The police have closed the M6 southbound near Sandbach services because of a possibly unsafe bridge.

The Manor Road and Reynolds Lane bridge runs over the motorway. Local reports say that the closure is due to a piece of material falling from the bridge and hitting a car.

The police have closed the southbound carriageway at junctions 17 and 18, with the northbound remaining open at present. The closure was announced in police tweets at about 6am. No estimate has been given for when it will reopen, but the police reported at about 8.30am that a bridge inspector was on the scene.

Costain Limited has been issued with fines and costs totalling more than £615,000 following the death of a worker when a telehandler overturned during the construction of the Parkway development in Newbury.

Mark Williams, 41, from Nuneham Courtenay, was using the vehicle to lift a pallet of tiles to a fourth-storey roof when the incident happened on 20 July 2011. He tried to flee the telehandler as it began to topple, but he was unable to move away in time and it landed on top of him, causing fatal crush injuries.

His death was investigated by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), which found the safety of the vehicle was compromised by limited space and other obstructions in the area where he was required to work.

Costain Limited, the principal contractor for the Parkway development, was prosecuted for failing to provide a safer system of work.

Reading Court heard during a five week trial earlier this year (from 3rd March 2014) that Mr Williams, a married father-of-two, was part of a team responsible for tiling a number of roofs. He was operating the telehandler with the boom fully raised but not extended. Raising the boom reduced the overall length of the vehicle, however it ultimately caused it to overbalance as it was being turned and manoeuvred.

HSE inspectors established that Mr Williams had no option but to operate the vehicle in this way. The space between the buildings where he worked was almost the same length of the telehandler with the boom lowered, and meant he would have had no turning circle.

The court was told the vehicle was not suited for use in this area, and that had the space constraints been properly assessed and a better system of work put in place then Mr Williams death could have been avoided.

Costain Limited, of Costain House, Vanwall Business Park, Maidenhead, was fined a total of £525,000 and ordered to pay a further £90,577 in costs after being found guilty of breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and two breaches of Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

After sentencing HSE principal inspector Steve Hull said: “This was a tragic and entirely preventable death. Mark Williams was required to use a telehandler that was wholly unsuited to the confined area he worked in.

“He had no option but to raise the boom so he could turn the vehicle, and in doing so he critically undermined the stability, resulting in the inevitable overturn.

“He should have been provided with alternative, more appropriate equipment and a better system of work. Costain had clear responsibilities to ensure that happened, but they failed to properly assess the risks and ultimately failed Mr Williams.”

Shenda Long, Mark’s mother, added: “I have always felt that I have lived a very privileged and happy life, but all that changed on 20 July 2011 when police officers knocked on our door and informed me that our beloved son had been killed. Mark was a loving son, brother, partner, friend and an amazing dad to his two daughters who brought sunshine, happiness, joy, laughter and love into our family.

“Little did we know that fateful day that it would be the last morning we would feel peaceful, happy and complete. How could we know that the simple act of Mark going to work, as he done every day for years, would result in him being killed, and my family’s world ending. Mark was totally let down by the people he worked for and trusted.”

Mr Williams’ employer, Attley’s Roofing Limited, was earlier cleared of identical health and safety breaches at the end of the initial trial on 3 April. The company, of Spital Farm, Thorpe Mead, Banbury, was acquitted after being jointly prosecuted by HSE alongside Costain.

Costain has previous when it comes to vehicle-related deaths on its sites. In March 2012 the company was fined £250,000 after Richard Caddock, a 38-year-old surveyor, was killed by a reversing lorry on an M25 widening project in Kent. (See previous report here.)

PC Harrington as appointed former Skanska UK managing director Dave Shadwell into the role of business development director.

The move is part of a wider business re-structuring that saw Duncan Salt promoted to group managing director in April (link opens in new tab). The appointment of Salt allows CEO and chairman Pat Harrington to focus on repositioning the company.

PJ Harrington has been appointed as MD of PC Harrington Contractors, supported by contracts directors Brian Wakefield and Tony Collier. Other appointments include Gary Shaw (MD – Slipform International), Dave Holder (MD – HTC Plant), Roger Stables (MD – Structural Systems), John Boyle (group plant and transport director) and Tony McGann into the role of group commercial director, replacing Andy Wood who is now the MD of Harrington Group Middle East.

Existing home sales in the United States increased 2.5% in June and reached an annual pace of five million sales for the first time since October 2013, according to the latest index from the National Association of Realtors.

The median existing home price for all housing types in June was $223,300, which is 4.3% above June 2013. This marks the 28 th consecutive month of year on year price gains, the index shows.

It also says that rising inventory continues to push overall supply towards a more balanced market, but sales remain 2.3% below the 5.16 million unit level a year ago.

‘Inventories are at their highest level in over a year and price gains have slowed to much more welcoming levels in many parts of the country,’ said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist.

‘This bodes well for rising home sales in the upcoming months as consumers are provided with more choices. On the contrary, new home construction needs to rise by at least 50% for a complete return to a balanced market because supply shortages, particularly in the West, are still putting upward pressure on prices,’ he explained.

He also noted that stagnant wage growth is holding back what should be a stronger pace of sales. ‘Hiring has been a bright spot in the economy this year, adding an average of 230,000 jobs each month. However, the lack of wage increases is leaving a large pool of potential homebuyers on the side lines who otherwise would be taking advantage of low interest rates. Income growth below price appreciation will hurt affordability,’ he added.

Total housing inventory at the end of June rose 2.2% to 2.3 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 5.5 month supply at the current sales pace, unchanged from May. Unsold inventory is 6.5% higher than a year ago, when there were 2.16 million existing homes available for sale.

The data shows that distressed homes, that is foreclosures and short sales, accounted for 11% of June sales, down from 15% in June 2013. Some 8% of June sales were foreclosures and 3% were short sales. Foreclosures sold for an average discount of 20% below market value in June, while short sales were discounted 11%.

