Author Archives: Greg Pitcher

Envelope specialist Clarison Group has reported a £6.9m pre-tax loss despite growing turnover 45 per cent to £84.9m. The London-headquartered firm’s latest plunge into the red, for the 12 months to 31 December 2022, follows a £4.7m pre-tax loss in the prior year. Directors of the firm said a “substantial”…

Northern Irish construction firms have welcomed the imminent return to functioning government in the country and demanded a range of measures to boost the industry. Reports suggest power-sharing could return to Stormont this week after a two-year boycott by the Democratic Unionist Party over Brexit arrangements. Mark Spence, chief executive…

Graham is set to build a 661-bed student accommodation block in Nottingham. The contractor has secured a £70m design-and-build deal from developer Bricks Group for the redevelopment of the Bendigo Building in the East Midlands city. The project will see Graham construct a V-shaped block containing a range of apartments…

Balfour Beatty has said it is still chasing “outstanding sums” relating to a £200m residential scheme in Mayfair after its former client entered administration. Last week Interpath Advisory directors Steve Absolom and David Pike were appointed as administrators of 60 Curzon Street Developments, a single-project, special-purpose company behind the 32-flat…

The construction industry saw more companies go bust than any other sector last year, with a record 4,371 building firms collapsing in England and Wales. New data published by the Insolvency Service shows that construction accounted for almost one in five business failures where a firm’s sector was known. Construction…

Kier is to build a £60m mental health hospital in the South East. The contractor was appointed by the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to deliver the 54-bed acute inpatient and outpatient facility in Bexhill. The 5,200 square metre facility will provide services for adults, replacing those currently provided at…

Offsite specialist MTX is to deliver a £49m health facility in Surrey. The Cheshire-based firm has been awarded the contract for the diagnostic and imaging centre at Frimley Park Hospital. The three-storey building will hold 74 inpatient beds ranging from single rooms to four-bed bays. Linked to the main hospital…

Environment secretary Steve Barclay has outlined specific zones in which water companies will be tied to stricter standards in a bid to boost housebuilding. The minister published a list of 16 catchment areas that will be subject to the tighter nutrient-removal rules by April 2030. The move is the latest…

Seven in 10 housebuilders want a Labour government, research has revealed. A poll of 50 residential developers by property consultancy Knight Frank found that more than two-thirds would like sir Keir Starmer’s party to win the forthcoming general election. Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak has indicated that he is likely…

The Environment Agency is looking for a contractor for up to £500m of flood-defence works on strategic sites in the South East. The sustainability and habitats watchdog launched its hunt for a construction partner for its River Thames Scheme. Works will include building 8km of flood channels, improving flow at…