News

HG Construction has landed a £75m student scheme in Bristol. The high-rise specialist contractor will deliver a 706-room development comprised of four blocks ranging from five to 15 storeys. The project, for client Studio Hive, is on Silverthorne Lane, at the centre of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone, which is…

Kier, Wates and Morgan Sindall’s housing arm Lovell have been named alongside dozens of SMEs on a £346m building-improvements framework. The four-year Fusion21 framework can be used by public sector organisations including housing, education and healthcare providers across the country. Works that can be procured include the installation of kitchens,…

Stewart Milne Group has gone into administration after attempts to sell the business failed, with more than 200 people made redundant. The Aberdeen-headquartered housebuilder and developer appointed consultants to help find a buyer in several rounds since April 2022 as chair and founder Stewart Milne planned his retirement. According to…

A £350m estate-regeneration scheme in central London has been redesigned to meet new regulations requiring a second staircase in high-rise buildings. Six buildings in the second and third phases of the redevelopment of the Ebury Estate in Pimlico, containing up to 555 flats, are now set to contain two stair…

Mechanical and electrical (M&E) specialist Gratte Brothers doubled its turnover in the year to 31 March 2023, newly released accounts show. The King’s Cross-headquartered company saw revenue reach £250.2m in the period, up from £124.6m the year before. However, pre-tax profit increased far less, rising to £2m from £1.6m, giving…

Modular startup Modulous has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators. The 50-staff company was launched in London in 2018, offering two complementary services – a kit of parts and automated feasibility study software. The firm describes itself as “the first globally scalable solution to the housing crisis”. However…

Construction activity continued to fall in December, although by less than in recent months, according to the latest S&P Global/CIPS UK  Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). The headline figure stood at 46.8 in December, the highest figure for four months. Figures below the neutral 50.0 mark represent a decline in industry…

Downing Construction is chasing the insurers of a collapsed former subcontractor for payment relating to cladding defects. In January last year, Wrexham-headquartered European Sheeting Ltd was found liable for defects on three high-rise blocks at Parkway Gate in Manchester, where Downing Construction subsidiary George Downing Construction was the main contractor…

Utilities contractor M Group Services has acquired home decarbonisation firm AgilityEco, in its latest move to improve its renewable energy capabilities. AgilityEco helps energy providers, local authorities and other companies improve energy efficiency and reduce utility bills. It was bought for an undisclosed sum. The Surrey-based firm joins M Group’s…

The National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has expressed “significant concern” over scaffolds collapsing during storms and high winds. Winds of up to 90mph have battered the UK in the past week, with Storm Henk – the eighth storm of the 2023/24 winter period – appearing to cause the collapse…