The percent share of first time buyers continues to underperform historically, rising slightly to 28% in June from 27% in May, but remain at an overall average of 28% over the past year.

Properties sold faster for the sixth consecutive month in June, highlighting the fact that inventory is still lagging relative to demand. The median time on market for all homes was 44 days in June, down from 47 days in May. It was 37 days on market in June 2013. Short sales were on the market for a median of 120 days in June, while foreclosures sold in 54 days and non-distressed homes typically took 42 days. Some 42% of homes sold in June were on…

The UK government’s affordable homes programme will change the way properties are built in the country with many being constructed using advanced housing techniques, it has been announced.

Successful bids for almost 62,000 homes under the first phase of the £23 billion programme have been confirmed and overall it will deliver 165,000 new affordable homes over three years from 2015.

A fifth of the homes will be built with cutting edge advanced housing manufacturing where parts are made in factories before being assembled on site. This technique is widely used on the continent, but currently only plays a limited role in British house building.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said the focus on new technology would provide high quality homes, and help the sector achieve the fastest rate of affordable house building for 20 years.

He explained that a total of 191 providers have been earmarked for funding and the new homes will be delivered across England, with almost a third in London. ‘House building is an essential part of this government’s long term economic plan. That’s why we have designed an ambitious new scheme to build affordable homes at the fastest rate for 20 years, which will support 165,000 jobs in construction and sustain thousands of small businesses,’ he said.

The investment from government will be combined with private finance to deliver the £23 billion programme. Lewis added that by putting in more private sector funding than previous programmes, the scheme will achieve a better deal for taxpayers.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said that building more affordable homes is an important part of ensuring every family has the opportunity to live in a decent home.

‘By investing billions into new housing and cutting out burdensome planning regulations, we are building more affordable homes per year than at any time in 20 years and are also supporting job creation across the country,’ he added.

According to Homes and Communities Agency chief executive Andy Rose described it as ‘a solid delivery programme that will ensure a smooth transition from our current affordable homes programme, and that delivery can start promptly’.

‘The allocations are closely aligned with locally identified priorities and offer value for money and increased certainty of delivery, with over 75% of the homes we are funding on firm schemes,’ he added.

Housing associations, councils and developers that have applied for funding have been required to demonstrate they are delivering new homes that are in short supply in their local area. Of the successful bids so far, 77% have been for one and two bedroom homes, so that smaller households can move to more suitably-sized accommodation.

The affordable homes programme includes affordable rented homes and affordable home ownership schemes and is being managed by the Homes and Communities Agency nationally and in London managed and allocated by Greater London Authority and the Mayor.

The majority of European office rental markets either saw a boost or remained static in the first half of 2014, led by Germany and Holland.

Overall Europe’s leasing market reported positive growth across 17 major office markets as the Eurozone economy continued its recovery drive with improved sentiment across the region, according to Colliers International’s latest EMAE office report.

Prime rents in 85% of office markets across Europe and the Middle East reported a boost in the last six months or remained static, the report confirms.

Most notably, the office market in Germany saw the strongest growth, with prime CBD rents in Stuttgart leaping 25%. Munich also reported rental increase for the seventh consecutive half since the second half of 2010.

Amsterdam also reported an upward trajectory of rents over the last 18 months, underscoring the recovery of its prime office district amid an increasing gap between primary and secondary markets in the Netherlands.

The investment market was also a positive story for Amsterdam, which saw prime yields moving in by 40 bps compared to end 2013, along with a sharp increase in investment volumes.

‘The progressive results in rents are a result of a combination of economic improvements and greater confidence in the European occupier markets, especially the UK and Germany. This is combined with a generalised lack of modern space available in central business districts due to low volumes of new speculative completions,’ said Bruno Beretta, senior research analyst for EMEA at Colliers International.

Even Southern European markets like Madrid and Lisbon, with the former experiencing a particularly severe correction since 2009, have seen prime rents move ahead. Lisbon reported an annual rental increase of 1.4% in the first six months of 2014.

Despite these increases, a more sustainable recovery of occupational markets in Southern Europe is not expected until the end of this year, or more probably 2015.

‘Increasing demand by media and tech occupiers across EMEA, together with the shortage of new supply have created a climate for sharp rental growth in many European markets, both at headline levels and for average second hand accommodation,’ said Craig Satchwell, head of EMEA offices at Colliers International.

‘Media and Tech companies are the second most active when it comes to take up, with a 21% share of take up across London, Paris, Amsterdam and the big six German cities combined,’ he added.

The Colliers report shows that the European Central Bank’s recent moves, the weight of capital now targeting European real estate and rental growth expectations contributed, in most instances, to stable or falling office yields in the first half of 2014.

As a result, these factors have led to an upgraded perception of the European investment market. Given current high levels of interest in many major European markets, yield compression was observed in many peripheral markets like Dublin with a fall of 75 bps, Madrid down 50 bps, Barcelona down 25 bps) and Athens down 25 bps.

Prime yields hardened in a number of cities…

The £15.8bn Crossrail project is a ‘textbook example’ of how to deliver a major construction project on time and on budget, says the House of Commons public accounts committee.

The public accounts committee is more often seen lambasting government departments for getting things wrong, with high profile chair Margaret Hodge seen issuing severe judgment with perfect 20/20 hindsight.

With high praise being issue, it was left to Conservative MP Richard Bacon to do the talking for the committee. "Major, complex infrastructure projects are notoriously difficult to deliver on time and in budget. With Crossrail we see a textbook example of how to get things right," he said. "Happily, this means Crossrail – a £15.8bn programme in total – is on course to deliver value for money to the taxpayer.”

He continued: “The joint sponsors of the Crossrail programme, the Department for Transport and Transport for London, are working well with the delivery organisation, Crossrail Limited, to deliver the programme, which at present is broadly on schedule and being delivered within budget.

