Birse Civils has been confirmed as winner of a £26m contract to build all the roads and technical infrastructure at Center Parcs new holiday development at Woburn.

The deal involves major infrastructure works within a forest habitat and includes the delivery of a new environmentally friendly energy centre.

Works also include construction of all lakes, roads, footpaths, boardwalks, car and cycle parks, lodge platforms, retaining structures, a district heating system, drainage and street lighting.

Birse Civils will also carry out all utilities distribution and bulk as well as managing site logistics for the entire construction project – interfacing with the other contractors constructing the centre buildings, lodges and ancillary buildings.

Kier is currently favourite ahead of Ardmore, ISG and Leadbitter to win the £60m contract to deliver 625 lodges while Bowmer & Kirkland is believed to have won the main £90m building contract for the £250m development.

Birse Civils, Divisional Managing Director, Stephen Kennedy said: “We are delighted to be awarded this contract and delivering what will be an important scheme for the region.

“The environmental precautions we will be taking on the project are important as we are working in one of the most beautiful areas in the UK. We are looking forward to working alongside Center Parcs to successfully deliver the project.”

Merseyside building services contractor McGoff & Vickers has been placed in administration.

Bootle-based McGoff & Vickers traces it history back to 1925 and ranks as one of longest established building services contractors on Merseyside.

The £10m turnover business is understood to have employed up to 100 staff who have been laid off by administrators Kirker & Co.

MGV expanded rapidly in recent years opening an office in London and moving into the specialist security and fire systems sector to lift workloads.

The firm built up a track record in London on healthcare jobs for the Royal Free Hospital, Royal Marsden and BUPA.

Olympic aquatics centre designer Zaha Hadid has hit out at London 2012 organisers for not inviting her to the Games.

Hadid’s £269m aquatics centre is one of the Olympic Park’s most distinctive venues.

But the architect has revealed she won’t be able to watch any of the swimming or diving events in her own stadium.

Hadid told the Evening Standard’s ES Magazine: “I think it is just rude.

“When you’ve designed a building like this you want to see how it’s used.”

The Government is falling well short in tackling the country’s burgeoning housing crisis, leading housing groups have warned.

Latest Government figures out today show annual housing starts totalled 104,970 in the 12 months to March 2012, down by 6% on the same period a year before.

The number of homes built is now running at less than half the number the Government admits is needed to meet demand.

Seasonally adjusted starts are currently 50% below peak output in December 2005. Completions are 36% below their March quarter 2007 peak.

The dismal quarterly figures show house building starts in England fell by 11% to 24,140, compared to the previous three months.

Even private housing starts fell 8% as house builders continued to focus on restoring balance sheets rather than building at higher volumes.

And public spending cuts saw housing associations starts slump 21%, despite a raft of Government measures to stimulate the market.

On the day that new figures came out, the National Housing Federation, Shelter and The Chartered Institute of Housing, warned in their second Housing Report that the government is not delivering on five out of ten key housing indicators.

These include housing supply, affordability of the private rented sector and homelessness.

The report urges the Government to make good on its promises, in particular to ‘Get Britain Building’, which as well as providing much-needed homes for thousands of families, will also deliver new jobs and economic growth.

The report also warns ministers of the urgency of meeting the nation’s housing needs as pressures, such as falling incomes and a growing and ageing population, intensify over the coming years, putting an increasing strain on Britain’s broken housing market.

David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations, said: “Much more needs to be done to tackle this country’s dire housing crisis. Unless we build significantly more homes, it will only get worse.

“Building new homes will help fix our broken housing market and, with rising unemployment and living costs, spur economic growth by creating jobs and supporting small businesses. It’s a win/win for the taxpayer and for the millions stuck on waiting lists.’

Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “The Housing Report shows the Government’s progress in addressing our national housing crisis is limited.

‘With the economy now in double dip recession, the pressures on the housing system will only increase and the Government needs to step up its efforts in response and be more ambitious in its strategy to boost housing supply and activity in the wider housing sector.

“Addressing the housing crisis in this way would also be a much-needed and powerful stimulus to economic growth.”

The Liebherr TA 230 Litronic articulated dump truck will be seen in the UK for the very first time on Liebherr’s stand at the Hillhead Show.

