Author Archives: James Wilmore

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), which gives the government advice on projects, has been told it must support the transition to net-zero carbon emissions in its recommendations.  Chancellor Rishi Sunak wrote to NIC chair Sir John Armitt yesterday informing him of the new objective for the organisation. It comes after…

Industry figures have expressed dismay after the government’s long-delayed Integrated Rail Plan failed to materialise in today’s Budget and Spending Review.  The plan, which is due to set out how lines such as HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) will link up, was initially expected alongside today’s announcements.  However in…

Plans for a £100m mixed-use scheme to redevelop Holyhead waterfront in north Wales have been reworked and resubmitted after a previous application lapsed.  London-based listed developer Conygar has submitted new plans to Isle of Anglesey County Council for the long-mooted scheme, which includes a 250-berth marina along with 259 homes…

Southend United FC have received the planning go-ahead for a new 21,000-capacity stadium, 13 years after a previous application was approved.  A full planning application for the stadium on a 27-hectare site at Fossetts Farm was approved unanimously by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s development control committee on Monday.  The plans also…

The head of Tolent has been replaced with immediate effect after the group reported a loss last year partly blamed on COVID-19 issues.  Andy McLeod, who had been chief executive of the Gateshead-based firm since March 2018, will leave at the end of November, it announced today.  In a statement…

Sir Robert McAlpine is investigating an incident in which exterior panels dislodged from a new 23-storey Hilton hotel it is building as part of a multi-million-pound development.  A “small number” of exterior panels dislodged from the under-construction 189-room hotel in Woking, Surrey, last Wednesday. It led to a police cordon…

The chancellor is set to allocate nearly £7bn from this week’s Budget to boost public transport in England’s city regions. Rishi Sunak is set to unveil how £6.9bn will be spent on train, tram, bus and cycle schemes across the country to address the government’s levelling-up agenda on Wednesday, although…

From predicting the days when accidents are more likely to happen, to million-pound project savings, James Wilmore discovers how artificial intelligence is transforming the way projects are planned

Big road projects will often uncover historic finds. During the £1.5bn upgrade of the A14 in Cambridgeshire, an archaeologist found what was believed…

Will futuristic robot construction workers rise up to plug the skills gap over the next few decades? James Wilmore investigates

Nearly four years ago, Balfour Beatty made a bold forecast. Rubbing its crystal ball, the UK’s biggest construction firm predicted that, by 2050, building sites would be largely devoid of people.…

From Mark Farmer’s 2016 industry review, to the aftermath of the Grenfell fire and the government’s Construction Playbook, modern methods of construction have been put forward as the focus for new ways of building. James Wilmore examines whether the industry is ready to do this and what’s keeping it from…