“The team has focussed on the essentials of programme management, including defining a realistic scope, establishing a management team with the necessary skills and securing the required funding. Two years were spent on planning before construction began, and roles and relationships were clearly established.

“The Department should capture the lessons it has learned from the Crossrail programme and apply these to its other projects, most notably High Speed 2.”

If there is a lesson it is that the benefit of the project to London was underestimated at the outset. It was given a 2:1 benefit to cost ratio, when in fact it is more like 3:1, if wider economic impact is taken into account. The committee said that the government could have got more money out of private sector organisations that will benefit from the new transport link.

Mr Bacon concluded: “Construction of Crossrail is not yet complete, and considerable risks remain in delivering the programme by 2019, particularly managing the transition from building the railway to operating it, and delivering the Crossrail trains. So far, though, the signs are good."

The full report can be seen at Parliament.uk.

The average home in Britain is now worth £260,488, up £16,265 since start of the year with Salford seeing the largest rise in property values, according to the latest data from Zoopla.

London property values grew fastest during first half of year at 8.2% or £43,115 whiles Scottish property values increased only 1.1% compared with a national average of 6.5%, the data also shows.

It means that the average British home has increased in value by £90 a day but the star was the Manchester suburb of Salford where average property values have risen 12% and now stand at £138,619, a growth rate that eclipses even London.

Although average house prices in the capital, which currently stand at £567,392 according to Zoopla, are more than four times higher than in Salford.

Brough in Yorkshire and St Leonards-On-Sea in East Sussex have also seen strong growth in average property values over the last six months at 11.9% and 11.8% respectively.

‘Home owners up and down the country are starting to see the benefits of the recovery as home values make further headway in 2014,’ said Lawrence Hall of Zoopla.

‘Over the past few years Salford especially has prospered from job creation in the area which has helped boost the local property market. Property price growth has largely been a London and South East story until recently, so it is very encouraging to see the house price recovery broadening and the ripple effect starting to take hold further north,’ he explained.

‘There have been a few weak spots in the market so far in 2014, like Cornwall where the strong pound has started turning those looking for holiday homes back towards foreign property markets. And towns on the England/Scotland border are likely suffering from caution amongst buyers ahead of the referendum on independence in September,’ he added.

A two-week site blitz of 560 construction sites by the Health & Safety Executive has resulted in 35% of them being issued with a bill for the privilege under the Fees For Intervention scheme (FFI).

A total of 239 health-related notices of contravention were served at 201 of the sites. An HSE spokesman confirmed that these notices generate an FFI invoice. He explained that a notice of contravention is issued where there has been a material breach of health and safety law but not so bad as to require a prohibition notice or an improvement notice.

Collectively called enforcement notices, prohibition or improvement notices were issued at one in six sites – 85 in total. At 13 sites, safety breaches were so bad that inspectors issued prohibition notices putting an immediate stop to work.

Growing speculation around an interest rate rise and uncertainty over the outcome of next May’s general election and possible tax changes are having an impact on the prime property market in outer London, a new analysis suggests.

The results has been a fall in new buyer registrations and an increase in new properties coming onto the market, according to the research by property firm Knight Frank.

It reports that new buyer registrations are down by a fifth and new supply up by a third in the second quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2013.

‘To some extent, buyers have also become more restrained after a period of relatively strong price growth with sealed bids and open days becoming less prevalent, explained Tom Bill, head of London residential research at Knight Frank.

However, he pointed out that whatever the validity of buyers’ concerns about the sustainability of price inflation, it is worth highlighting that annual growth in prime outer London residential prices only exceeded 5% a year ago and moved into double digits in January this year.

The amount of available stock in prime outer London in June was 19% higher than June last year and at its highest overall level in more than five years. Annual growth in prime outer London was 12.1% in the year to June after a monthly rise of 1%, which compares to 8.1% in prime central London.

‘There is an overlap of factors causing demand to slow in both markets but the prospect of an interest rate rise is likely to play a stronger role in prime outer London,’ said Bill.

Wandsworth and Clapham recorded the highest annual growth of 17.2% followed by 15.8% in Canary Wharf.

‘There are tentative signs the prime outer London rentals market will benefit from softening demand in the sales market. It is an emerging trend in the prime central London market as the economy stabilises and companies expand,’ explained Bill.

The report also shows that rental values grew 0.7% in June, which was the highest monthly increase since the index was produced on a monthly basis in April 2011.

It mirrored a similar record monthly jump in prime central London in June but growth still remains more erratic in outer London and was 0.4% down over the second quarter and 0.5% down over the last year.

The Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) has set out its spending plans that indicate support for more than 40,000 new homes by 2018.

The HCA said that 160 housing providers across England would share £886m of affordable homes funding.

A total of 43,821 new affordable homes will be delivered across 2,697 schemes.

The initial allocations have been made under the HCA’s 2015-18 Affordable Homes Programme, following a competitive bidding process for funding.

The funding allocated comprises just over half of the total £1.7bn of funding available. The remaining funding will be made available for providers to bid into the HCA in due course via continuous market engagement (CME), as planned, to allow housing providers further opportunity to work up schemes for delivery by 2018.

The government’s target is for 165,000 new affordable homes to be built by March 2018.

HCA Chief Executive Andy Rose said: “We have set in place a solid delivery programme that will ensure a smooth transition from our current affordable homes programme, and that delivery can start promptly.”

He added: “Just over half of the available funding has been allocated. The remaining funding will be allocated on a continuous market engagement basis, giving even more partners time to work up deliverable bids to meet local needs and their future development aspirations.

“This is a strong foundation that we are putting in place today, which puts us on track to make a significant contribution towards government’s aspirations for up to 165,000 new affordable homes by March 2018, while supporting overall housing supply and local economic growth.”

