve building 1,000 homes; 40 per cent of which would be for council housing. The remaining 60 per cent would be for private...

1/20/2012 12:23:08 PM

Southamptons tallest building plan gets green light

Southampton City Council has given the thumbs up to plans giving Southampton it's tallest building yet, reports Construction Enquirer.The landmark 28-storey building, alongside two smaller blocks and 2,800 sq m (30,000 sq ft) of retail/restaurant space, will be located at Admiral's Quay, costing a princely £74 million to construct.Overall, the towering apartment block will contain 299 homes, connected at ground levels, "with an elevated...

1/20/2012 10:12:53 AM

Engineers will survive through bad times claims expert

Those in engineering jobs will always find work, through good and even bad economic times.That's according to John Power, the director general of Engineers Ireland, who believes that the profession is "taken for granted"."They work to produce our entertainment, communications, aviation and many other fields," claims Power. "By training, engineers are problem solvers. They are pretty adaptable and can...

1/19/2012 2:09:43 PM

Mayor of London gives thumbs up to Greenwich Peninsular development

A massive project to develop the Greenwich Peninsula has been kick-started thanks to the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, reports Construction Enquirer.Over 4,000 employment opportunities will be created, potentially including construction jobs, in a bid to build 1,350 new homes by the end of 2015. Ultimately, 10,000 new homes, 600 student beds and 3.5m sq ft of commercial...

1/19/2012 1:59:42 PM

Barratt acquires former Chesterfield FC ground

Barratt is to build homes on the site of the former Chesterfield Football Club stadium, according to 24dash.com.The developer is planning to build 68 two, three and four bedroom family homes on the site, in accordance with the planning permission granted last year by current owners, GB Group.Before work can commence on the development, an archaeological dig and survey must be carried out. Once that has concluded, the existing structure will need to be...

1/18/2012 9:35:35 AM

Burnley Business Park secures European funding

Funding has been secured to re-start the construction of a business park in Burnley, Construction Enquirer reports.The £50 million project, headed up by Eshton, has been awarded £3.8 million from the North West European Regional Development Fund after the developers successfully bid for the cash.Eshton had originally asked a regional agency for the money but were forced to look beyond the UK following government cuts in July 2010.The grant...

1/17/2012 10:02:42 AM

Tyneside housing initiative gets the go ahead

Plans for the largest "housing-led redevelopment initiative" in the North East have been approved, Bdaily Business Network reports.A 66-acre site in Scotswood on the banks of the River Tyne has been earmarked for the project, into which a £265 million investment with see the creation of public spaces, community facilities, parks and 1,800 new homes over the next 15 years.Developers, Barratt, Keepmoat and Yuill have pledged, according to...

1/16/2012 4:39:11 PM

Gary Neville submits plans for MUFC hotel

Plans for a hotel and supporter's club to be built next to Manchester United's football ground, Old Trafford, have been submitted by a consortium including ex-Red Gary Neville.Proposals for a 10-storey, 139-room hotel and club have been passed to Trafford Council, according to Place North West. A vacant site next to the stadium between Bridgewater Canal, Wharfside Way and Sir Matt Busby has been identified for the project.The entire development should...

1/13/2012 11:24:40 AM

Next generation wants to be their own boss

The next generation of construction workers most look forward to being their own boss, a poll of young people from the North East has found.NEBusiness.co.uk reports that youngsters are incredibly ambitious when it comes to the future, and are determined to reach for the very top construction jobs available. Most would like to become a self-employed master craftsman for example.Referred to as Generation...

1/13/2012 10:14:32 AM

Network Rail announces signalling work partners

Three contractors have been selected by Network Rail to deliver various essential railway signalling projects over the next seven years, Railway Gazette writes.The significant deal sees Signalling Solutions (Balfour Beatty and Alstrom), Atkins and Invensys pick up schemes across the UK in a contract that could be worth £400 million.Each project will have a primary and secondary supplier, to ensure the required resources and capacity, forming part...