The dumptruck is being brought into the UK initially as a demonstration unit for extensive customer trials with it becoming available in January next year.

The 30t machine is designed with the compact transport dimensions of a 25t dump truck.

Its transport width is under 3m and, with a 19m³ dump body volume.

The TA 230 is the largest in its class with a shape specially designed for rapid dumping action.

Powerful hydraulic cylinders allow the machine to dump a payload in 12 seconds and return to its initial position in 8 seconds.

Spec guide

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The machine going on display is driven by a 10.5-litre 270 kW Liebherr D936LA6 diesel engine, which conforms with Stage IIIA / Tier 3 emission limits; Stage IIIB / Tier 4 interim will start at the end of 2012.

It travels at a top speed of 57 km/h on a level surface. Four reverse gears are provided, with the travel speed limited electronically to 16 km/h.

The dumptruck has an ideal oil-cooled wet brake system acting on the front and centre axles for maximum safety.

Automatic transmission, retarder controls and the dump control lever have a sensitive action to produce precise control.

A touchscreen display can show the image supplied by the reversing camera or actual temperatures, engine speed, air conditioning settings, time display, number of dumping operations or daily operating hours.

Developer CLS Holdings has gained planning for its 210,000 sq ft hotel and student flats project in Vauxhall, London.

The Spring Mews projects is currently out to tender with Bam, Shepherd, Vinci, Sir Robert McAlpine, Ocon and Watkins Jones in the chase for the £50m building job.

CLS also reported today that its other big scheme in the area known as Vauxhall Square was progressing well with the local council.

Vacant possession of this second site for 1.5m sq ft is due to be gained from the end of 2014.

The two applications represent a total of almost 2m sq ft of development and a development cost in excess of £450m.

Spring Mews will include 408-bed student accommodation and a 120-bed budget hotel.

Around these CLS aims to build 30,000 sq ft of shopping units and 50,000 sq ft of offices as well as a replacement community centre.  

The developer said it was is in active discussions with potential operators and expected to start on site later this year.

Executive Chairman of CLS, Sten Mortstedt, said: “Gaining planning consent at Spring Mews is an important achievement for our plans in Vauxhall, an area of London which we expect will see significant regeneration and growth in the next few years.”

Galliford Try has confirmed it has been awarded an £80m contract to construct the A380 South Devon Link Road for Devon County Council and Torbay Council.

The Enquirer tipped the contractor as the winner of the big 5km dual carriageway contract last week. The new road will run between Newton Abbot and Torquay, bypassing the village of Kingskerswell.

The majority of the scheme is funded by the Department for Transport with significant additional support from Devon County Council and Torbay Council.

Detailed design work is due to begin this month with construction to complete by the end of 2015.

Greg Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of Galliford Try, said: ”We are delighted to be awarded this major and prestigious contract which will result in significant economic and environmental benefits and also improve safety.

“The link road is a great opportunity for us to further strengthen our presence in the south-west, a region where we are well established as a housebuilder.”

London housing developer Berkeley has emerged as the preferred bidder to buy the huge News International site at Wapping in East London.

The former home of the Sun, Times and Sunday Times is one of the biggest development opportunities in London.

It is understood that the Tony Pidgeley’s business has offered around £150m for the 15-acre site, according to a report in the FT.

News International came close to selling the 15-acre site three years ago for around £200m to property developer Marcus Cooper, but a deal was scuppered by the property collapse.

More recently News International toyed with its own plan to redevelop its Wapping headquarters but ditched the idea last September.

During the 12 months, Berkeley has bought 15 sites in the London and South East.

A deal would give Berkeley top a slew of big London sites along the Thames from Kew to Battersea, Blackfriars, Tower Bridge and Wapping.

A jury has ruled that the death of an 11-month-old baby killed by a falling lamp post was accidental.

Coroner Elizabeth Pygott said it was the only possible conclusion after hearing details of the death of Tommy Hollis, in west London.

She added the verdict would not bar prosecution or civil proceedings after it was revealed a metal support was cut by a McNicholas workmen before the lamp post fell.

Tommy Hollis died after being hit in Chiswick on February 23 2010.

