The Government today outlined its plans for a record £5.2bn of investment in flood and coastal alleviation schemes over the next six years. More than £860m will be spent in 2021-22 alone boosting design and construction of more than 1,000 schemes across England as part of the Environment Agency’s annual capital programme. This is the highest annual spend ever amounting to an extra £250m channelled into flood and coastal defences in 2021/22 compared with last year. It includes

Costain is getting government funding for a feasibility study into “electric roads” for battery-powered heavy goods vehicles. The contractor will consider trials of an ‘Electric Road System’ on a 20-kilometre stretch of road near Scunthorpe. Electric Road Systems supply battery-electric trucks with electricity from overhead catenaries like those on the rail network enabling HGVs to charge dynamically as they drive. Costain will get the funding cash as part of a £20m drive by

Ever wanted to know just how surveyors score sites during their inspections? This short guide will help you understand how your site can achieve the highest levels of quality so that your development can stand out from the competition How do surveyors evaluate sites? Premier Guarantee risk management surveyors score each site during their inspections based on the following five categories: Essential health and safety Site managers should organise health and safety on a constr

The construction sector has reported widespread disruption and delays due to a shortfall of HGV drivers able to transport goods across the country. The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) said transport issues were now hitting suppliers to the construction industry, as members struggle to get materials into their stores and deliver orders to customers. It was now warning of failed deliveries at short notice, as well as lead times for some products being extended. The BMF said

The government has said that this time next year it will bring into force changes to Part L of the Building Regulations, which cover the conservation of fuel and power in new-build homes It represents the first update to Part L of the Building Regulations in nearly a decade, is the next step on the road to net zero in 2050, and has huge implications for the construction of all new homes., including those built by housing associations and local councils. Here, the Consortium P

Carbon reduction is more likely to happen when all the organisations within a value chain are committed to reducing their footprint and saving costs. The Carbon Reduction Code for the Built Environment is intended as first step to facilitate action and collaboration to reduce CO2 emissions related to the design, construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning of built assets On 15 June, Issue 1.0 of the Carbon Reduction Code for the Built Environment was launched by

Countryside is the first UK developer to implement Safety Shield artificial intelligence collision avoidance technology across its sites. Working in collaboration with Safety Shield Global and Ardent Hire Solutions, all forklift telehandlers across Countryside construction sites and factories will be fitted with these cameras. The cameras will be able to detect a human shape at a distance of 1m from the sides and 3m from the rear; the alarms shall indicate inside and outside

A £4.3m five-year programme to address severe heritage skills shortages in the construction sector has been launched The programme to save heritage skills has been announced by The Hamish Ogston Foundation and Historic England. The grant is the largest one-off investment ever awarded to heritage construction training in England. It will fund in-work heritage skills and apprenticeship scheme, which aims to increase expertise in essential crafts such as bricklaying, carpentry a

North west building contractor Nobles Construction has been placed into administration. The £25m revenue Liverpool contractor employed around 60 staff and had been battling with the impact of Covid on the business. Despite having two major jobs, the business was turned down for a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan last year. It was also locked in a payment dispute with the developer High Street Group over a £33m contract for a 362-apartment project known as Cheshire Junct