News

Galliford Try has appointed a former HS2 chief as its first divisional managing director for infrastructure. David Lowery, who joined Galliford Try three years ago after heading an HS2 joint venture, will take up the position on 1 July. Lowery will be responsible for the firm’s environment division, which is…

Mechanical and electrical (M&E) contractor Enerveo has announced the departure of its chief executive. The firm was bought back from private equity company Aurelius by former parent company SSE in late March. Zak Houlahan, who was appointed by Aurelius in 2021, has been replaced by the company’s chief financial officer…

Stevenage-based main contractor ARJ Construction Ltd has filed a notice of intention to enter administration. The firm was established in 1991 and focuses on projects worth £10m to £60m, particularly in South East England. Its most recent accounts filed with Companies House, covering the 12 months to 30 April 2023,…

Willmott Dixon’s repairs and maintenance business Fortem has extended its partnership with Birmingham City Council by two years. The two-year extension will be worth £170m and takes the partnership length to 18 years in total. Fortem will continue to deliver repairs, maintenance and gas services to homes in the city.…

Seven of the UK’s biggest infrastructure clients have publicly committed to specifying low-carbon construction in contracts and setting dates to phase out fossil fuels. National Highways, Lower Thames Crossing, Heathrow, Sellafield, Anglian Water and Northumbrian Water said yesterday (29 April) that they would provide “incentives” in contracts to tackle three…

The competition regulator “plucked a figure almost from thin air” when fining demolition firm Keltbray £20m over cover bidding, the firm’s legal representative claimed yesterday in an appeal hearing. Keltbray’s fine, initially reduced to £16m after agreeing a settlement, was the biggest among the 10 demolition firms that were fined…

Geoffrey Osborne Ltd has called in administrators from RSM Restructuring Advisory. Around 100 staff have been made redundant with immediate effect, the firm said in a statement. “A small number of staff will be retained to assist the administrators and continue discussion with possible investor partners with a view to…

Kier has nabbed a job to build a four-storey office block for civil servants in Darlington. The contractor will design and build a £118m office space that will house 1,400 civil servants once it opens in 2027. It is part of a major move to relocate civil servants to different…

A £1.49bn project to develop the A66 has hit another stumbling block in the form of a legal challenge. The A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project received development consent last month. The project would see a 50km section of road upgraded to dual carriageway. But during a legal challenge period that ended…

A construction boss who defrauded a pensioner of £60,000 has been jailed and banned from being a company director. Adam Kirkbride was sentenced to four years in jail after he was found guilty of defrauding an investor and of breaching a director ban, according to the Insolvency Service. The 32-year-old…