Workwe Kelvin Elmore had cut the metal support plate not realising what it was, the three-day inquest heard.

The BBC reported that after hearing all the evidence, Ms Pygott said: “The only conclusion I am, in fact, going to leave to you is that of accidental death.

“The issue of statutory liability for health and safety matters is not for this court and I do not consider that there is any evidence of a gross error that could give rise to any other conclusion.

“But I should add, for your information, that the fact of an accidental conclusion is not a bar to any prosecution or civil proceedings. It is simply a conclusion limited to this court.”

The steel plate connected to the lamppost, outside Chiswick Town Hall, was exposed after a trench was dug during a road widening scheme.

Elmore, who worked for construction firm McNicholas which was responsible for moving Virgin Media cables as part of the council project, tried to remove the metal structure thinking it was part of an old tramline.

The inquest heard he was “utterly devastated” to learn of Tommy’s death.

Elmore was found guilty of gross misconduct by his company and given a written warning. He is still employed by McNicholas.

His colleague Chris Odd said there had been a sense of “urgency” to complete the work, after direction from Hounslow Borough Council.

The inquest heard the council’s head of transport emailed Aecom, in charge of designing the new road layout, to point out the work needed to be done promptly as the general election was approaching.

The message was sent on February 18, the day Elmore cut into the steel plate, which was just 18 inches away from the lamppost.

The Health and Safety Executive is currently investigating the incident.

Balfour Beatty has confirmed 650 staff will be made redundant as as part of restructuring and efficiency drive at its UK Construction Services business.

The cuts will come from back office staff among the 12,000-strong workforce rather than project delivery and site workers.

The restructure will see a stronger focus on growth areas as Balfour looks to “emerge from the current downturn in UK construction as a more operationally efficient business.”

The new-look construction business will operate through three streams from January 2013 as support functions are centralised.

The divisions are:

• Major infrastructure – focused on complex projects in key sectors such as energy and transportation.
• Regional mechanical & electrical – across all sectors.
• Regional civil engineering and building – providing locally delivered, flexible and fully integrated civils and building services through partnerships and frameworks to strategic customers.

A new senior leadership team will also be unveiled at the end of this month which “will take the new business forward during a transition period which will run through to January 2013.”

The existing management team across Construction Services UK will remain in place during the transition period.

Mike Peasland, CEO of Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK, said: “This operating model will sharpen our focus on growth sectors and ensure the seamless integration of our capabilities for our customers as well as giving us the opportunity to create a more efficient structure.”

Leading plant manufacturers pressed Business Minister Mark Prisk for more export support for the industry during the opening of a major new equipment showcase yesterday.

Prisk was touring the CEA’s Construction Equipment showcase at the Department of Business and Innovation Skills in central London when he heard pleas from manufacturers.

Companies and representatives lobbying the minister included Rob Oliver, Chief Executive CEA (Construction Equipment Association), who also represented Datatag, Faiz Ahmad, Vice President Terex, Jacqueline Anderson, Central Marketing Director Terex, Andrew Barker, Managing Director Taylor Construction Plant, Junaid Makda Marketing Executive Nylacast Ltd, Nigel Basely Director Perkins Engines and Philip Bouverat Director, JCB.

Prisk said: “The construction equipment industry is one of the UK’s most dynamic sectors, and contributes £8.5 billion to our economy each year.

“Most people don’t realise that the UK is the second largest net exporter of construction equipment in the world. Over 75 per cent of products manufactured in the UK are exported to 150 countries world-wide. That is an impressive figure.

“This showcase is just one of the steps this Government is taking to demonstrate just how innovative and world-leading our manufacturing base is here in the UK, and change perceptions that as a country we don’t make anything anymore.

“Image is important, but we also need to ensure that businesses get the support they need to grow. This is why we have rolled out initiatives such as the £125 million Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative and recently re-launched the Manufacturing Advisory Service.”

CEA chief executive Rob Oliver said: “We were delighted when BIS approached the CEA to stage the first ever construction equipment industry showcase at its headquarters.

“There is a growing awareness that Britain’s construction equipment sector is a major force in manufacturing and worth billions to the UK economy; this showcase is the perfect platform to shout about just how ‘great’ Britain is.

