The deal marks the firm’s first foray as a major housing developer in the UK and saw it fend off rival bids from a Mace, Argent and Peabody consortium and specialist developer Grainger.
Balfour Beatty’s UK construction arm will deliver all construction, which is expected to generate £400m, while the group’s investment arm injects £35m of equity over eight years, representing 50% of the equity required.
The development will be constructed in phases over eight years creating 50 apprenticeships and sustaining 350 construction jobs at the peak of construction.
The transformational project at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London is being delivered in a 50:50 joint venture with Places for People, which will manage sales and letting.
It will create two new neighbourhoods, to be called East Wick and Sweetwater, with up to 1,500 homes including 450 affordable homes, 530 homes for private sale and 500 private rented sector homes.
25th February 2015– Ritec International are celebrating this week after being shortlisted from hundreds of entrants for the prestigious ‘Big Innovation Pitch’ final for their new ClearShield Eco-System™. Posted via Industry Today. Are you into it? Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday
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A pivot window has been added to Kawneer’s AA®720 range. Posted via Industry Today. Are you into it? Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday
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The Duchess of Northumberland used a visit to a major building project in the county to hammer home a positive message about careers within the construction industry. Posted via Industry Today. Are you into it? Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday
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Between the years 2009 and 2014, male workers in the UK were on average 20.75 times more likely than their female counterparts to suffer a fatality at work. This is despite the fact women currently make up 47% of the UK workforce[1].
The most recent data for the years 2013/14 indicate that a total of 85 men died whilst at work, compared to the total female death toll of four. Of these, 42 deaths were related to construction. Fatal falls, which again were most prevalent in the construction industry, accounted for three in every ten worker deaths.
A full illustration of the year on year comparative data between the genders can be found here. This infographic shows the prevalence of male mortality rates in the UK workforce compared to females, per average 100,000 workers.
The large gender divide in fatality rates is thought to be due to occupational segregation, as women are still less likely to be involved in industries where risk of injury and fatalities is high. This is despite pushes from organisations such as The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) to encourage females to enter construction and other male-dominated trades.
Bryan Richards, of health and safety consultancy Arinite, suggests, “despite the push for equality in risk-heavy industries such as construction, hazardous procedures are still generally undertaken by men.”
Though thankfully fatality rates in the construction industry have continued to fall, it is still the most dangerous industry for UK workers, accounting for more fatalities than manufacturing and agriculture[2].
The high number of industry fatalities may itself be a contributing factor for women failing to enter the industry, along with the atmosphere on site. Previous construction worker Daniel Long suggests “it would be difficult for a woman to enter the industry because it’s a male dominated environment, and she would struggle to gain respect. Other builders wouldn’t want her carrying heavy concrete blocks, for example.”
Richards suggests that the most crucial step for the construction industry in improving fatality rates and creating a more positive public image would be to “provide training so workers appreciate the hazards of falling, provide fall arrest equipment and provide protective measures such as guards and netting.”
Wine Cellar International is proud to announce that Houzz, the popular website for the construction and design industry, has awarded them with Best in Houzz in Design 2015. Posted via Industry Today. Are you into it? Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday
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The Outdoor Media Centre (OMC), the industry body for the out-of-home (OOH) media sector, has appointed Alan Brydon, head of investment at Havas Media Group UK, as its chief executive.
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At HGV Express we make it our goal to train drivers to be the best they possibly can be. Whether that’s as an HGV, LGV, or PCV driver – we strive to bring great new talent to the industry. Posted via Industry Today. Are you into it? Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday
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The growth spurt in house building activity enjoyed by much of the industry could be coming to an end.
According to the latest Government figures housing starts climbed again last year rising by 10% to 137,010.
This growth comes on the back of a 36% rise on 2012 and 59% jump from the trough in 2009.
But the latest quarterly figures also suggest activity may have peaked before getting anywhere near the output levels required.
Seasonally adjusted housing starts in England are estimated at 29,800 in the December quarter 2014, a 10% decrease compared to 33,250 starts in the September quarter, which itself was down 10% on Q2.
Completion figures, which always lag behind starts, are running at only 118,760, well below the 245,000 homes a year target widely accepted by all political parties as the figured required to meet housing need.
Help to Buy has had a very positive effect on private house building as the increased certainty has encouraged companies to invest in land and skills.
Housing starts amongst private sector builders increased by almost 13% in 2014, following an annual rise of 23% in 2013.
This increase in house building activity mirrors figures released last month by NHBC showing new home registrations rose to over 145,000 in 2014.
For the same period, the Home Builders Federation’s Housing Pipeline reports show a steady rise in the number of planning permissions being granted in recent quarters.
But the new quarterly figures support anecdotal evidence that major house builders may be throttling back starts as house price rises show signs of cooling.
According to the industry’s main trade body, the HBF, the recent step change in house building activity has generated over 100,000 extra jobs over the past two years.
Stewart Baseley, executive chairman at the Home Builders Federation said: “We are still way short of building the number of new homes the country needs. As we approach an election, all parties need to focus on how we can increase housing supply still further.”
