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Laing O’Rourke co-founder and deputy chair Des O’Rourke has died aged 75.  O’Rourke died on Wednesday (17 July) following a brief illness, according to a statement published by the company.  The statement said: “It is with deep sadness that Des O’Rourke’s family confirm his passing. “Des had been ill for…

Suppliers have said they are confident they can meet any extra demand for materials generated by the government’s ambition to increase housebuilding and infrastructure activity. Industry experts said there would not be an immediate increase in demand on supply chains but added that suppliers were ready to step up activity.…

Kier has more than doubled its net cash, it revealed in a trading update on Thursday morning (18 July). At the end of its latest financial year, for the 12 months to 30 June 2024, the contractor’s net cash hit £165m, up from £64m in 2023. The update continues the…

The government’s plans to increase growth across the construction sector have been broadly welcomed by senior figures. The raft of measures set out in the King’s Speech received cautious support, with responses including pledges to work with politicians at all levels to turn the opportunities into reality. Alongside the traditional…

Network Rail and Kier have indefinitely delayed the replacement of a railway bridge as part of a £161m upgrade to Oxford Station.  The replacement of the bridge over Botley Road had been due to take place at the end of July, but has now been paused due to delays in…

Scottish Water is on the lookout for contractors to build a bumper processing facility in Scotland. The water company is in the early stages of its search, and is looking for proposals to take on the mammoth project in central Scotland, which will process around 85,000 tonnes of dry solids…

The new government has revealed plans in the King’s Speech for a “mission-led” drive to create economic growth and jobs – creating clear opportunities for the construction industry. The ceremonial speech from King Charles, delivered this morning, set out the legislation aimed at meeting Number 10’s pledge to “build more…

Morgan Sindall has been awarded a £32m job to develop a household waste recycling centre in Walsall. The contractor will build the new centre on a six-hectare site in the West Midlands town. The site will also include a waste transfer centre. The entire site will have a capacity of…

Permasteelisa has landed the facade package on the £300m Salisbury Square development on Fleet Street in the City of London. The buildings, also known as the Justice Quarter, will serve as a new court and City of London Police headquarters. Mace is the main contractor on the job, and Keltbray…

Employment rights, planning laws and UK infrastructure are set for major overhaul, starting with new legislation to be announced in the King’s Speech. The new government will continue its frenetic pace of change with the traditional announcement of new laws for the parliamentary session, many of which are expected to…