“The ‘Constructing the Future’ showcase is also all about encouraging new blood into the industry. Engineers, skilled operators – there are huge opportunities in the UK construction equipment sector which currently employs more than 55,000 people.”

The Showcase is on until May 25 and is also promoting the forthcoming Plantworx construction machinery exhibition.

Exhibits include world leading engine technology from Cat/Perkins and the Ecolite mobile lighting tower from T.C.P.

JCB is showing the new 8018 CTS mini -excavator with a Union Jack as part of its livery and Terex is showing its leading wheeled dumper truck. Nylacast is showing its pioneering engineering polymer solutions.

The CESAR anti-theft scheme, delivered by Datatag, is also a key feature to the showcase.

Construction machinery scale models are also on display and an interactive competition will encourage visitors to participate to identify the data dot and win one of the models.

A woman has been airlifted to hospital after she was hit by a metal site hoarding which fell from an academy job in Kidderminster yesterday.

The victim was struck by the 6ft by 7ft site perimeter fencing panel when it fell in high winds.

Main contractor on the job is Thomas Vale who are converting the historic Piano Building into a new academy for Kidderminster College and Birmingham Metropolitan College.

The woman was waiting at bus stop at the time of the accident and had to be freed from under the hoarding by members of the public.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Ambulance crews arrived to find a female had been struck by a metal fence panel.

“A woman in her fifties was treated at the scene for a serious head injury.

“The patient was immobilised with the use of a neck collar and placed on a spinal board before being taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for further assessment and treatment.

“The hospital was alerted to the serious condition of the patient.”

A Thomas Vale spokeswoman said: “Due to adverse weather conditions, we understand that a section of fencing collapsed which caused some injuries to a member of the public on the perimeter of the site.

“The emergency services, alongside the Health & Safety Executive were notified immediately and we will be working with all parties to determine the root-cause.

“We wish the lady in question, a speedy recovery.”

A fire broke out yesterday at the Stornoway yard of the Scottish contractor UBC which went into administration last week with the loss of nearly 240 jobs.

A team of eleven firefighters tackled the blaze at the site in Lewis.

The fire damaged two blocks of temporary accommodation and investigators are currently probing the cause.

Administrators at Zolfo Cooper made the vast majority of UBC’s workforce redundant last week after failing to find a buyer for the main building divisions.

A planning application has been submitted for a 1,200 homes development on the site of a former colliery near Doncaster.

Harworth Estates, the property arm of UK Coal, plans to build up to 1,200  homes, community buildings, hotel, restaurant and new primary school at the former colliery at Rossington.

The move follows Government approval to fund the Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme road link and approval for an inland port rail freight terminal near the site.

The spoil heap will be restored following the coal washing and recycling project being undertaken by Recycoal which has recently been granted planning permission.

A decision is anticipated on the application this summer, with the initial works on the site clean-up and road link expected to start before the end of the year.

Tim Love, strategic land director of Harworth Estates, said: ‘Harworth Estates will be working in close partnership with Doncaster Council, and other private sector contributors, and are looking forward to their continual involvement to ensure delivery over the next 15 years.’

National hirer Speedy has crept back into the black with a pre-tax profits of £3.2m after a £27m loss the year before.

The firm said prevailing market conditions in the UK remained difficult and considerable cost pressures from fuel, business rates and insurance costs.

Revenue was down from £354m to £329m, although underlying revenues after taking into account the sale of Speedy’s accommodation business and expired Network Rail contract was up 4.3%.

The group also managed to reduce net debt by £37.6m to £76.3m, despite a £20.9m increase in capital expenditure.

Chief executive Steve Corcoran added: “While the UK economy remains fragile, our markets are now much more diverse than general construction.

“While we expect to see some short term disruption from the additional public holiday associated with the Queen’s Jubilee and from the restrictions imposed upon logistics in London during the Olympics and Paralympic Games, I am confident that our business will deliver another year of continued progress.”

Speedy plans to establish a number of strategically located multi service centres, each providing the full range of Speedy equipment and services, as well as boosting its regional distribution sentres.

