Author Archives: Charlotte Banks

A Greater Manchester-based contractor has restarted work on a £50m Bristol high-rise delayed by Mid Group’s collapse. The Boatyard, a 152-unit affordable housing scheme, had sat unfinished for more than two years after contractor Mid Group went into administration in July 2022. The project has now kicked off again after…

The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) has announced changes to its unskilled worker certification in a bid to encourage site operatives to take up training. Executive director of operations Gary Mortimer said reducing how long Labourer cards are valid would encourage new industry entrants to apply instead for a ‘red…

The costs of a landmark Lendlease project in Manchester have spiralled by nearly £100m amid “hyperinflation”, dozens of subcontractor claims and unexpected nesting falcons. Lendlease’s mammoth restoration of the Grade II* listed Manchester Town Hall was originally due to complete by June this year. In a report this month, Manchester…

A key steel reinforcement supplier is “considering its next steps” after ministers declined to call in a decision to redevelop its only UK production site. Steel giant ArcelorMittal, which claims to produce 30 per cent of the country’s steel reinforcement, told Construction News in May it would pull out of…

Chancellor Rachel Reeves used her Budget speech to announce more than £1bn for cladding remediation, alongside further billions to support housebuilding. Government investment in removing unsafe cladding, including new funds for social housing remediation, will exceed £1bn in 2025/2026, budget documents show. Construction News understands the investment will be spread…

Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the construction sector intensified before today's Budget, with multiple deals announced. These include CN 100 firms, a Nordic cladding group and an AIM-listed housebuilding specialist. One expert told Construction News that he believed "100 per cent" that the  flurry of M&A activity reflects concerns…

Clancy chief executive Matt Cannon has credited his firm’s focus on client and supplier relationships for its record revenue and profit. “As a private, family-owned business we’re absolutely not focused on top-line revenue growth,” he told Construction News. “We’re focused on delivering for our clients and making sure we work…

Construction sector insiders are demanding action from chancellor Rachel Reeves when she delivers her first budget this Wednesday (30 October). Reeves has already announced boosts of £550m and £500m for school rebuilding and affordable housing respectively, and she has met finance leaders as part of a new infrastructure taskforce aimed…

An ISG lighting subcontractor has gone under, with administrators blaming the collapse of the main contractor. Seventynine Lighting appointed Mark Boughey and Rebecca Dacre of Forvis Mazars as joint administrators on 14 October. A statement from Forvis Mazars on Friday (25 October) said that 30 staff would be made redundant…

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has projected it will spend more than it earns for the third year in a row, despite a slight levy increase. The charity, which coordinates training for engineering trades across the UK, projects a £2.2m budget deficit in 2024. This follows two years…