Carillion has reported a modest improvement in its finances for the first half of the year, with turnover down 5% but pre-tax profit up 5%.

The fall in turnover was in line with corporate strategy to reduce exposure to low margin construction work. However, the company says it is now “well positioned to target revenue growth in the full year”. The order book, including probable orders, has risen during the first half of the year from £18.0bn to £19.5bn, with £3.2bn of new and probable orders added over the six month period.

Revenue for the six months to 30 June 2014 was £1,871.0m, down from £1,964.6m in 2013. This follows a trend that saw Carillion’s first half revenue come down from £2.5bn in 2011 to £2.2bn in 2012.

Pre-tax profit for 2014 H1 was £67.5m, up from £64.2m in 2013 H1 and £64.1m in 2012 H1.

Revenue in the construction services segment (excluding Middle East) was down 8% to £462.1m. Underlying operating profit was up 1% to £19.2m.

Support services saw revenue shrink 1% to £1,100.8m and underlying operating profit grow 25% to £55.3m.

Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects generated £95.5m in revenue, down 24%, with underlying operating profit down 44% to £20.5m.

Revenue from Middle East construction services was down 4% to £212.6m, with underlying operating profit up 33% to £13.2m.

Chairman Philip Green said: "Carillion continues to perform in line with the board's expectations, reflecting the benefits of the early actions we took in response to the economic downturn, notably the planned rescaling of our UK construction business, together with our continuing strong work-winning performance. Having realigned our businesses to the size of the markets in which we operate, the group is well positioned to benefit from its strong work-winning performance over the last 18 months and from its high-quality pipeline of contract opportunities across our target markets. Consequently, the board's expectations for 2014 remain unchanged and we expect to make further progress in the medium term."

Flat sales in the prime central London property market are down 11% year on year but house transactions are up 20%, the latest market report shows.

The data from agents W.A. Ellis also show that there has been a 13% fall in sales in the second quarter of 2014 of properties priced over £10 million compared with the same period last year.

In the prime central London rental sector new tenancies are up by 84% compared to the same period in 2013 and the student market in full swing as demand exceeds supply.

The fall in the number of flat transactions could be down to concerns about a mansion tax which has not been completely ruled out by the government, according to Richard Barber, partner at W.A. Ellis.

He also pointed out that the trend shows that the achieved prices are below the original asking prices, and doesn't take into account any price reductions throughout the property's time on the market. Currently a fifth of all property on the market has had a price reduction at some point.

A breakdown of the figures shows that the average price per square foot paid on property above £10 million in prime central London increased by 31% from 2009 to 2013, however, in the second quarter of 2014 this fell to 5.7%.

There has also been a 13.6% reduction in instructions in the second quarter compared with the same period in 2013. In contrast, the sub £2 million market has seen an average price per square foot rise of 4.1% across London.

‘Over the past few weeks, we've exchanged on a wide range of properties, from a prime car parking space near the Albert Hall to the highly coveted Chester Street at £7,375,000. As we approach the autumn market, realistic pricing is key and serious sellers must look at recent sales evidence before they consider their asking price and not let agents talk them into marketing at a figure that will not be achieved,’ added Barber.

Lucy Morton, senior partner and head of lettings at W.A. Ellis, revealed that it has been the busiest start to a month the firm has ever known with regards to new tenancies, which have increased by 84% compared to the same period last year.
‘The seasonal student market is in full swing, with students focusing on finding accommodation for the upcoming year and demand exceeding supply,’ she said.

‘The family house market is also facing a lack of supply due to landlords selling because of uncertainty around a possible mansion tax. Landlords who choose to stay are benefitting, however, and this week we've seen three good Chelsea houses in Jubilee Place, Flood Street and Markham Square let within a week of reaching the market,’ she pointed out.

‘It is this level of the market that is most interesting and reflective of the recovering employment market. Corporate relocation budgets have increased, and we've seen the family house market rise by 3.4% in the second quarter of 2014,’…

More than one in five property owners in the UK are interested in getting solar panels installed on their homes and many think it will make their home more saleable.

Some 21% said they would like to get panels, some 6.4% already have them and a further 3.6% and planning to get them, according to a new poll conducted on behalf of Ocean Finance.

Across the UK, home owners in London are twice as likely to have solar panels installed on their property than residents elsewhere in the country. Some 15% of property owners in the capital revealed they have the panels, which is almost double that of the area where the products are the next most popular in East Anglia where just 8% of home owners have them.

Meanwhile, 13% said that although they own a property, they do not think their roof would be suitable for hosting solar panels. This might be because the roof is not strong enough to support the panels, is north-facing or because the owners live in a flat.

A further 6% of home owners revealed they have been unable to secure planning permission for the work, while half admitted they are simply not interested in investing in the technology.

When asked why they are not considering solar panels, the main reason given by these respondents was the up-front cost involved, cited by 35%. According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average cost of a solar panel system for a domestic property in the UK comes to between £6,000 and £7,400.

However, it points out that the technology falls within the improvements eligible for the government’s Green Deal, which allows people to pay for the energy efficient work they have had done through the money they save on their utility bills.

Other reasons given by home owners who are not interested in solar panels include a belief that there is not enough sun where they live, with 20% saying this, although usually it is only north-facing roofs that some installers claim may not get enough light.

Some 19% said that uncertainty as to whether they would get a financial return on their investment put them off while 14% revealed they did not like the way the panels look and 8.2% simply don’t see the point in solar power.

‘Solar panels remain a dividing subject among home owners in the UK, but one in five appear to be interested in installing the technology and generating some of their own power,’ said Ian Williams, spokesman for Ocean Finance.

