Author Archives: Tiya Thomas-Alexander

Proposed requirements for energy-efficient homes in Scotland could provide a sharp learning curve for contractors, their supply chain and end users. By Tiya Thomas-Alexander Just before Christmas, the Scottish Government made a significant announcement. Following a public consultation, it threw its weight behind a member’s bill proposing that all new…

Plans have gone in for a major riverside regeneration project in York. Local developer Helmsley Group submitted the application for the scheme to City of York Council. The construction value of the Coney Street Riverside project was estimated to be £500m, according to construction intelligence provider Glenigan. The 250,000 square…

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…

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…

British retail giant John Lewis has signed a £500m deal to build the first phase of its 10,000-home target. It has reached an agreement with Scottish investment firm Abrdn to deliver 1,000 homes in and around John Lewis Partnerships’ existing estate in West Ealing and Bromley in London and Mill…

Mace is spending £2.5m per year on technical services in preparation for new building-safety measures, one of its senior leaders has revealed. Gareth Lewis (pictured), the contractor’s chief executive of construction, told the CN Transforming Construction conference that the company was spending that amount on a team to improve its…

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…

The procurement process for £3.44bn worth of work towards the decommissioning of the former nuclear plant at Sellafield has been delayed, as it awaits Treasury approval. Meanwhile, inflationary pressures have pushed up the cost of work on the framework for the West Cumbria site from £3bn to £3.44bn. In April…

Women in the industry have welcomed the introduction of guidance requiring sanitary disposal bins for onsite toilets, but questioned why the move took so long. Earlier this week the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published new guidance about welfare facilities on construction sites, advising site inspectors to check that disposal…

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…