Author Archives: Charlotte Banks

Bam Construction has taken a big financial hit on Manchester’s Co-op Live arena after delays sent costs spiralling by £85m, the scheme’s developer has said. Project costs have already ballooned from £365m to £400m and are expected to rise to £450m, arena boss Tim Leiweke told Manchester Evening News today (15…

MPs have warned that the government lacks the skills to estimate project costs, leaving it “too reliant” on supply chain partners to price its biggest infrastructure schemes. Government departments are agreeing funding packages before proposals are sufficiently developed, a cross-party inquiry into the government’s major infrastructure projects concluded. It cited…

Judges have thrown out an objection that the Sizewell C nuclear power plant should not be built because of its impact on the surrounding area’s water supply, clearing the final barrier to the project’s overall planning permission. The Supreme Court decided yesterday (13 May) that it would not hear campaign…

The rate of arrests for illegal working in the construction industry more than doubled in 2023 amid a government crackdown on immigration, Construction News can reveal. Meanwhile, migrant charities warned that the rising number of immigration raids risks endangering potentially exploited workers on construction sites. The Home Office arrested 214…

The completion of McLaren’s refurbishment of the former flagship Topshop store on Oxford Street in London has been pushed back for a second time, to fix leaks in the basement. The building, which is set to host a small-format IKEA store, will now open in spring 2025 after water ingress…

Less than £600,000 of the £120m owed by collapsed mechanical and electrical (M&E) contractor Michael J Lonsdale, including the £65m owed to trade creditors, is likely to be paid out. In an administration progress update, the company’s administrator, Begbies Traynor, said the assumption was that there would not be enough…

A plant-hire trade body has criticised “stringent and inflexible” police enforcement of road embargo times, ahead of a guidance review next month. Plant-hire companies are avoiding certain areas for fear of harsh police enforcement, the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) warned yesterday in a letter to transport secretary Mark Harper. Road…

A construction recruitment firm’s decision to cancel its charity golf event due to concerns about inclusivity has caused an online stir. Writing on the social media platform on Friday, The Shore Group’s co-founder Lewis Yorke-Johnson said his firm’s next charity golf day would be its last. Since then, the post…

Construction industry administrations dipped to a two-year low in April as the overall economy showed signs of recovery. Only 13 firms hit the buffers last month, down from 29 in March, amid easing inflation. This is the lowest level since May 2022, when 11 construction companies went under. Two failed…

A north-east London hospital the government promised would be built by 2030 is set to miss the deadline, a project boss has admitted. It is now “highly unlikely” construction will start on the new Whipps Cross Hospital before 2025 and finish before the end of the decade as previously expected,…