‘While the up-front cost is off-putting to many, the government’s Green Deal finance plan allows eligible home owners to repay the balance through the savings they make on their electricity,’ he pointed out.

‘There are other options available people could use to fund the work, such as home improvement loans, although home owners should be aware that securing finance against their property could mean their house is at risk if they do not keep up with the repayments,’ he explained.

‘Once…

There are signs that the property market in Cyprus is recovering from the downturn which saw sales plunge and prices fall considerably after the island has to seek financial back up from the European Union.

The latest figures from the Land Registry shows that there has been an increase in domestic and foreign buyers but it must be remembered that the growth is coming from a very low base.

Overall sales to foreign buyers have increased by 20% year on year in the first five months of 2014 with the biggest growth in Nicosia, Famagusta and Limassol.

Nicosia has seen the number of sales in this period rise from 246 to 371, a rise of 51%, Famagusta from 89 to 136, a rise of 53% and Limassol from 366 to 529, a rise of 45%.

In other locations popular with overseas buyers, Larnaca has seen a small rise in transactions, up 10% from 264 to 290 but Paphos has seen sales fall, down from 547 to 484, a decrease of 12%.

The Land Registry data shows that overall 551 bills of sales were submitted in May this year, an increase of 157% compared to May last year. Over the same timescale the number from foreign buyers has increased from 71 to 153, a rise of 115.5%.

‘There is a significant increase in the purchase of real estate by foreigners on a national basis. This suggests that Cyprus with its attractive prices offered in combination of quality products and service, good weather, geographical and geopolitical position, the legal framework, the low corporate tax, as well as the conditions in our neighbouring countries, continues to attract the interest of foreign and local investors,’ said Alecos Vilanos, manager of Vilanos Real Estate.

He believes that Limassol is set to lead the way for foreign buyers with its major marina project having been recently opened to the public on June 19. It is expected that recent offshore discoveries and the development of the island’s energy sector is expected to attract a significant number of local and foreign property investors.

‘The real estate sector still retains the leading role in terms of the recovery of Cyprus’s economy. Incentives to real estate investors in terms of permanent residence permits for non-European nationals are expected to increase the demand for real estate and boost the investment market for offices, homes and other facilities,’ Vilanos explained.

‘There is optimism around of a full recovery of the property sector in Cyprus, and in particular in attracting a larger number of buyers and investors. Investments in property over time lead to long term benefits and never lose their values,’ he pointed out.

‘The Land Registry figures point to a gradual recovery of the property market with an increasing interest from foreign investors and buyers. The situation in the real estate market is showing signs of stabilisation. However, in order to achieve a complete recovery and return to normalcy, the restrictions concerning financing for purchase or real estate…

First time buyers have boosted annual growth in the UK’s housing market activity despite a seasonally quiet month of July, according to the latest research from chartered surveyors.

The total number of valuations carried out in July 2014 is 14% higher than in July 2013, according to the latest monthly report from Connells Survey & Valuation.

This is despite a seasonal slowdown of 21% compared to June and in line with an average 22% dip between each June and July since 2007.

Annual increases are led by first time buyer activity which is up 23% since July 2013, and with first time buyers showing the smallest seasonal drop off, at 17% from June to July.

According to John Bagshaw, corporate services director of Connells Survey & Valuation, a motoring economy is bringing with it renewed consumer confidence and emphasis on first time buyers from lenders, partly due to government schemes, appears to be getting people on to the property ladder.

‘We’re not on an open road to prosperity yet. After the summer slowdown, there will be more clarification on the long term impact of various potential speed bumps. The limiter could be interest rate rises or the fundamental squeeze on affordability for many would be buyers. But with consistent double digit annual growth in activity, there is now a growing sense that the housing market is running more smoothly,’ he explained.

Overall the report says that the number of valuations for those already on the property ladder has been more sedate. Home mover valuations number 12% more than in July last year, or around half the annual growth in activity among new buyers. On a monthly basis, the number of home mover valuations dipped by 19% between June and July.

‘Further up the chain the market is more muted. Plenty of householders are content to sit on an appreciating asset, often sticking with a mortgage they know. Jumping in the deep end just before interest rates change direction feels like a leap of faith. Despite this, some home owners, taking advantage of strong property prices, have used their added value to upsize,’ said Bagshaw.

Remortgaging activity in July is up 11% from July 2013. On a monthly basis the number of valuations for remortgaging purposes fell 25% since June, faster than the overall monthly drop. Due to this, remortgaging as a proportion of all activity has normalised, returning to the average 26% level of the last year, from 28% of all valuations in June.

‘A squeezed middle is still not feeling the full effect of recent good economic news with many choosing to rejig their finances. Particularly ahead of a rate rise many will be looking to catch the fixed rate train, even as lenders already start to price-in slightly more expensive funding over the next few years,’ explained Bagshaw.

The firm reports that buy to let valuations activity has increased 3% on an annual basis but between June and July it saw a 26% fall. This is in line…

Derby City Council has released a time lapse video (below) showing progress on Bowmer & Kirkland’s £27.5m velodrome project.

At high speed, the video shows 265,000 nails being hand-driven into the 250-metre track of the Derby Arena velodrome over a six-week track construction period.

The geometry of the track was designed by a specialist track building company from Germany who also sourced, fabricated and installed the timber, which came from the pine forests of Siberia.

The venue is scheduled to open early next year.

Councillor Alison Martin, Derby’s cabinet member for leisure and culture, said: “Derby Arena is one of the most stunning sports venues in the country, clad in beautiful Olympic colours. This new video allows the world to see the cycle track take shape, which is the centrepiece of this state- of- the- art facility. Many cyclists will be eagerly waiting their chance to use the track, and thousands of people in and around Derby will be keen to use the other fantastic sporting facilities it provides.”

