Buildings

Property developer and builder London Square has announced its intention to increase the height of two towers in east London, citing the impact of proposed new fire-safety measures. Planning permission was granted in March 2022 by Waltham Forest Council for four buildings across three sites near Lea Bridge rail station,…

Two schools built by Caledonian Modular before the offsite specialist went under last year have been closed by government officials. Haygrove School in Somerset and Sir Frederick Gibberd College in Essex have told parents that their main buildings cannot reopen as planned in September. Both statements cite advice from the…

A contractor working on the ruins of the Crooked House has told Construction News that the firm is salvaging materials from the 18th century pub for future use. A spokesman for Putnam Construction Services said that the company had been commissioned by the site owners to sort through the rubble…

Lendlease is set to build a £150m events hub in the North East. The firm was appointed by developer Ask:Patrizia to deliver the Sage International Conference Centre within the Gateshead Quays scheme. Councillors last month approved revised plans for the broader redevelopment of this part of the south bank of…

A Midlands NHS Trust has appointed Graham for an upgrade scheme at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The contractor will build a three-storey elective-care hub at the West Midlands health facility, as well as extra clinical space. Graham will also demolish the existing hospital entrance and replace it with a glazed facade.…

Mace is leading the procurement of a huge solar membrane to sit on the roof of West Ham United’s London Stadium (pictured). The construction giant is acting as project manager in an effort to slash energy bills at the arena that hosted athletic events during the 2012 Olympics. Mace drew…

Clients will be required to appoint a main contractor on high-risk tower blocks before a building-control approval application is made, the government has confirmed. The government announced its intention to press ahead with the move in a response to a year-long consultation on changes to building regulations aimed at improving…

Buildings will be split into three categories, each with separate rules on when building work is deemed to have started, under an amendment to regulations. Last week, the government laid a raft of amendments to Building Regulations following a year-long consultation after the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022.…

Ministers have ruled out new laws to define how ‘golden thread’ building data is collected and shared – despite industry warnings. A consultation response published last week states that the government “does not agree” with mandating a single approach to this key element of the post-Grenfell safety regime. Key figures…

The shortlist for TechFest Awards 2023 has been revealed. In total, 115 entries have been shortlisted across 18 categories recognising the achievements of the construction and civil engineering industries in harnessing the potential of technological innovation. Firms in the Mott MacDonald family lead the nominations – the firm itself has…