Brett Concrete has manufactured the last of the 250,000 concrete segments that have been produced to line the tunnels of London’s Crossrail project.

The final piece was cast at a specially-built Crossrail factory in Chatham, Kent.

This factory has produced 110,000 tunnel segments to line Crossrail’s 12km long eastern twin tunnels, from east London to Farringdon. Segments for the western tunnels from Royal Oak to Paddington were manufactured at a separate facility at Old Oak Common. Segments for the Thames Tunnel between Plumstead and North Woolwich were manufactured in Ireland.

At peak, the Chatham factory operated 24 hours a day, five days per week and on average manufactured 330 segments per day. Each segment weighs 3.4 tonnes. Seven segments and a key stone form a complete tunnel ring in the new Crossrail eastern tunnels, which are being built by joint venture Dragados Sisk.

Crossrail chief executive Andrew Wolstenholme said: “Crossrail is Europe’s largest construction project with an immense supply chain spread across the country. The team at Chatham have done a superb job supplying our eastern tunnels with concrete segments.”

Pictured below are tunnel lining segments waiting to be shipped out from the Chatham factory and taken up the Thames by barge to site.

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The amount of government grant available for solid wall insulation has been cut by a third.

The Department of Energy & Climate Change says the cuts are necessary because the scheme is so successful.

The Green Deal home improvement fund has seen more than £43m worth of vouchers issued in the first six weeks, and more than £50m applied for.

12,200 applications have been received and 7,925 households in England and Wales have received vouchers under the scheme, which offers people money back for making energy saving improvements to their home.

From Friday 25th July, new applicants can receive up to £4,000 for installing Solid Wall Insulation, reduced from £6,000. Flue gas heat recovery units will be removed from the list of approved measures from Tuesday 5th August.

Energy minister Amber Rudd said: “Changes announced today ensure even more households can benefit from warmer homes using less energy.”

The Green Deal home improvement fund also entitles those who have bought a property in the 12 months prior to application to qualify for up to an additional £500 if they carry out recommended energy efficiency improvements under the scheme.

In December 2013, the government announced a £540m three-year energy efficiency package with at least £120m available for energy efficiency schemes from April 2015.

From Friday 25th July, Green Deal Home Improvement Fund domestic energy customers can get:

• up to £1,000 for installing two measures from an approved list; and/or
• up to £4,000 for installing solid wall insulation; and
• up to £100 refunded for their Green Deal assessment.

The dangers of farmers who think construction safety laws don’t apply to them was highlighted by a case at Aberystwyth Magistrates Court yesterday (Monday 21st July).

The Health & Safety Executive prosecuted two brothers, Andrew Evans and his brother, David Evans, for breaches of construction safety on their farm.

Their negligence resulted in a contractor suffering serious brain injuries in a fall while carrying out building work.

The contractor was installing a floor over a slurry lagoon in a new barn at Gwarllwyn Farm, near Llandysul on 12 June 2012 when the floor panel he and a workman were standing on gave way, plunging them into the lagoon four metres below.

The court heard that the contractor was hired to create a cattle shed floor over an existing slurry lagoon. He erected concrete pillars in the slurry pit then put preformed concrete beams on top and laid concrete wall panels across the beams instead of panels specifically designed for flooring. These were to hold a slatted floor and cattle cubicles.

As the contractor and another workman were standing on one of the panels, it gave way, plunging them into the lagoon. The contractor suffered a head injury and was hospitalised for two month and he is still undergoing rehabilitation. The workman escaped without injury.

HSE found the two farmers had failed to appoint a construction design and management (CDM) co-ordinator. The brothers also did not have a principal contractor so had assumed that role, giving them the responsibility for planning, managing and monitoring the health and safety aspects of the construction work.

However, no design or construction plans existed and there was no risk assessment or agreed safe system of work. They also failed to check the contractor was suitably competent to do the work. The wall panels he used were unsuitable and the workmen he employed on site had no training or experience in construction.

In addition, the brothers allowed the contractor to use an untrained crane driver, using a 25 tonne capacity crane that had gone without the required annual thorough examination for 10 ten years.

They also failed to supervise or monitor the construction work, which involved a lot of working at height. There were no suitable measures to prevent or mitigate any effects of a fall.

Andrew Evans, of Gwarllwyn Farm, Rhydlewis, Llandysul and David Evans of Esgair Tangwst, Rhydlewis each pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and were each fined a total of £9,000. Each was also ordered to pay costs of £3,560.

HSE inspector Phil Nicolle said after the hearing: “Farmers cannot ignore their legal duties for health and safety when arranging construction work on their farms. The contractor in this case suffered life-threatening injuries and has yet to make a full recovery.

“The Evans brothers were undertaking a major construction project and failed to make the crucial appointment of a construction design and management co-ordinator to advise them on their responsibilities and how to manage the project safely. They took on the responsibilities of a principal contractor for planning, managing and monitoring the health and safety aspects of the construction work, and in all these respects they failed significantly.

“If farmers use contractors for any work they simply cannot tell them what to do and let them get on with it. Both the client and the contractor have legal duties for health and safety that can’t be passed to each other by contract. This means they have to work with each other to make sure the job is done safely. Farmers must always question their contractors about their health and safety arrangements.”

Seasonally adjusted estimates for the number of residential property transactions in the UK decreased by 0.2% between May and June, according to the latest figures from HMRC

June’s sales figure is also 15.7% higher compared to the same month last year while the trend since the beginning of 2013/2014 has been of a general month on month increase in transactions, this halted in February.

The HMRC report says that since February there has been a gradual decrease followed by a flattening out of transaction numbers.

Recent non-seasonally-adjusted transactions peaked in June 2014 and November 2013 at similar levels, both being the highest levels since November 2007 but it must be remembered that the figures for the two most recent months are provisional and therefore subject to revision.