The music, in case you are curious, is Orchid, by Black Sabbath.

Annual house price growth in Scotland has reached a four year high with property prices up 5.7% in a year, outpacing many other parts of the UK.

The latest LSL Acadata index shows prices are up by £8,890 and they are just 0.9% off the pre-crisis peak. This takes the average house price to £164,105.

However the growth is only a third of the pre-crisis rate and in half of Scotland saw prices drop in June. But home sales are also strong, up 15% in June and back on course after a springtime lull.

With the independence vote just a few weeks away, Gordon Fowlis, regional managing director of Your Move, an estate agency chain that is part of LSL, said the housing market is in good health ahead of the referendum.

‘Price growth in the last 12 months is the biggest rise we’ve experienced since September 2010. This is stronger than the annual rises in the North of England, the Midlands and Wales. While the majority of regions across England and Wales are witnessing price falls, the Scottish market is moving the other way,’ he pointed out.

In Aberdeenshire prices climbed to a new high of £228,802 last month and Fowlis pointed out that many households are feeling the weight lift off their shoulders as consumer confidence in the economic recovery mounts.

‘The housing market may have been temporarily subdued in the immediate clamour surrounding the MMR regulatory changes, but activity is again apparent, and sales rose 15% in June, up 26% on the previous year,’ he explained.

While this is widely regarded as a step in the right direction, he also pointed out that in the first six months of this year, property transactions totalled 42,200, which is just half of the volume in 2007/2008.

The data also shows that in reality, it’s a tale of two cities as a quarter of all house sales across Scotland in June were in Glasgow and Edinburgh, pushing average property prices in these cities up 4.5% and 4.2% respectively over the course of the month.

Peter Williams, housing market specialist and chairman of Acadata, said that there were substantial increases in the number of properties changing hands in both cities. Compared to May, 130 more flats were sold in Edinburgh in June and in Glasgow 60 more flats and 30 more terraces. In both cities, this increase in demand raised the average prices paid for flats, by £20,000 in Edinburgh and by £15,000 in Glasgow.

‘The market in Scotland is currently looking robust. The number of housing transactions that have taken place in each of the 11 months from August 2013 to June 2014 have been higher than the same months in the previous five years, with the first six months of 2014 seeing a 25% increase in sales over the first six months of 2013,’ he explained.

‘There were positive house price movements over the year at an average rate of 5.7% in 29 of the 32 local authority areas,…

The ladder exchange programme is running once again this year, starting next month and running until the end of the year.

Under the scheme, contractors, businesses and householders alike can trade in old ladders and get a part exchange deal on a new one. The aim is to encourage the removal of dangerous damaged ladders from circulation.

The initiative was first run by the Health & Safety Executive in 2010 but was subsequently taken over by the Ladder Association, an industry trade body.

Ladder Association chairman, Cameron Clow said: “This is our third year running the Ladder Exchange, which has been an excellent means of getting out the ladder safety message while helping people in a practical way. Thousands of ladders were traded in last year, saving a lot of people and businesses money and, more importantly, hopefully lives as well.”

Information on where to exchange old ladders is available from the Ladder Exchange website (ladderexchange.org.uk).

A new law comes into force this week to stop council building managers ripping off their tenants.

The legislation has been dubbed Florries’ law after a 93-year-old woman who was hit with a £50,000 bill by her local authority for roof repairs that weren’t even needed.

The new law caps the amount councils can charge leaseholders for repairs to their homes.

Outside London the maximum level will be levied at £10,000 in any five year period. Within London the limit is £15,000. Any costs above this will have to be borne by the local authority itself.

Local government secretary Eric Pickles vowed to introduce the cap after his constituent Florence Bourne went to her grave with the shame of debt around her neck.

Newham Council based its fee on a guess because it had not conducted a proper survey on the first-floor flat. It later emerged the roof would have lasted another 40 years and the work was unnecessary. Florrie’s family say she ‘died of shame’ because she had never been in debt in her life and simply could not afford to pay the bill for work on her Brentwood home.

In response, Mr Pickles ordered officials at the Department for Communities & Local Government to review legislation governing council house repairs.

Mr Pickles said: “I was appalled at Florence’s treatment and was determined that no other leaseholder should ever have to endure the stress and hardship she experienced in the final weeks of her life.

“Florence served her country as a WAAF in the Second World War, raised a loving family and believed in paying her way, so to be faced with this excessive fee was more than she could stand.

“Charging excessive amounts for council house repairs not only targets some of the most vulnerable people in society, it can amount to a failure in a local authority’s duty of care.

“Under Florrie’s law, authorities will no longer be able to levy huge bills for future government-funded repair work on people who simply have little or no hope of meeting their demands.”

Mrs Bourne died following a heart attack she suffered when she was startled by the sound of roof tiles falling onto her balcony during the works that were later proven to be unnecessary. A leasehold valuation tribunal found last year that Newham Council had not commissioned a proper survey of the flat. An independent surveyor commissioned after Mrs Bourne’s death found that the roof would have lasted another 40 years.

The property market in New Zealand is experiencing a slight slowdown with rising interest rates and the forthcoming election influencing buyer behaviour.

National median prices fell 2.6% to $416,000 in July but are up 8.1% compared to a year ago, according to the latest index from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ).

In the same month sales increased by 2.3% but are down 13% compared with July 2013 and days to sell improved by two days to 37 days compared to June.

According to REINZ chief executive Helen O’Sullivan, the real estate market is firmly in winter mode at present with listings low and activity muted across the country. ‘Sales volumes picked up a little in July compared to last month but this is about in line with the normal seasonal pattern. Rising interest rates and the forthcoming election are probably also influencing buyer behaviour,’ she said.

