Author Archives: Ben Vogel

Crossing a busy road and several waterways, building HS2’s Colne Valley Viaduct has prompted some novel approaches. Ben Vogel finds out how the Align JV is taking on the challenge Project: Colne Valley Viaduct and Chiltern Tunnels, both part of HS2 Phase One Central 1 (C1) Client: HS2 C1 overall…

Construction looks set to restart on a £3.8bn vehicle-battery factory in Northumberland now its bankrupt developer, Britishvolt, has been acquired by Australia-headquartered Recharge Industries. David Collard, chief executive of Recharge's parent company Scale Facilitation, said in a statement: “Our [acquisition] proposal combined our financial, commercial, technology and manufacturing capabilities with…

Small contractors and specialists in the UK are slower to embrace sustainability than their counterparts in mainland Europe, according to a new report. In its second annual European Contractor Survey, released earlier this month, consultancy giant LEK Consulting details responses from more than 1,000 construction companies in France, Germany, Spain…

McLaren Construction is being sued by the owner of an industrial distribution warehouse in north London for alleged poor design and construction. Prudential Assurance claims breach of contract and is demanding damages of more than £14m to cover the cost of repairs to Enotria House in Brent. In a document…

There is little clarity over future UK rules for working at height while repeal remains possible under the government’s post-Brexit legislation, a scaffolding body has warned. The Work at Height Regulations 2005, which require employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent workers from falling from height, are derived from…

Willmott Dixon has been accused of “contributory negligence” by two companies that it is trying to sue over combustible cladding on a mixed-use development in Woolwich, London. Aecom and AIS Chartered Surveyors have both pointed the finger back at Willmott Dixon, which is trying to recoup the costs of remedial…

Lendlease aims to “maximise third-party recoveries” from subcontractors after the firm booked a provision in line with the latest housing-safety remediation requirements from the UK government. In its financial figures for the second half of 2022, Australia-headquartered Lendlease set aside a pre-tax sum of A$200m (£114.2m) “due to retrospective UK…

A single strategic partner and three delivery partners will support multibillion-pound decommissioning work at the Sellafield nuclear power plant in Cumbria under a long-awaited new framework. The deadline for bids on the Infrastructure Delivery Partnership (IDP) has been extended by one week to 17 March, and selected candidates are scheduled…

The president of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has urged the construction industry to target younger age groups and take a longer-term view in tackling the industry's skills shortage. In an interview with Construction News, Rab Fletcher argued for a different approach to highlight the attractions of a career…

Major gaps remain despite small steps on diversity and inclusion in the built environment workforce, according to the results of a new employee survey. The survey from the Sustainability Tool and the Supply Chain Sustainability School’s Fairness, Inclusion and Respect (FIR) Programme covered 339,912 employees working in 270 companies in…