Sustainability

The approval the UK’s first new coal mine in 30 years is conditional on the use of a specific construction technique. Levelling-up secretary Michael Gove (pictured), who gave the go-ahead for the deep coal mine, said that, for environmental reasons, the so-called pipe-jacking method should be used. Gove considered recommendations…

Robertson will deliver a two-storey school campus in Flintshire, Wales. The contractor will lead the project in Mynydd Isa to develop the new campus, which will measure 10,500 square metres. Robertson Construction North West won the construction contract for the scheme, which will be known as the Mynydd Isa Campus.…

The government has announced a consultation on onshore wind farms, reversing the de-facto ban on the energy-generating projects. According to the plan, technical consultation will be carried out at local authority level when planning permission is sought for wind farms and turbines. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities…

An unwillingness to switch subcontractors and amend designs is holding back the drive to build low-carbon homes, a report to ministers has warned. The Aecom-led Building for 2050 study described “construction industry inertia” as a major barrier to the creation of more sustainable residences. The report follows a five-year research…

Royal Bam has secured a credit facility worth €330m (£283.4m), which will be tied to its net-zero carbon and safety commitments. The Netherlands-headquartered multinational, which owns UK civils firm Bam Nuttall and builder Bam Construct, secured the four-year loan with nine separate European banks. The duration of the loan, set…

The government has confirmed funding of £679m towards the building of Sizewell C, giving the Suffolk nuclear project the official go-ahead. Business and energy secretary Grant Shapps (pictured second from right) signed a deal today that seals the government’s stake as a 50 per cent shareholder alongside EDF, which recently…

Glasgow City Council has published guidance to support a “major urban renewal project” along the River Clyde that combines regeneration with adaptation to climate change. The document, which takes immediate effect, sets out a process and principles for developers and designers in preparing major planning applications. It promotes a “design-led…

Rolls-Royce has told MPs that the supply chain is eager for the government to signal its further commitment to the building of small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs, which are small-scale nuclear power plants, can be largely built offsite in factories. This saves on time, cost and carbon emissions, compared with…

Britishvolt’s financial advisers have been given five weeks to find a buyer for its £3.8bn battery-factory project, it has been reported. According to the Times, investment bank Lazard – acting on behalf of Britishvolt – has been given a deadline to find private equity investment from the US in the…

National Highways has reapplied for a development consent order for the construction of the Lower Thames Crossing, which would connect Essex and Kent across the Thames. The application for the order, which is a planning consent needed for major projects, comes two years after a previous application was withdrawn by…