‘Reports on the effects of the LVR restrictions continue particularly from the regions, where the reported lack of able buyers is filtering up the price points and on to vendor behaviour,’ she explained, adding that the increase in the national median price is being driven by Auckland and Canterbury/Westland.

A breakdown of the figures shows that five regions recorded an increase in the median price compared to July last year and 83% of this growth was in Auckland, 19% in Canterbury/Westland and 9% in Waikato/Bay of Plenty contributing 9%. Together these three regions accounted for 111%of the increase in the median price between July 2013 and July 2014, with the remaining nine regions contributing -11% of the increase in the median price.

Canterbury/Westland recorded the largest increase in median price compared to July 2013, with an 11.1% increase, followed by Auckland with a 10.5% increase and Waikato/Bay of Plenty with a 5.8% increase. Compared to June, Southland recorded the largest increase in median price, up 4.2%, followed by Otago with 3.8% and Auckland with 1.7%.

Some eight regions recorded an increase in sales volume compared to June with Hawkes Bay recording the largest increase of 22.1%, followed by Otago with 12.4% and Manawatu/Wanganui with 12%.

Compared to July 2013 nine regions recorded a decrease in sales volume with Otago recording the largest fall of 20.8%, followed by Hawkes Bay with a fall of 19.8% and Auckland with a fall of 18.7%.

While the total number of sales was down 13% compared to July 2013, the number of sales below $400,000 fell by 21.8%. This follows a fall in sales below $400,000 of 17.3% between June 2013 and June 2014. O’Sullivan said this may be indicative of fewer sales in the lower price brackets since the imposition of the LVR restrictions.

The REINZ Stratified Housing Price Index, which adjusts for some of the variations in the mix that can impact on the median price, is 5.9% higher than July 2013, at 3885.5. The Auckland Index has risen 12.2% compared to July 2013, with the Christchurch Index up 13.9% and…

The second half of 2014 is seeing a switch from a seller’s to a buyer’s market in the UK as a healthy supply returns, according to the latest market report.

Overall the number of new homes coming to the market has increased 7.3% annually across the UK while the volume of new buyers coming to market is down 2.8%, says the report from independent agents haart.

It also shows that there are 9.5 buyers chase every property for sale across the UK, down from 14.4 in January 2014.

National property prices remain robust, increasing 8.1% annually to £204,216, the highest average price over the last two years. Prices were up 0.1% in July compared with June.

But London has seen even more pronounced growth with prices up 18.6% compared with a year ago, although this growth has fallen to 0% in July.

Also, the switch to buyer’s market is more pronounced in London as new buyers are down 15.7% but property supply has soared by 32.3%.

The monthly report also shows that property sales are healthy, up 9.8% annually and up 7.7% month on month.

‘The second half of 2014 marks a shift in favour of buyers as healthy volumes of stock return to the market. Many home owners are adopting a now or never attitude to take advantage of the continuing strength of the market having seen their equity rocket over the last year at a time when mortgage deals with decent loan to values are still available. Interest rates are to remain at historic lows until the start of 2015 at least and this is helping wider confidence,’ said Paul Smith, chief executive officer of haart.

‘At the start of this year demand for homes was growing at a far greater rate than property supply but this trend has flipped and stock is coming to the market in healthy levels, up 7% annually, yet demand has fallen by almost 3% in the same period. There are now around 10 buyers chasing every property for sale, down from 14 at the start of this year. So the market is still competitive, but buyers now have more choice,’ he explained.

‘As positive market sentiment continues this year, and people return from their summer sojourns, we fully expect a busy autumn with a higher volume of sales transactions,’ he added.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has signed a memorandum of understanding with a leading real estate association in China which is set to pave the way for higher standards in the country.

The document, signed with the Real Estate Association of Yunnan Province (YNREA) lays the foundation for long term cooperation and the development of professional training programmes.

Through this collaboration, members of YNREA will receive training from RICS on international standards and industry best practices, and be prepared for attaining chartered status.

Both organizations said that they shared a common goal of advancing the standard of real estate industry in Yunnan in the long run.

Comprised of three branches, two professional committees and local associations in 16 cities in Yunnan province, YNREA is a key player of Yunnan’s real estate industry and has established the Yunnan Real Estate Broker Information Management System.

It has also set standards of information registration management for real estate brokers and compiled technical specification for the province’s real estate archives as well as hosting housing trade fairs in all the cities in Yunnan.

RICS North Asia deputy director Tony Ho said there is widespread commitment to setting and upholding the highest standards of professionalism in the property industry. RICS has been playing a key role in advising and influencing government and policy makers.

YNREA president Han Zhongqing said that there are opportunities for both organizations to collaborate in nurturing talents in the region through professional training, industry events and overseas study tours.

UK landlords are leaving themselves exposed to the country’s worst tenants by failing to carry out basic checks, according to new research.

With the rental market’s peak season about to start, insurance giant AXA reveals just how many of the UK’s estimated 8.3 million tenants are behaving badly and how poorly protected landlords really are when the worst happens.

The study shows that almost 60% of tenants admit to breaking the terms of their rental agreement, and a third had broken the law in relation to their rental.

In particular some 26% of tenants pay their rent late and AXA says this is equivalent to 2,158,000 tenants nationwide, and one in 10 tenants admit to having done a moonlight flit to avoid paying the landlord money, equivalent to 830,000 tenants nationwide.

Some 18% have kept pets in the property without the landlord’s permission, 15% have received complaints from neighbours for excessive noise and 8% have sub-let to someone else without the landlord’s permission.

At the most serious end of the scale, 8% of tenants admit to actually committing a crime on the landlord’s premises, and 10% say they’ve had the police called to the property.