Peter Rollings, chief executive officer of Marsh & Parsons, pointed out that the figures shows that the UK property market is singing a different tune to that heard at the start of this year. ‘The fierce competition for properties and unprecedented house price growth has subsided as a new wave of supply has come onto the market, stabilising price rises and restoring normality to trading conditions,’ he said.

‘Both buyers and sellers alike are benefitting from this new calmness in the market, with a greater array of available property to choose from and slightly slower pace of activity making stepping onto the ladder or trading up a less daunting prospect,’ he explained.

‘The implementation of tighter lending criteria and affordability checks has lengthened the borrowing process and cooled the market during this transitional phase. This wave of regulatory change will ensure lasting sustainability and responsibility of growth, but the government and the Bank of England need to be careful that future interventions are not premature and overzealous. Beyond the capital, the housing market recovery still requires a watchful eye,’ he added.

According to Jonathan Hudson of West End estate agent Hudsons Property in London, the property market is cooling but still strong. ‘We are still achieving top prices but some of the urgency has subsided. Certain measures put in place, like the overseas buyers capital gains tax and potential interest rate rises have not really affected the market,’ he said.

‘However, tighter lending criteria have slowed increases and buyers are being more considered before offering. This is also allowing more property to reach the market, giving buyers more choice,’ he added.

Few residential properties were sold in Cyprus in the first quarter of 2014, mainly due to the prevailing economic conditions, according to the latest index from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Due to this and the turbulence in Cyprus’ banking system there was a sharp reduction in interest from buyers and those interested were unable to access bank finance or their deposits, the report says.

An increase in unemployment, further decreases in salaries also had an impact on the Mediterranean island’s property market but the report says there were also signs of the Cyprus economy stabilising.

Overall the Cyprus Property Price Index recorded falls in almost all cities and asset classes, with significant falls being recorded in Nicosia and Limassol.

‘Nicosia is clearly feeling the impact on the government and banking sector, the two sectors who dominate the local employment market, whilst other cities are progressively bottoming out,’ the report points out.

Across Cyprus, residential prices for both houses and flats fell by 1.4% and 2.6% respectively, with the biggest drop being in Famagusta where the price of houses declined by 4% and flats by 9.3%.

Values of retail properties fell by an average of 1.7%, whilst those of offices and warehouses fell by 1.4% and 0.9% respectively.

It means that compared to the first quarter of 2013, prices for flats have gone down by 10.7%, and houses by 7.8%. In the commercial property sector retail property has fallen by 14.8% year on year, offices by 10.4% and warehouses by 11.4%.
Across Cyprus, on a quarterly basis rental values for apartments decreased by 1.4%, house rentals by 1.6%, retail units by 1.2%, warehouses by 3.1% and offices by 1.2%.

Year on year apartment rents have fallen by 11.3%, houses by 12.6%, retail property by 23.3%, warehouses by 14% and offices by 15.4%.

‘The majority of asset classes and geographies continue to be affected, with areas that had dropped the most early on in the property cycle now nearing the trough, the report adds.

It also shows that at the end of the first quarter of 2014 average gross yields stood at 3.9% for apartments, 1.9% for houses, 5.3% for retail, 4.4% for warehouses, and 4.3% for offices.

‘The parallel reduction in capital values and rents is keeping investment yields relatively stable and at very low levels compared to yields overseas. This suggests that there is still room for re-pricing of capital values to take place,’ the report concludes.

Almost all landlords in the UK report that tenant demand is currently stable or growing, according to the latest quarterly survey from specialist buy to let lender Paragon Mortgages.

Landlords also reported an average yield across their rental portfolio of 6.2% in the second quarter of the year, a slight increase on the previous quarter when the average was 6.1%. The average yield has remained around this level for the past 12 months.

In the second quarter 38% of landlords said that they were feeling more optimistic about the prospects for their rental portfolios. Some 56% stated that there had been no change in their views, and just 4% said they were feeling pessimistic about prospects.

Looking ahead, 16% of landlords are planning to add to their rental portfolios during the third quarter.

The survey also shows that there has been no change in the types of property landlords are planning to invest in, with terraced houses remaining the most popular with 55% of those expecting to buy choosing this property type.

There has been a slight increase in popularity of detached houses, with 15% of landlords expecting to buy this property type compared to 12% last quarter.

Some 72% of landlords said that they thought rental arrears levels would remain stable in the next year, only 11% expect levels to increase. Overall, the feedback from landlords suggests that only marginal movement in tenant arrears is predicted.

‘It is interesting to see the improvement in confidence amongst landlords in the private rented sector. We are seeing much more activity in the private rented sector and, in turn, the buy to let market as a result of continuing strong rental demand and the investments made by landlords,’ said John Heron, managing director of Paragon Mortgages.

‘Tenant demand is clearly staying very healthy, and this is likely to remain a common trend over the coming months, particularly as we are still not seeing the level of house building that the wider housing market so desperately needs,’ he explained.

Vinci subsidiary Nuvia has been handed the tricky tasks of taking down the tallest chimney stack at the Sellafield nuclear plant.

The 61m chimney sits on top of the 11-storey First Generation Reprocessing Plant, standing 122m high in total.

It is right in the centre of one of the busiest areas of the site, so cannot just be knocked down or blown up. Instead it will be surgically dismantled using a special platform, a process that will take several years to complete. Some 600 tonnes of concrete and rebar and more than 25 tonnes of stainless steel will be removed, bit by bit.

Project manager Matthew Hodgson said: “The job of bringing down the stack is going to be a delicate operation to ensure 100% safety of all personnel and surrounding nuclear plants.  We have employed Nuvia Limited who has been working with us and a number of other contractors, including Delta Steeplejacks, for the last three years on the demolition scheme.

“Obviously conventional demolition using explosives is not feasible therefore we will use an ingenious self-climbing platform which will bring the chimney down bit by bit in a controlled manner.”

