UK construction output increases sharply but outlook paints ‘less rosy picture’ November 2, 2018 UK construction output increases sharply but outlook paints a “less rosy picture” as Brexit uncertainty hits confidence and new orders. The rate of expansion in the construction sector in October was the second fastest in 16 months due to a “rebound” in civil engineering activity in the UK, according to the closely-followed IHS Markit/ CIPS [...]
Kier shares fall as outsourcer swings to £35.5m loss March 20, 2019 Kier has fallen to a £35.5m loss for the second half of 2018, but said it is in a stronger position after hitting up investors for £250m in a disastrous rights issue that missed its target at the end of last year. Read more: Embattled outsourcer Kier's net debt spirals again after 'accounting error' The figures [...]
Ex-offenders deserve to work – here’s why you should recruit them February 26, 2019 With Brexit on the horizon, businesses face looming concerns about skills and talent shortages – something we at Lendlease, like many others, are planning for. The national employment level is at an all-time peak with more than 32m in work, but our labour market is only tightening and getting more competitive. Within construction, our current [...]
Sterling falls with UK economy ‘at risk of stalling’ as services enter slowdown February 5, 2019 The UK service sector lost momentum last month as incoming new work fell for the first time since July 2016, leading to warnings that the economy is close to stalling. Business activity remained flat in January but fears over the UK’s economic outlook led to a reduction in new employment numbers for the first time [...]
TfL leak reveals plans for the world’s longest and tallest bridge across the Thames March 27, 2019 Transport for London (TfL) wants its proposed Canary Wharf Thames crossing to be the tallest and longest vertical lifting bridge in the world. TfL's planned bridge is a 90m tall and 180m-wide vertical lift bridge that will connect Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf across the River Thames. The bridge will be fitted with concrete towers that will be 90m [...]
The next moon landings will spur giant leaps here on Earth July 18, 2019 This week, we celebrate 50 years since Apollo 11’s first landing of humans on the moon – one of humanity’s greatest achievements. The technologies born of the Apollo missions shaped life on Earth in more ways than we often recognise through inventions we use every day. This anniversary is about more than where we’ve been [...]
HS2 station contracts worth £2.56bn awarded to Mace, Balfour Beatty and Vinci February 6, 2019 HS2 has tasked construction firms Mace, Balfour Beatty and Vinci with building the project’s London terminus and west London super-hub at Old Oak Common, in deals worth £2.56bn. Mace and joint venture partner construction firm Dragados will take on the work at Euston, worth £1.65bn, in an award which will come as a blow to [...]
Boris Johnson conference speech 2019 live: PM rules out checks at border October 2, 2019 This is a rolling news story, so please refresh to get the most recent updates 2.10pm: Bookies cut odds on no-deal Brexit Meanwhile, Johnson’s insistence that the only alternative to a Brexit deal is a no-deal Brexit meant bookies shortened the odds on that outcome. Ladbrokes put odds at 5/2 in favour of a no-deal [...]
Passengers warned of disruption as Euston station set to close over Easter and May Bank holiday weekends April 10, 2019 Euston station will be closed for several days over the Easter and May Bank holiday weekends with no trains running in and out of the station, passengers have been warned. The busy London station will be shut from 19 to 22 April and from 4-6 May, which will close routes and lead to longer travel [...]
Our healthcare system is trapped in an impasse as pharmaceutical firms struggle to fund medical innovations May 1, 2019 The price of technological innovations in health care has once again been brought into focus. Orkambi, a new pharmaceutical treatment for a specific type of cystic fibrosis has not been approved for availability on the NHS because its price is deemed too high. Meanwhile, there is panic at the relentless rise of fatal antibiotic-resistant infections [...]