While these tenants remain in the minority, landlords do carry a legal responsibility to ensure that their premises are not used for criminal purposes. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, landlords can face prosecution if a tenant is found to be producing cannabis or banned substances on their property.

In October, the new Immigration Bill is also set to come into force, placing greater responsibilities on landlords to vet their tenants. Under the new law, landlords who fail to check a tenant’s right to be in the country will face a fine of up to £3,000 if the slip up means they have someone on their property who is in the country illegally.

AXA warns that while the responsibilities on landlords to keep their houses in order are getting stricter, many are still failing to carry out any checks on their tenants or even visit their properties at all. The research found that 38% landlords carry out no checks on prospective tenants, and only 5% carry out a criminal record check. Meanwhile, a third of landlords never visit their property during a rental.

And despite many landlords relying on rental income to cover expenses such as mortgage payments and basic living costs, few of them check if their tenants have the means to pay their rent. Just under a third of landlords carry out a credit check, only 27% ask for employer references and just 27% ask for references from previous landlords.

Tenancy agreements are also an important part of the picture, giving the landlord a firm foundation to evict non-paying tenants or claim damages for financial loss caused by the tenant and AXA found that landlords are getting better on this front. This year’s study found that 75% of rentals are now based on a formal agreement, compared to just 52% at the beginning of…

More job vacancies in construction are being advertised but fewer people are applying for them.

That seems to be the message from an analysis by a recruitment website, which supports anecdotal evidence of a growing skills shortage in the construction industry that threatens to impact on growth prospects.

CV-Library says that the second quarter of 2014 saw a 10% increase in the number of construction industry job advertisements posted on its site, compared to the first quarter, and a 111% increase on Q2 of 2013.

Comparing year on year, job applications have seen strong growth on the back of industry recovery. In Q2 2014 there were nearly 31,000 jobs within the construction sector posted on the site and more than 370,000 job applications. By comparison, Q2 2013 saw just 14,500 jobs posted within the construction sector and just 24,0000 applications for them.

More recently, however, there is evidence that the tide has turned. Between Q1 2014 and Q2 2014 there was a 17% decrease in job applications to construction roles.

Balfour Beatty Services chief executive Kevin Craven is leaving to join Serco next month.

His new job sees him becoming CEO of Serco’s UK central government division and part of a new leadership team being put in place by new CEO Rupert Soames, who joined Serco in June after many years at Aggreko.

Brought up in South Africa, Mr Craven has been with Balfour Beatty since September 2006, when he joined as managing director of its facilities management arm, which was then called Haden Building Management Ltd, or HBML. He rebranded the business to Balfour Beatty WorkPlace in 2008 and in Janaury 2011 was made CEO of Balfour Beatty Services.

With the sale of WorkPlace to Cofely last December, his remit at Balfour Beatty diminished, despite having been given the Rail UK business to look after in its place.

Mr Craven sits on the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) public service strategy board, alongside Serco UK & Europe CEO Andrew White.

Building services consultant Hurley Palmer Flatt, or hurleypalmerflatt as it prefers to be styled, has recruited a former director of Chapman BDSP and Waterman to grow the business.

Adrian Gray has joined HPF’s executive team as group director, with a remit to focus on strategic leadership and business growth.

Last year HPF directors took back 100% control of the company, buying out the minority stake that venture capital firm ISIS purchased for £14m in 2011. How much the directors paid to get back their business has not been disclosed.

HPF has also recruited Garry Wall, formerly of Sinclair Knight Merz, to join its Sydney office as a director.

Other moves see promotions for Richard Windmill, who becomes regional director, and James O’Byrne, who becomes group director to lead new business sector development.

In the year to 31st March 2014, HPF saw a 21% increase in revenue to £23.9m with a £1.2m EBITDA.

Chairman Paul Flatt said: “Following our restructuring to one hundred percent independent ownership, we are now making significant investments in talent, both through strategic hires and by recognising the talent we already have in the company.

“We are now focusing on the future growth of our business, both through organic development and strategic acquisition. We are also looking at further overseas expansion, including through potential acquisitions, to match the success of our operations in Asia, Australia and other parts of the world.  Finally, we will continue to focus on growing our core sectors, which includes construction and property, TMT and financial services and oil & gas.” 

Two firms have been fined for safety failings after a demolition worker fell through a roof while removing asbestos.

Peter Tracey was removing asbestos roof sheets from a disused factory in Poynton, Cheshire when he stepped onto a fragile panel and fell more than five metres to the concrete floor below. He was airlifted to hospital with critical injuries, before being placed into an induced coma.

Haydock-based Local Asbestos Services Ltd and Leicestershire-based Construction Contracting UK Ltd were both prosecuted by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation found they had allowed workers onto the roof without appropriate safety measures in place.

Liverpool magistrates heard that 59-year-old Mr Tracey, from Fairfield, was part of a group of labourers hired by Local Asbestos Services to remove the asbestos sheets from the roof of the old factory on Middlewood Road during its demolition.

Construction Contracting was overseeing the project as the principal contractor and both companies had agreed that the sheets would be removed using a powered access platform underneath the roof. This would have allowed workers to cut the bolts holding the sheets in place, without the need for them to go onto the roof itself.

The court heard that, despite this, two of the men, including Mr Tracey, were allowed to climb onto the roof to remove the panels from above. No safety equipment, such as nets or harnesses, were provided to stop them falling or to prevent them from being injured.

On 5th April 2013, Mr Tracey was removing an asbestos sheet when it started to slip away. He went to grab it and stepped onto a clear plastic panel, which gave way under his weight.

Mr Tracey suffered critical injuries, including two collapsed lungs, fractures to his ribs and hip, and a ruptured left shoulder tendon.