This technique is similar to that being used to bring down the chimneys of Battersea Power Station. 

Mr Hodgson added: “A mini-replica of the tapered chimney will be built to test the methodology as the diameter of the chimney increases the lower you go down, so the platform will correspondingly have to increase in size.  A specialist diamond wire cutting system will be used to remove large sections of the concrete structure and the internal metal flue, all of which will have to be lowered to the base of the stack for monitoring before disposal.”

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Built in the early 1950s the first generation reprocessing plant carried out the first stage of reprocessing fuel from the Windscale Pile Reactors to produce materials for the UK’s Cold War defence programme.  It was later modified as a head end plant for commercial oxide fuels following the opening of the Magnox reprocessing plant 50 years ago. Operations ceased in 1974 and oxide reprocessing was transferred to the Thorp reprocessing plant in 1994.

Recent assessments of the 1950s stack have confirmed that it doesn’t meet modern design standards and its removal is considered a high priority for Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

Work on site will soon begin to install an industrial lift and a roof bridge structure, allowing access to the base of the chimney. The lift and bridge will then be used for the removal of waste materials when demolition starts.

Nuvia is the nuclear division of Soletanche Freyssinet, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vinci.

Sellafield Ltd has been owned and operated by Nuclear Management Partners (NMP) since 2008. NMP is a joint venture of URS, Amec and Areva.

Across the UK buyers of prime property are continuing to favour urban locations and homes in cities are now on average just 1.7% below their peak, a new analysis shows.

Prime properties in regional cities saw growth of 1.7% in the three months to the end of June, with annual growth totalling 8.1%, driven by demand from those relocating from London and downsizers.

This compares to quarterly growth of 0.9% for village properties and 0.5% for prime properties in rural locations, and annual growth of 5.3% and 3.3% respectively, according to the analysis from real estate firm Savills.

However, the report points out that the market above £2 million remains more fragile, with the price threshold that resulted from stamp duty increases remaining entrenched. This is evidenced in the prime country house market which recorded quarterly growth of just 0.1%.

‘The recovery in this high value marketplace is hard to generalise, since every property and location is unique. Some properties are selling rapidly, with competition, while others require price adjustments to sell as fragile buyer sentiment remains susceptible to the changing news agenda, in particular the renewed spectre of a mansion tax,’ the report says.

It also explains that the prime market is responding to the positive sentiment in the mainstream market, with stock levels increasing as downsizers in particular sense an opportunity to sell into a more buoyant market.

‘However, in some cases, headlines of house price growth are giving sellers a false impression of the value of their property, creating a gap between their expectations and those of the buyers who are sensitive to headlines of interest rate rises and the like,’ it adds.

‘At the top end of the market, there is a threat around the 2015 election, given that taxation of high value properties is high on the political agenda. We expect values to plateau in locations with a high concentration of properties over £2 million as buyers remain cautious. New sellers entering the market should price for these market conditions,’ the report points out.

‘However, assuming there are no further changes to the taxation of high value property, our outlook for the prime regional markets remains positive, with a forecast of 22.7% over the five years to 2018,’ it says.

It also shows that the strongest growth continues to be seen closer to the capital reflecting a displacement of London housing wealth into commuter markets. The prime suburbs have outperformed the capital for the first time since the credit crunch, recording growth of 5.7% in the first six months of 2014, compared to the prime London average of 4.9%.

Values throughout the commuter zone are now back to, or above, their 2007 peak levels. This quarter saw house prices in the outer commuter zone, a ring of up to one hour’s travel distance from the capital, return to peak for the first time.

However, beyond the commuter zone, prices remain some way below their 2007 peak, despite annual price growth. At the extreme, in Scotland, where the…

A London construction company and the director of a Hertfordshire roofing firm must pay out close to £30,000 after a worker broke his back falling through a void for a roof light.

The fall occurred on a site in Brent on 29 February 2012. Golders Green-based Right Angle was refurbishing and extending three residential properties. Some of the work had been subcontracted to Rickmansworth-based John Donald, trading as John Donald Roofing. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted both parties after identifying a number of safety failings across the site as well as those linked to the roof work.

Westminster Magistrates Court heard last week that the injured worker, then aged 28, fell as he cleared materials from a flat roof. He picked up a piece of ply board that he assumed was debris without realising it concealed a roof light void beneath. He fell feet first through the void and landed on the first floor some 5.6 metres below, fracturing his spine on impact.

HSE established that the measures taken to mark and protect this and other similar voids were unacceptable, and that other workers could have suffered a similar fate.

Numerous other height safety failings were identified on the site, including lack edge protection, fall risks on the scaffold, open joists, and open staircases where there were no handrails.

Fire risks and inadequate fire prevention measures were also noted, as well as numerous slip and trip hazards caused by excess rubbish and debris, and dangerously stacked window frames.

Right Angle Ltd, of Finchley Road, London, NW11, was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £5,375 after pleading guilty to a single breach of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

John Donald, of New Road, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, was fined £4,000 with £3,965 costs after admitting a breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

HSE inspector Danielle Coppell said after the hearing: “There were numerous failings on the part of Right Angle Ltd that exposed multiple operatives to a host of foreseeable risks, including falls, slips and trips. John Donald has to accept culpability as an experienced roofer who should have known better. He instructed the injured worker to work in an unsafe area where there were wholly insufficient measures in place to prevent or mitigate a fall. The end result is that a young man has sustained life-changing spinal injuries from which he may never fully recover.”

Construction is set to start this year on the first of 30 more tower blocks that are to be built at London’s Canary Wharf.

With Tower Hamlets Council yesterday giving planning permission for a multi-billion pound extension of Canary Wharf, contractors will begin work before the year is out.

Canary Wharf Group plans to build a net 4.9m sq ft (6.5m sq ft gross) mixed use development at Wood Wharf, which is the eastern continuation to the existing Canary Wharf district.

