Economy Related News
World-first low carbon greenhouses to boost UK agriculture
Greencoat Capital has announced a £120m project to construct two of the UK’s largest greenhouses at farmland sites near Norwich and Bury St Edmunds.
Brexit squeeze continues to take its toll on UK construction sector
Building activity in Q3 2019 fell at the second-fastest rate since April 2009, as the UK construction sector remains stuck in a downturn, according to the latest Construction PMI figures.
Morgan Sindall celebrates topping out at £8m HMS Cambria site
Morgan Sindall has reached the halfway stage of delivering a major head office and training facility at HMS Cambria, the lead Royal Naval Reserve Unit in Wales.
Liverpool City Council approves new green wall
The innovative green wall, one of the largest outside of London, will stretch across the outside of the upper floor of St Johns Shopping Centre, visible from the pedestrianised areas around it and from Queens Square Bus Station.
Contract awarded to begin shaping the York Central site
The contract, the first to be awarded, is for a detailed design review which will lead to a Reserved Matters planning application, due later this financial year.
£95m to revive historic high streets
Culture secretary, Nicky Morgan has announced the locations that will benefit from a £95m heritage boost for high streets in 69 towns across the country.
2020 tender cost forecast remains unchanged for UK construction
Tender cost forecast for the UK construction industry has held steady for the third quarter of 2019, with predicted tender price growth of 1.5% for 2020, according to Mace.
Boris Johnson reaffirms Northern Powerhouse pledge
Prime minister Boris Johnson will reaffirm his pledge to give more powers to people, businesses and political leaders across Northern regions.
HS2 plans to connect city centres in the Midlands
Under proposals submitted to the government by Midlands Connect, there is a strong case for high speed trains to directly connect Birmingham, Nottingham, Leicester and Leeds via the East Midlands Hub station at Toton.
New UK construction work suffers sharpest decline since March 2009
IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction's latest PMI figures show August data pointed to a loss of momentum in the UK construction sector, led by the sharpest reduction in new work since March 2009.
Construction earnings fall 1.7% in August
Earnings for freelance tradespeople in the construction sector declined by 1.7% last month, according to the latest figures released by Hudson Contract
Analysis of August...
The Construction Industry Brexit Survey: The results
We release the results of PBC Today's 'The Construction Industry Brexit Survey', as fewer than one in 10 respondents declared themselves highly confident in their outlook post-Brexit.
Brexit Survey: Two-thirds of construction professionals worried for industry
Two-thirds of construction industry professionals are concerned about the outlook for the industry post-Brexit, according to a new reader survey for PBC Today.
Glasgow Council injects £3m to regenerate town centres
Glasgow City Council approved just over £3m funding for a number of projects which promise to regenerate a number of town centres in the city.
A new protocol for reusing structural steel
The SCI has developed a draft protocol proposing a system of investigation and testing to support the mainstream reuse of structural steel.
UK construction contract awards up 11% in July 2018
The latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analysts Barbour ABI, highlights the value of all construction contract awards in July 2019.
Amey doubles social enterprise spend in 2018, new figures reveal
During the 2018 financial year, Amey spent over £2m across its supply chain on companies who use their profits to create positive, social change.
Willmott Dixon secure £14m contract with Greater Brighton Metropolitan
Willmott Dixon is set to play a key role in the next stage of Greater Brighton Metropolitan College’s growth plans after it was chosen for a £14m contract.
Energy House 2.0: Supporting clean tech for the built environment
Professor Will Swan and Dr Richard Fitton discuss the University of Salford’s Energy House 2.0, a state-of-the-art research facility that will test new technology to help speed up the development of better, more reliable products for the built environment.
Cushioning construction with the cloud
Lucy Atkinson, business support manager at Genilogic, discusses how health and safety software helps reduce fatalities within the construction industry.
‘Unconventional living’ rising in popularity
Over half of residential property owners in the UK would consider living permanently in an unconventional type of home, according to a recent survey from BLP Insurance.
CIOB joins the Northern Powerhouse
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has become a member of the government's Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.
Gauging the true value of the construction industry
A new series of reports from the Chartered Institute of Building will examine the true value of the construction industry to the economy and wider society.
Balfour Beatty save millions of plastic bags from landfill
Balfour Beatty, working in partnership with Thames Water, has saved over one million plastic bags from landfill by utilising a waste plastic asphalt on a key London cycle lane in Stratford, through the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Transforming Construction: Driving innovation
Sam Stacey, challenge director, UKRI Transforming Construction, talks to PBC Today about why he took on the role, the key aims of the Transforming Construction Challenge and the future of precision manufacturing and offsite construction.
Weekly earnings continue to grow in July
Weekly earnings for freelance tradespeople in the construction sector continued to build last month, according to latest figures released by Hudson Contract.