Construction Contracting UK Ltd, of Ashby Road in Hinckley, Leicestershire, was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of £23,502 after being found guilty of a single breach of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 by failing to monitor the roof work to make sure it was safe.

Local Asbestos Services Ltd, of Salisbury Road in Haydock, was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £6,191 in prosecution costs after pleading guilty to a single breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 by failing to ensure the roof work was carried out safely. Both companies were sentenced on 8 August 2014.

HSE inspector Kevin Jones said after the hearing: “Sadly this kind of incident is all too common in the roofing industry, and Mr Tracey has suffered debilitating injuries because of the failings of both Local Asbestos Services and Construction Contracting.

“Many industrial buildings have clear plastic panels on them designed to act as roof lights, but they are fragile and can collapse if workers stand on them. Both companies had prepared a risk assessment and method statement identifying a safe system of work, but this wasn’t implemented.

“Instead, Peter and another worker were allowed onto the roof instead of using a cherry picker underneath, which put both their lives in danger. This case should act as a warning to firms of the consequences of not following agreed safety systems.”

Structural steel group Severfield reports continuing progress in its return to stability.

In a trading update the company said that its performance and underlying financial position are satisfactory and the business remains on track for this financial year.

The UK order book of £171m remains solid, the board said, and the business continues to show improved stability following a reorganisation last year.

“Management's view of the market is unchanged, with continuing signs of improvement, but it remains likely to be later in the financial year before there is any notable impact on the size or mix of the order book,” the board said.

It added: “Overall, the group continues to be ideally positioned for recovery in the UK construction market with its good market position and strong balance sheet.”

Severfield has also benefited from the sale of its investment property in June for £3.9m, which was in line with book value.

UK home buyers missing basic checks when purchasing a property and as a result facing repair bills 45% higher than expected, a new study suggests.

People looking to buy a house in a highly competitive market are spending less time on property viewings and potentially missing out on signs of maintenance issues that could cause them financial pain down the line, says the research from insurance firm Aviva.

Home buyers in the past year spent on average just over half an hour in total looking round a property before making what is likely to be the biggest purchase decision of their lives.

To help buyers make the most of the short time available, Aviva has developed an interactive checklist offering advice on some of the most common problems and how to spot them.

The research suggests that the fierce property market is forcing buyers to make snap decisions with 24% making just one visit to a property before deciding to purchase it. And every year, as many as 40,000 people buy properties without viewing them at all.

Not devoting enough time to inspecting a property can have an impact further down the line. Unnoticed maintenance and structural issues can result in high repair costs or even scupper a house purchase altogether. The survey of 4,000 home owners showed that buyers are forced to spend £1,094 more than they had expected on essential repairs once they move in to their property, with the average total bill coming in at £3,490.

Among the most common unanticipated problems found by buyers are plumbing issues including drain blockages affecting 12% of home owners, damp also affecting 12% and cracks in the walls or ceilings affecting 11%.

‘Renewed competition and rising prices have combined to make many buyers more pressurised to snap up a property quickly. Our research showed that buyers in the past year devoted under 10 seconds to looking round a property for every £1,000 they spent purchasing it,’ said Heather Smith, marketing director at Aviva.

‘We believe it’s important to arm yourself with the right information, that’s why we created the house viewing checklist, an interactive tool that will help home buyers spot common problems,’ she added.

Aviva’s research showed that 31% home buyers did not make any specific checks for issues or problems when viewing their future home. The least common checks performed by buyers are for blocked guttering, invasive plants such as Japanese knotweed, and defective chimney stacks and pots.

‘Your future home could be showing symptoms of potential maintenance or structural issues that could cause you trouble down the line. Most of these are fixable, you just need to know the signs to look out for and you do need to prepare financially. Defective chimneys and Japanese knotweed in particular can be really nasty, with costs to fix running into four or even five figures,’ explained Smith.

Crossrail tunnel boring machine (TBM) Jessica has completed her 900-metre journey from Limmo Peninsula, near Canning Town, to Victoria Dock in east London.

Crossrail’s rail tunnels are now 83% complete and the project remains on programme and within the allocated budget.

Joint Venture Dragados Sisk is constructing the eastern tunnels between Pudding Mill Lane and Stepney Green, Limmo Peninsula and Farringdon, and Victoria Dock Portal and Limmo.

The 1,000 tonne TBM completed her final journey in just nine weeks, driving up to 41 metres per day. The machine will now be dismantled, with parts returned to manufacturer Herrenknecht for use on other tunnelling projects.

It is Jessica’s second Crossrail tunnel drive, having already created one of the two tunnels forming the spur from Pudding Mill Lane near Stratford to Stepney Green.

Jessica’s sister tunnelling machine, Ellie, will start the remaining twin tunnel from Limmo to Victoria Dock in the coming weeks. TBM tunnelling is scheduled to complete early next year.

Crossrail chief executive Andrew Wolstenholme said: “We continue to make good progress on Crossrail’s tunnels. The end is now in sight on Crossrail’s tunnelling marathon, but there is much more to do in the form of installing railway systems and fitting out the stations.”

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New home sales in Australia increased by 1.2% in June and were up 2% on a quarterly basis, according to the latest home sales report from the Housing Industry Association (HIA).

The report, a survey of Australia’s largest volume builders, shows that sales of multi units drove the monthly result, up by 15.9% while new detached house sales fell by 1% in June. However detached sales were up by 2.6% in the second quarter.

‘That is a healthy note on which to finish the fiscal year. Further, albeit modest growth in detached house sales last quarter, together with very elevated multi-unit sales, augers well for new residential construction in addition to wider elements of the domestic economy,’ said HIA chief economist Harley Dale.

