Author Archives: Kerry Lorimer

A heroic crane operator who lifted a colleague to safety from a tower blaze in Reading said his “adrenaline was gone out the roof” during the rescue. Glen Edwards was lauded after saving the man’s life when a fire broke out last week at an 18-storey office tower being built…

The Building Safety Regulator has vowed to inspect all buildings with unsafe cladding in its first year of assessments. In its first strategic plan the regulator has said that by the end of its second year of operation, ending April 2025, it ought to have assessed about a fifth of…

Two former managing directors at collapsed contractor Buckingham have landed senior roles at Keltbray and John F Hunt Regeneration. Simon Walkley, who became group managing director at Buckingham shortly before it entered administration in September, joins Keltbray as managing director for rail in the firm’s infrastructure services division. Walkley steps…

Keltbray Energy, OCU and the Clancy Group have been chosen to carry out more than £1bn of upgrades to the electricity network in the South of England. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said the three companies would carry out significant improvement works on separate parts of the network’s central…

The Scottish Government has said its new legislative plans to improve energy efficiency in the nation’s housing stock will incentivise construction businesses to invest in upskilling. Zero carbon buildings minister Patrick Harvie said proposals under consultation as part of the long-awaited Heat in Buildings Bill would provide the certainty needed…

Construction starts have plummeted across the board as the sector battles a sluggish economy, with the only cheer coming from a modest rise in planning approvals. The November issue of Glenigan’s quarterly construction review shows that project starts fell 27 per cent in the three months to October, to stand…

Two people were dramatically rescued by crane from a roof on an under-construction office block during the second fire in five months at a Reading building site. The blaze broke out on Thursday morning (23 November) at an 18-storey office tower being built by Sir Robert McAlpine as part of…

Contractors have been alerted to two Network Rail frameworks worth a total of more than £2bn in the Midlands and Eastern regions. Under the first framework from Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd, valued at £1.15bn, contractors are needed for reactive works and small schemes on Network Rail’s building and civil assets…

Profits have surged at Oliver Connell and Son on the back of softening steel and concrete prices. The groundworks and concrete specialist saw pre-tax profit more than treble to £10.6m, while turnover grew by over a fifth, from £117m to £142m. The firm’s financial statements to the year ending 30…

A court has ordered the total demolition of an unfinished block of flats in Northamptonshire following legal action by the local council. Michigan Construction has been told to pull down a six-storey building in Job’s Yard, Kettering, due to concerns the structure breaches planning and building regulations. The developer was…