Author Archives: Ian Weinfass

Scottish Water is looking for contractors to deliver between £500m and £800m of works under its ceramic membrane capital investment programme. The publicly owned utility company published a contract notice on 1 November inviting bids from firms to deliver the new water filtration programme. Up to five contractors will be…

The government has scrapped five National Highways road projects, saying it cannot afford them. Treasury documents released alongside yesterday’s Budget show that it is halting work on the A5036 Princess Way, A358 Taunton to Southfields, M27 J8 Southampton, the A47 Great Yarmouth Vauxhall Roundabout and A1 Morpeth to Ellingham schemes.…

The New Hospital Programme will switch its focus to facilities containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the government has announced. The Budget committed to continuing the major hospital programme but no longer aims to deliver 40 hospitals by 2030. Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the House of Commons that health secretary…

Some 15,000 workers who hold Industry Accreditation (IA) have not yet switched to different cards, Construction News can reveal. IA cards, also known as grandfather rights, are Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards gained through employer recommendation. It was announced in March 2019 that the cards would be withdrawn at…

Denmark-based multinational Rockwool Group has announced the acquisition of Wigan-headquartered external insulation manufacturer Wetherby Building Systems. The supplier will be renamed Wetherby Wall Systems under what Rockwool Group chief executive Jes Munk Hansen said was part of the group’s expansion in the UK market. “This acquisition underlines Rockwool’s commitment to…

Administrators have estimated ISG's fit out business owes £111.4m to the supply chain, bringing the total across the firm to more than £301m. Companies House today (28 October) published a statement of affairs relating to ISG Fit Out Ltd – the final of the six ISG subsidiaries which went into…

A replacement has been named on a part-completed leisure centre where ISG had been main contractor. North East Derbyshire Council announced this week that its development partner Alliance Leisure had appointed Nottingham-headquartered Universal Civils & Build to finish the Clay Cross Active scheme in Chesterfield. The job, estimated to be…

Profit at Morgan Sindall is set to exceed expectations due to the strength of its fit-out and partnership housing arms. In a trading update released on Tuesday morning (22 October), the contractor said profit at its fit-out arm Overbury had strengthened significantly due to exceptional volumes. It is “expected to…

Current guidelines on roof gardens should continue to be followed despite a tribunal ruling indicating otherwise, the government has said. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) issued a note on Friday (19 October) stating that it is still considering a recent judgement on the issue. It moved…

Persimmon and a self-employed carpenter have been found jointly liable after the carpenter fell nearly five metres from a ladder. Ryan Jones suffered a fractured ankle after falling from the scaffolding system at a Persimmon housing development at Old St Mellons, Cardiff, in August 2018. He was 33 at the…