He also pointed out that detached house sales increased in four out of five mainland states in the June quarter. ‘The new home building sector will provide a healthy contribution to broader economic growth in 2014/2015,’ he said.

‘As the recovery enters its third year, the magnitude and duration of the current new home building upcycle is less certain than would usually be the case at this juncture. The share of medium/high density construction is higher and there are considerable delays occurring in the availability of titled land for detached and semi-detached housing,’ he added.

A breakdown of the figures show that in June private detached house sales fell in two out of five mainland states. There was a decline of 3.2% in New South Wales and 4.2% in Victoria. Detached house sales increased by 1.8% in Queensland, by 1.3% in South Australia, and 2.2% in Western Australia.

In the June 2014 quarter, detached house sales increased by 0.4% in New South Wales, by 4.1% in Victoria, by 6.6% in Queensland and by 4.1% in Western Australia. Detached house sales fell by 8.4% in South Australia in the June quarter and Dale said that the state may be the most vulnerable new home building market in the second half of 2014.

Meanwhile, in another positive sign for the residential construction sector, the latest housing finance data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that new home lending grew in the final quarter of the 2013/2014 fiscal year.

Diwa Hopkins, HIA economist, pointed out that the owner occupier segment of new home lending performed well throughout the year. ‘Following decent increases in the December and March quarters, lending for the purchase or construction of new homes increased again during the June 2014 quarter, albeit at a more modest pace of 1%,’ said Hopkins.

Over the full 2013/2014 fiscal year new home lending increased by 12%. ‘With lending rates remaining very low, turnover in the established home market has risen, as have home prices. The residential construction industry has responded strongly to these signals,’ explained Hopkins.

‘In terms of new home lending being a leading indicator of residential building, the housing finance figures suggest home building activity should continue its strong recovery as we progress through the…

The mortgage industry in the UK in June was driven primarily by lending for homes rather than remortgages with volumes up by 6%, according to the latest report from the Council of Mortgage lenders.

Total gross lending reached £17.9 billion, up 20% up on June last year, according to the Bank of England and in the latest quarter, gross lending totalled £51.4 billion, up 11% on the first quarter, and 23% on the second quarter of 2014.

The CML analysis shows that there were 28,600 first time buyer loans in June, some 7% more than in May, and 19% more than in June 2013 and by value, there was £4.2 billion of lending to first time buyers , up 11% on May and 27% higher than June 2013.

Lending to home movers also grew, but more slowly. In June, the number of loans to movers was 31,900, 4% up on the previous month and 11% on June last year while by value, lending to home movers was £5.9 billion, 5% up on May and 23% up on June last year.

However, remortgage lending remains muted compared with both first time buyer and home mover lending. The number of remortgages in June was 1% up on May but 8% down on June last year, although the value at £3.7 billion was up 6% on both.

The data also show that buy to let lending grew 5% over the month to £2.2 billion in June, though the number of loans was the same as May at 15,600. Growth was strong compared with buy to let lending in June last year, 38% up by value and 23% by number.

Paul Smee, director general of the CML, said that for the second month running since new Financial Credit Authority rules took effect, lending characteristics remain similar to the market beforehand.

‘We now feel confident that, as we would hope, the new MMR lending rules effect is more gentle dampener than hard brake. As we recently suggested in our revised forecasts, lending levels should continue to increase modestly over the course of the year, driven mostly by house purchase but with remortgaging also recovering,’ he explained.

According to David Brown, commercial director of LSL Property Services, all systems are starting to tick over more normally and the big questions are now about speed and capacity for new home owners.

‘Moderating price rises are a sign of steadying confidence, the equivalent of winding down the engines after take-off. And recent flows of first time buyers are a sign of making real headway. Sellers are finding quality buyers more quickly, and transactions volumes are growing,’ he said.

‘But to get the dream of homeownership truly airborne, we need more homes. Building levels are growing rapidly, and this will need to carry on indefinitely. If so, the house purchase market could one day see affordability improve consistently, as we’ve seen with the private rented sector. But in the meantime, below inflation rent rises, thanks to solid…

The National Landlords Association (NLA) is reminding UK landlords of the importance of understanding their obligations as its latest research shows that more than a quarter have been letting for less than five years.

The research conducted by the NLA shows that 27% of landlords have been letting for less than five years, with 14% letting for just two years. Some 21% of landlords have been letting between six to 10 years and 52% for more than 10 years.

The figures correlate with the NLA’s recent findings that the proportion of part time or ‘amateur’ landlords is now at its highest ever level, comprising 70% of the sector.

With this in mind, the NLA is reminding all landlords of their obligations toward their tenants and the importance of ensuring good standards within the private rented sector (PRS) are maintained.

‘These findings tell us that a significant proportion of landlords have only been in business for a relatively short period of time. Even the most seasoned of landlords experience problems, so it is crucial that anyone new to the industry is aware of their obligations and understands that being a landlord involves much more than simply purchasing a property,’ said Richard Lambert, NLA chief executive officer.

‘Landlords should make sure they educate themselves as to what is expected of them, legally and professionally, especially if they plan to manage the properties themselves. Not knowing your obligations as a landlord could result in serious problems, financial as well as legal. A tenant should be safe and comfortable in their home and ignorance is no excuse,’ he explained.

‘In order to ensure good standards in the sector, anyone who is thinking of becoming a landlord should do their research first and make sure they continually keep up to date with legislation and good standards of practice. As the leading landlord association, landlords can rely on us as a source of valuable information and advice,’ he added.

Meanwhile, separate research shows that nearly one in three private tenants only deal with a letting agent and have never met their landlord.

