Supply Chain

High interest rates are affecting the viability of construction schemes around the UK, with one council pausing a Morgan Sindall project and another reconsidering its £1bn infrastructure programme. A mixture of recent political turmoil and soaring prices has forced the Bank of England to hike interest rates steeply, with the…

Two component suppliers at the centre of a competition probe have offered to sell certain UK interests to calm fears of rising concrete prices. Swiss firm Sika agreed in November last year to buy Germany’s MBCC for £4.5bn. The pair represent the UK’s two largest suppliers of chemical admixtures, which…

Construction leaders have demanded political stability as the country prepares for its third prime minister in under two months following Liz Truss’s resignation. Truss said a leadership election would be completed within a week, as she handed in her notice outside Downing Street on Thursday lunchtime. Pressure had been mounting…

The number of construction companies in “critical financial distress” has soared by almost a quarter in a year, figures show. A report by business recovery specialists Begbies Traynor revealed a 24 per cent hike in the volume of building firms with county court judgements declaring that they owe more than…

All regions are reporting the “best product availability in two years” but concerns remain over the cost of energy intensive products, construction leaders have warned. The range and volume of products available are improving, as are delivery times, according to John Newcomb, chief executive of the Builders Merchants Federation, and…

Housing association the Guinness Partnership is searching for contractors to carry out building safety improvements on its properties across England. Up to six firms will be selected to carry out work relating specifically to external wall systems, which will see improvements to cladding, facades and balconies. The framework, worth £160m,…

Bouygues has completed its first self-delivered modular project in the UK. The 491-bedroom student accommodation block at The Riverside in Canterbury was assembled using modules produced in a dedicated offsite factory in Morocco. A total of 430 modules were transported to the UK and installed on site, helping to ensure…

Sales of “heavy” construction materials fell during the third quarter of this year after an unbroken two years of growth, with the situation set to get worse. The Construction Products Association’s latest State of Trade Survey showed a negative balance of 12% in the number of firms reporting a fall…

As with many commodities, the price of timber soared as a supply shortage gripped the global economy in 2021, while issues were exacerbated with the onset of war in Ukraine in February this year. But despite sanctions, scarcity and the odd port strike, timber prices have settled during the second…

Bowmer & Kirkland has entered the competition to become the main contractor a new £73m events centre in Southport, Merseyside, Construction News can reveal. The contractor is looking to lead on the building of the Marine Lake Events Centre, a 1,500-capacity concert hall with additional exhibition and conference facilities. It…