Author Archives: Ben Vogel

The next government should fund building-safety remediation works, abolish retentions and ban late-paying firms from winning public sector jobs, according to the National Federation of Builders (NFB). In its Supporting Construction to Power Growth manifesto, released yesterday (30 May), the industry body also urges a smarter approach to retrofitting plus…

Contractor United Living is expanding further into the infrastructure market As construction firms face significant financial pressure, diversification is an attractive option to spread business risk. This is easier said than done, of course, and is arguably more achievable by large firms with a strong capital base. A case in…

Galliford Try has picked up two UK government contracts worth a combined £101m. In a London Stock Exchange announcement this morning, the contractor said that its Building Southern business had sealed a £70m deal with the Home Office and Ministry of Justice to expand a disused immigration removal centre in…

Contractor Galliford Try is returning to the affordable housing market as a key part of its new sustainable growth strategy to 2030. Following a market announcement to investors and shareholders today (23 May), chief executive Bill Hocking told Construction News that the new 2030 plan involved re-entering the affordable homes…

John Sisk & Son has confirmed that it is building the new North Stand for Manchester City FC’s Etihad Stadium. Construction News reported last July that the contractor was in talks about the £300m job. Today’s announcement is Sisk's first official recognition that a main contract has been signed. The…

The UK arm of Strabag has revealed a timetable for its new building unit to compete for construction tenders. Its activity in 2024 and 2025 “will be disproportionately geared towards securing new work” rather than delivering its traditional secured backlog in construction services, Strabag UK said in its latest amended…

Pre-tax profit at Derby-based Bowmer & Kirkland fell by 15 per cent in its most recent financial year despite higher turnover. Revenue for the year ending 31 August 2023 totalled £1.24bn compared with £1.14bn the year before, it latest accounts show. However, profit at the family-owned contractor and building services…

The cost of a Morrison Construction project to build a Passivhaus grammar school in Paisley is set to grow by more than £10m, the local council has said. A Renfrewshire Council meeting last week recommended raising the budget for the new Paisley Grammar School and Community Campus (PGSCC) from £75.1m…

The latest edition of the Joint Contract Tribunal’s (JCT’s) Minor Works Building Contract family has moved its optional fluctuation clause online. Minor Works is designed for use on short-lasting, small and simple construction projects in the public and private sector, according to the JCT. The same form can be used…

Tilbury Douglas returned to profitability in 2023 amid a 25 per cent jump in turnover, according to the group’s latest set of audited accounts. Revenue from the contractor’s building, infrastructure and engineering projects reached £507.2m compared with £405.2m the previous year. It also won £533m of new contracts in 2023,…