Supply Chain

The construction industry has “peaked” and is showing the “first signs of slowdown” despite recovering well from disruption caused by Covid-19, finance experts have warned. In its latest market analysis, leading cost consultant Arcadis said the sector, which achieved historic high output figures in May, had enjoyed a “strong rebound”…

A social housing provider is tendering for a £1.35bn framework to provide building and fire safety work. Hyde Group, which provides around 50,000 affordable homes, is looking for suppliers, contractors and assessors to carry out fire safety works over the next four years. Although the group works predominantly in London…

The hot conditions this summer have been blamed for a second consecutive drop in construction output. Monthly construction output declined by a further 0.8 per cent or £114m in July, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed. The contraction followed a 1.4 per cent fall in June, and marks…

Stanton Precast has announced the appointment of a new managing director. The company is producing precast concrete segments for a 2.5km “green tunnel” being built by HS2 in Northamptonshire, known as the Chiltern Tunnel. In August, assembly of the tunnel was paused after HS2 identified “quality issues” with some of…

Construction sites in central London can expect significant disruption from arrangements for the lying in state and state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has also warned in guidance issued to the industry that the public may be angered if sites keep working in sensitive locations.…

Roofing specialist Avonside has gone into administration, with 250 people at risk of losing their jobs. The firm was forced to appoint administrators this week after it saw its profits squeezed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Those issues were accentuated by a “margin squeeze, the impact of underperforming divisions and financial…

A strong focus on improving the energy efficiency of UK homes is vital to shield SMEs from the effects of increasing material and energy costs, construction leaders have argued. Yesterday, Liz Truss announced help for businesses against rising energy costs by pledging a six-month scheme to cap prices for both…

Fewer construction companies collapsed in August than in the previous month, but it was still more than the total that went under during the same time last year. A total of 20 contractors entered administration, three fewer than July’s total. Yet, despite a drop in month-on-month administrations, August’s total was…

Jacob Rees-Mogg has been named as the new business secretary by incoming prime minister Liz Truss amid a significant reshuffle of her cabinet, which also saw Kwasi Kwarteng become the new chancellor. The new PM’s inaugural cabinet has seen a number of loyalists and low-government, low-tax advocates given key roles,…

Contractors must take steps to protect themselves legally against unpredictable inflation-driven cost increases in labour and materials, lawyers have warned. Andrew Boccoli, a director in the commercial property department at Edinburgh law firm Lindsays, said the days of fixed-price contracts could be over as firms sought to protect themselves against…