1/13/2012 9:54:31 AM

Boris Johnson announces new London tunnel

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has revealed plans for the construction of a new tunnel to run under the River Thames, The Telegraph reports.Within the next ten years, Mr Johnson has promised, a tunnel will be built connecting the Greenwich peninsula with Silvertown in the Royal Docks, the aim being that it relieves congestion on the Blackwall and Rotherhite tunnels.The Greenwich tunnel will "have capacity" for 2,400 vehicles per hour, from both...

1/13/2012 9:34:27 AM

Major housing developments announced for North East

Hundreds of jobs in property are to be created in the North East as housebuilder Barratt announces three major developments for the region.The Northern Echo reports that Spennymoor and Newcastle have been added to the housing plan, which has already seen jobs created at another site in Washington, Wearside, where 95 luxury homes have already begun to be built.Collectively, the three schemes are...

1/12/2012 2:11:44 PM

New housing procurement alliance could create construction jobs

A new alliance formed by Fusion 21, the Northern Housing Consortium and Procurement for Housing is aiming to create a number of construction jobs and save money for more than 1,000 social landlords.Cnplus.co.uk reports the new alliance, which will become the largest group of social landlords in the UK, will support local construction industry suppliers to "offer their services on...

1/12/2012 9:41:23 AM

Twothirds impressed with UK constructions Olympic efforts

A poll has shown that 62 per cent of the British public are "impressed by the construction industry's delivery of London 2012", according to Construction News.Published in The Times, the Populus poll demonstrates there has been a turnaround in public opinion regarding the image of UK construction.Almost two-thirds of respondents said that hosting the Olympic Games proved that the UK could not only deliver large projects on time, but also...

1/12/2012 9:41:22 AM

Essex waste plant contract awarded to Balfour Beatty

The £800 million contract for a sustainable waste treatment plant in Essex has been awarded to Balfour Beatty and Urbaser, Construction News reports.The Residual Waste Treatment facility for the Essex Waste Partnership will be constructed and designed by Balfour Beatty, who will invest £7 million into the scheme. The project may generate a wide variety of roles for local people, including engineering, quantity surveyor and

1/12/2012 9:41:22 AM

Homes and jobs for Harrow in a decadelong action plan

Hundreds of new homes and property jobs will be created in the borough of Harrow, north London, should councillors approve development plans.Land Securities submission to the Harrow Council includes proposals for 985 homes, as well as a number of shops, cafés, industrial units, and community facilities, reports The Harrow Observer.The decade-long project would be built in Harrow View, part...

1/12/2012 9:41:22 AM

Canary Wharf tower expected to create jobs

The London Docklands regeneration project is set to receive its final piece of the puzzle after Canary Wharf secured a massive loan for development.A mixture of leading banks are providing the cash, reported to be £190 million, in a bid to allow Canary Wharf Contractors to make a start on building the last tower in the scheme.The creation of the tower, 25 Churchill Place, is expected to create "around 1,000

1/12/2012 9:41:22 AM

Northumberland shopping centre set for revamp

The redevelopment of a Northumberland shopping centre has been given the green light by councillors, reports BBC News.Manor Walks Shopping Centre in Cramlington, which will be the centre of the £200 million redevelopment, will find itself with a new cinema, restaurants and increased car parking.Around 500 vacancies will be created, according to Recruiter, including new positions at the cinema, in retail and

1/12/2012 9:41:22 AM

Canning Town scheme should gain approval

Planning permission is likely to be given for a £500 million mixed-use scheme in Canning Town, Construction Enquirer reports. The London Thames Gateway planners have recommended that permission is granted for the first phase on the East End project, which is being developed by One Housing Group and Bouygues Developments. The final decision will be given on 16 January, before being put to Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.Part of the Canning Town and Custom...

1/12/2012 9:41:22 AM

Four bidders for Birmingham runway extension

Four bidders are fighting it out for the opportunity to complete the expansion of Birmingham Airport.The Construction Enquirer reports that Balfour Beatty, Lagan Construction, Morgan Sindall and Volker Fitzpatrick have all expressed interest in completing the job.The project involves extending the main runway to allow long-haul flights to take off and land in Birmingham. It will require lots of manpower, as it will also include diverting the A45 dual...

1/12/2012 9:41:22 AM