The scheme will result in a further 30 big tower blocks at Canary Wharf, with roughly half the new space for apartments, making Canary Wharf a place to live as well as work. Completion of the first phase of this development will coincide with the arrival in 2018 of the Crossrail train service at Canary Wharf.

The new Canary Wharf neighbourhood will provide a net 2.6m sq ft (3.4m sq ft gross) of residential space, including 3,100 new homes, ranging from park-side townhouses to high-rise buildings designed by signature architects. Among the new tower blocks will be a network of parks and public squares with approximately nine acres of interconnected public spaces, including 1km of dock-edge walkways.

The new district will also include net 1.9m sq ft of office space (2.6 sq ft gross), targeting the media, technology and telecoms sectors.

The masterplan by Allies & Morrison also includes a primary school, an NHS medical centre, a community centre, a hotel and more than 100 high street shops, restaurants and cafes.

 Canary Wharf Group chairman and CEO Sir George Iacobescu said: "We are very pleased to have worked in collaboration with Tower Hamlets and the local community in helping to achieve this important planning permission. This major eastern development of Canary Wharf will reinforce the district as one of London's most vibrant and dynamic mixed-use commercial and residential districts. It will combine new high quality offices aimed at the fast emerging TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunications) sector; a wide variety of high street shops and restaurants, and a range of new housing opportunities designed around generous newly created public spaces. We expect to be on site in the fourth quarter of 2014, with the first buildings to be occupied as early as the end of 2018."

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The average small and medium sized construction company carried trade debt of £484,000 last year, according to a new survey.

Companies with 10-49 employees and a turnover between £2m – £10m were the worst hit, with an average debt of £627,000 – representing 16% of turnover.

Debt recovery firm Debt Guard Solicitors analysed the accounts of 550 construction SMEs.

Firms with fewer than 10 employees and a turnover of less than £2m each had an average trade debt of £41,000, accounting for a slightly smaller 14% of turnover.

 Medium-sized companies with between 50 and 249 employees and a turnover between £10m and £100m, as expected, had the highest levels of SME trade debt at £969,000. This accounted for a more manageable 13% of turnover.

Debt Guard Solicitors chief operating officer Mark Burgess said: “This research highlights the financial headache caused by outstanding and unpaid bills in the construction sector. It is clear that smaller SMEs in particular need much greater support in this respect, as many are facing the very real threat of closure due to trade debt pressure.

“Our message to all construction SMEs struggling with late payment is, ‘don’t write off your debt’, look at legal ways to professionally recover it as, by improving credit flow, this will help put your business on a more stable financial footing.”

If Labour wins next year’s general election, there will be an end to umbrella companies and a full public inquiry into construction’s blacklisting scandal.

These are just two of the measures put forward by construction unions and agreed by the Labour Party’s national policy forum last weekend.

On blacklisting the Labour Party has agreed that: “If the current government will not launch a full inquiry into the disgraceful practice of blacklisting in the construction industry the next Labour government will. This inquiry will be transparent and public to ensure the truth is set out.”

The policy statement adopted on employment status in the construction industry is: “False self-employment in construction is a scandal that is costing the taxpayer hundreds of millions each year…..The next Labour government will put this right by tackling problems with the Construction Industry Scheme and setting criteria for deeming contracts in the construction industry for an individual’s personal service to be employment contracts for the purpose of both taxation and employment rights, and will abolish the loopholes in existing deeming measures, including through the use of umbrella and payroll companies.”

Other issues close to the hearts of construction union activists have also made it into Labour policy. For example, papers relating to the 1972 trial of the Shrewsbury pickets will be made public.

On pleural plaques it was agreed: “Labour will introduce legislation for a proper compensation scheme for sufferers of asbestosis and asbestos related conditions, ensuring they are given the payment they are duly owed without delay, by enshrining the levy on the insurance industry in law. This will secure a sustainable funding stream for compensation for victims and ongoing research into asbestos related diseases and their treatment. The compensation scheme will be extended to include pleural plaques should evidence be found to show pleural plaques are symptomatic.”

On the treatment of construction workers in Qatar it was agreed that: “Labour is appalled by the human rights abuses being perpetuated in Qatar and deprecates the system of sponsored employment known as the Kafala system; Labour calls on the Qatari authorities to adopt ILO Conventions of Freedom of Association and to ensure all migrant workers are covered by the standards contained in Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and legacy Worker’s Charter. If the Qatari authorities fail to take appropriate steps Labour will call for Qatar’s right to host the 2022 World Cup to be removed”.

Steve Murphy, general secretary of Ucatt, said: “Ucatt is delighted that Labour has agreed these commitments. Labour has listened to Ucatt concerns and the concerns of construction workers. The challenge will now be in ensuring they are implemented by securing a Labour victory at next year’s general election.”

Property sells faster in Cambridge than any other city in the UK, taking only 27 days on average to be marked as sold, according to leading real estate portal Rightmove.

The University and techno city is closely followed by London boroughs of Lewisham and Sutton both with 29 days and Waltham Forest with 31 days. Warwick at 33 days and St Albans at 34 days) also make the fastest selling top 10.

Overall the average time to sell has fallen to 65 days this year compared to 75 days in the same period in 2013 with properties across the country selling 10 days faster than this time last year.

In the slower selling markets properties could be for sale for an average of more than 100 days before a deal is made, with areas in Wales and the North making up the majority of the list.

Powys in Wales has the slowest selling properties, taking 113 days on average, followed by Gwynedd at 112 days and Sefton in Merseyside at 106 days.

The new data includes all properties that were changed to Sold Subject to Contract (SSTC) by agents during April to June 2014, and measures the interval of time since they were first listed for sale on Rightmove.

Although some of the slower towns have seen increases in time to sell compared with 2013, all regional averages have fallen showing the housing market recovery to be broad based.