The MSCs will be supported with 50 superstores, offering a lifting, survey and tools capability and serving the city centres and major towns, together with some 200 local stores principally drawn from its existing estate.

At year-end Speedy had delivered two MSCs, with a further two in planning, and 16 superstores, with a further four already identified for opening by Spring next year.

Corcoran said that sites that have been open for more than 12 months have delivered big improvements in performance.

Lovell has been a 10-year-deal worth £50m by the Accord Group to repair housing across the Midlands.

Accord provides 11,000 affordable homes across the region and Lovell will undertake day-to-day repairs and provide a 24-hour reactive repairs service to properties in Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Sandwell.

The contract will start next month.

Paul Smith, Chief Executive of Lovell parent company Morgan Sindall said: “We are thrilled that Accord Group has chosen Lovell to carry out this repairs contract, not least because the deal will create a number of maintenance apprenticeships over the next 10 years.

“This is a significant contract win, and further underlines the ability of Lovell to deliver first class maintenance and repair services across a broad geographical area.”

Miller has won the £22m design and build contract for a new emergency care centre at the Gateshead Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The contract was awarded by Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust through the ProCure 21+ Framework.

Work will start on site in October by Miller Construction for its healthcare arm Miller hps. The job is due to be completed by July 2014.

Chris Webster, Chief Executive, Miller Construction, said: “We are delighted to have secured this contract. Miller hps and the Trust will now work together to seek best value and high quality design refinements for this facility which will be built by Miller Construction.

“Health is a key market for us, and our ability to provide solutions is the key differentiator in working with us as delivery partner – our health offer is driven by service-led solutions as opposed to construction-led designs.”

Peter Harding, Director of Estates and Facilities, Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are extremely pleased to announce the award of the contract for the proposed Emergency Care Centre to Miller Construction.

“We were very impressed with their credentials and look forward to working with them over the coming months to start the build of this exciting capital project.

“We see the build of the emergency care centre as the essential next step in our aim to provide the highest quality services that we possibly can for our patients.”

The 9,500sqm Emergency Care Centre is a three storey new build, which will create a new focal entrance to the hospital.

Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust is looking for a developer or contractor to build up to 130 homes at Derwenthorpe, York.

The scheme will consist of a mix of private and affordable  affordable housing which will be purchased and managed by the Trust.

It is estimated that the Trust could spend up to £25m on the project, which will also require the winning contractor to provide major infrastructure works on the site.

A decision regarding the inclusion of all or any part of the infrastructure works will be made prior to the completion of the tendering process. The Trust secured “Reserved Matters” planning status at the end of April 2012.

PQQs will be available from the 22 May. DFurther information from nigel.ingram@jrht.org.uk, tel:01904620072

Transport for London chiefs fear the new cable car linking two Olympic venues across the Thames will not be open in time for the Games.

Doubts over a firm opening date came as design-and-build contractor Mace started full testing yesterday on the £50m project as all 34 cabins of the Emirates Air Line took off for their inaugural load testing flight.

The load tests are part of a series of rigorous safety trials following last month’s completion of the three towers with cabling extended across the river between the O2 and Excel centres.

The cabins travelled across 1.1km of cable, 90m above the Thames with weights representing the maximum number of passengers before the Emirates Air Line opens for passenger service in “summer 2012.”

Tfl officials said they were currently working on the basis that the cable car would not be ready in time for the Games.

Mace is working closely with cable car specialist Doppelmayr to carry out the testing.

Matt Randall, Project Director for Mace, said: “The testing and commissioning of all 34 cabins over the Thames will see the system really put through its paces over the coming days.

“The cabins have travelled smoothly on their early journeys and we are making excellent progress on the wider construction with both Terminals and landscaping nearing completion.”

Bovis Homes is the latest house builder to report a sharp rise in sales in the first part of the year.

The firm today said net reservations so far this year to mid May were up 33% at 589 homes.

Including previous forward sales and social homes, total sales are up at 1,437, compared to around 1,000 at the same time last year.

This has been driven by a 23% increase in the average number of active sales outlets and a 9% improvement in the sales rate per site.

Bovis has remained highly active in the land market and currently has legal agreements in place to acquire 1,774 housing plots on 14 sites.