The biggest falls year on year were in London with 32% drop from 60 to 41 days, the South East with a 22% drop from 65 to 51 days and the East with a 20% drop from 70 to 56 days. The North East sees the smallest fall of 2% from 90 to 88 days, followed by Wales with a 5% fall from 92 to 87 days.

‘This new data shows just how different the pace of the housing market is at a very local level, and clearly displays that speed is key for both buyers and sellers,’ said Miles Shipside, Rightmove director and housing market analyst.
‘Buyers want to know that they can be the first to find new properties on the market, and sellers expect to have their property marketed as quickly as possible to find a suitable buyer,’ he added.

Shipside pointed out that when selling a property you need to consider local market conditions to help set the asking price and ask your agent how soon they can have your property on the market.

‘Our study looks at the average time from first listing, to being confident enough in the buyer's ability to proceed, to actually mark it up as sold subject to contract. So although some sellers might find a potential buyer in a few days, the averages reflect the time taken to carry out thorough checks to minimise the risk of the sale falling through,’ he explained.
‘A good agent will establish proof of cash, ability to get a…

EDF Energy and trade unions have reached agreement on collective agreements for workers involved in building the proposed new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset.

The agreements with the unions GMB, Prospect, Ucatt and Unite, cover supervisors and support service workers as well as construction workers. They set the project's policies and culture for effective collaboration between all parties involved, including EDF Energy management, contractors, unions and the entire workforce, EDF said.

The agreements are for not just pay and productivity, but also industrial relations, recruitment, training, health and welfare, as well as skills development and workforce communications.

The new deal builds on an agreement signed between EDF Energy and the construction unions last year, giving a minimum craft rate of £13 an hour.

Approximately 5,600 people are expected to be employed on site at peak of construction on the £14bn project. EDF said that it was important to secure these agreements now, even though the project is still subject to a final investment decision, so that it and when the project does go ahead, it will stay on schedule.

EDF Energy chief executive Vincent de Rivaz said: “These landmark agreements have been reached through constructive dialogue, with genuine commitment on all sides. The collective nature of these agreements is their most important feature, and they represent a new template for others to follow. They ensure that the Hinkley Point C project will benefit from excellent workforce relations, with everyone working as one team with a common approach agreed ahead of time.

“These progressive agreements are genuinely novel, and will help us ensure we have the right team of people in place to deliver the project.”

A leading piling specialist has issued a warning to main contractors and clients that, with construction industry recovery under way, they need to factor in longer lead times to avoid project delays.

Aarsleff UK is warning that the time between securing a contract and being able to mobilise on site is coming under strain as the number of contracts being let increases.

Managing director Chris Primett said: “Whilst it is great to see signs of recovery within the construction sector, the demand this presents on a finite pool of resources, positions occupied by the specialist contractor such as piling, is considerable. The ability to adapt to the rate of contracts available is not an easy one and has the potential to ultimately present itself on site.”

With lead times for many construction materials being stretched, with some block manufacturers quoting lead times of four months and longer, as well as for the services of the specialist contractors, Aarsleff says there are wider ramifications. “Any delays can cause problems on site but they could also threaten the rate of the UK’s recovery and possibly lead to swings in the price of construction products and services as a consequence of supply and demand.”

Mr Primett continued: “As well as a better appreciation by Tier 1 contractors and clients that longer lead times may be needed, there must also be a better understanding of the effects moving previously programmed start dates can have on a specialist contractor, as this might have quite a significant impact, especially for any follow-on-projects that may have been committed to. Piling, as the work of specialist contractors, has always been considered a long lead-time element and where these appear on the construction time-scale or pathway, they should be given due consideration and scheduling so that any delays do not to impact on the entire project.”

He acknowledged that suppliers and subcontractors had a role to play in preventing scheduling problems.  “It is important that specialist contractors clearly identify lead times and communicate these to clients from the outset of discussions,” he said. “This will allow projects to be planned better, with works scheduled and front-end elements like piling and ground works may even benefit from early contract placement to protect the entire project and remove them as the rate limiting step for future works on the construction pathway.”

Wellingborough-based construction training provider Citrus Training has acquired near neighbour Altitude Safety, which supplies safety equipment.

Altitude specialises in the sale, hire and servicing of personal protective equipment, breathing apparatus, gas monitoring and detection equipment, alcohol & drug testing kits, fall arrest systems and compressors.

“Altitude is a great fit for Citrus,” said Citrus managing director Wayne Taylor. “Both companies share similar philosophies with a passion for developing a culture of safety, understanding customer needs and exceeding expectations.”

Former Heathrow Airport chief executive Colin Matthews has been appointed non-executive chairman of the Highways Agency (HA).

He takes over from Alan Cook, who has been in post since 2011.

Mr Matthews will have to pilot the transformation of the Highways Agency into a government-owned company, assuming that the Infrastructure Bill that will do this is enacted before the next general election.  Mr Cook is credited with coming up with the reform plan.

An engineer by professional background, Colin Matthews has run various types of infrastructure businesses. Before joining BAA and subsequently Heathrow, his previous jobs include running gas company Transco, recruitment firm Hays and water company Severn Trent.

The new chairman will take up his post at the Highways Agency on 1 September 2014. He will be paid £130,000 for a minimum of 78 days’ work a year. This is more than Mr Cook has been getting – “to reflect the revised role, the challenges that the Highways Agency face in the coming years”, the government’s official statement said.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “Colin Matthews’ appointment demonstrates the commitment we have to revolutionising our roads. His strong business record will give the new strategic highways company the leadership and focus on customer service it needs, which means taxpayers and road users will get a network fit for the future economic demands of this country.”

Mr Matthews said: “I am delighted to be taking up the chair of the Highways Agency. Roads matter to drivers and the economy. My focus will be on making them work better. Long-term stable investment will mean that all road users will be better able to get to their destination safely and quickly‎.”