Some 30% of private tenants deal only with their letting agent, 24% of these respondents work primarily with the letting agent but have met their landlord, and 46% deal with the landlord directly on issues concerning their home, according to research from mortgage and loan broker Ocean Finance.

Across the country, London renters were among the most likely to only work with a letting agent, along with residents in the North East at 36% and 38% respectively. The capital is home to the highest percentage of renters in England and Wales at 50% of all households in the city.

Renters may want to speak with their landlords directly if there is a problem with the property, rather than having to wait to go through the letting agent to reach them. They may also see good communication with their landlord as part of the service they are paying for. On average, private renters spend 40% of…

A new compulsory valuer registration programme for real estate in the Cayman Islands has been introduced with the aim of providing more confidence in the property market.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) programme sets out to raise confidence in the accuracy and delivery of valuation reporting and advice.

Michael Zuriff, RICS manager of regulation for the Americas said it will provide lenders, asset managers and investors a clearly identifiable designation for the best regulated and qualified professionals.

‘The Valuer Registration Programme is an independent system of regulatory monitoring which reduces the risk of poor quality valuations, and enforces high standards of competence and ethical awareness,’ he explained.

‘Valuer Registration sends a clear message to clients, governments and banks that RICS members welcome open scrutiny and comparison with industry best practice. As an underpinning to important financial transactions, it is in the public interest that confidence in the accuracy of valuation work is upheld,’ he added.

RICS members already perform valuations under RICS Valuation Standards, also known as the ‘Red Book’, which are in compliance with International Valuation Standards (IVS), and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and in turn, globally recognized by banks, lenders and other major financial institutions.

In an increasingly global business environment, RICS is facilitating greater consistency and transparency within these international valuation standards.

It is a significant milestone for the islands according to Uche Obi, senior valuer with the Cayman Islands Government and board member of RICS Caribbean & Americas.

He explained that in recent years there has been an upswing in reporting standards, with increasingly high levels of transparency, credibility and consistency shown in valuation reports.

‘RICS' mandatory Valuer Registration Programme will now continue to drive forward the progress made to date, and will put us on the map as being an example of best practice in the Caribbean,’ he added.

The programme was conceived by RICS’ leading valuation experts in response to the global financial crisis and first implemented in the UK in 2010. It has since gone mandatory for RICS members performing valuations in the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates.

Balfour Beatty says that it needs to make further cuts to overheads in its UK construction business, despite having already cut £40m in annual spend over the past three years.

The news that further work remains to be done to turn around the business came as Balfour Beatty reported group revenues down 2% for the first six months of the year, excluding discontinued rail businesses, and impaired profitability.

Group revenue for the half-year was £4,851m (2013 H1: £4,956m). Underlying operating profit was down 31% to £37m. Underlying pre-tax profit was down from £47m for the same period last year to £22m this time, a decline of more than 50%.

The company said that operational issues in the mechanical and electrical engineering (Engineering Services) parts of the UK construction business had resulted in a disappointing 2014 first-half performance for the group as a whole.

“Across Construction Services UK our overhead and the cost improvement plans are well established, having already reduced overheads between 2011 and 2013 by over £40m. However as revenues have also declined over that period, overall overheads have remained above 6%. We continue to target further cost cutting initiatives, alongside the changes already underway,” the board said.

Suppliers as well as employees can expect to feel the squeeze: “The implementation of a single ERP business data platform for the business goes live in parts of the business from Q4 this year, concluding in Q1 2015. When that is completed we will have an enhanced analytical capability, which will improve operational control and help us consolidate procurement further.”

The UK order book declined by 11%, and was largely due to increased selectivity in bidding activity, and reduced order intake within the Engineering Services business.

After a weekend of press reports suggesting that the Carillion-Balfour Beatty merger might be back on, Balfour Beatty has this morning issued a lengthy statement detailing why it has rejected Carillion’s offer.

“The board has lost confidence in the likely delivery of a successful transaction and has therefore concluded that the current proposal from Carillion is not in the best interests of Balfour Beatty shareholders,” Balfour Beatty said.

It also revealed that Carillion has offered to pay off bidders for Parsons Brinckerhoff, so keen is it to keep hold of the profitable US subsidiary at the heart of the split between the two companies.

Carillion initially approached Balfour Beatty on 27 May 2014 with a merger proposal that would give 51% of the combined entity to Balfour Beatty shareholders and 49% to Carillion shareholders.

Several weeks of negotiations followed and a deal was agreed on the basis that Balfour Beatty shareholders got 56.5% to Carillion’s 43.5%, but Carillion got the three top jobs of chairman, chief executive and finance director. Balfour Beatty says that it was also agreed that its previously planned sale of its US engineering subsidiary Parsons Brinckerhoff would continue. At Carillion’s request, the equity split in the merger was predicated on Balfour Beatty retaining the proceeds from the sale of Parsons Brinckerhoff as freely available cash.

This was the deal behind the 25^th July announcement that merger talks were going on. (See previous report here.)

According to Balfour Beatty, at a meeting on 30th July Carillion told Balfour Beatty that it wanted to change the terms of the deal and keep Parsons Brinckerhoff business. The next day Balfour Beatty announced that it had terminated discussions on the basis of a fundamental concern regarding the proposed treatment of Parsons Brinckerhoff. With a sale at an advanced stage, Balfour Beatty was concerned about the costs that had been incurred by bidders should the sale be scrapped.

Other reports indicate that Carillion merely suggested delaying the sale of Parsons Brinckerhoff.

At a meeting between Carillion chairman Philip Green and Balfour Beatty executive chairman Steve Marshall on 3rd August, Carillion proposed a revised set of terms. Mr Green suggested that Carillion would pay the costs incurred to date by companies bidding for Parsons Brinckerhoff [reported to include Atkins, WSP and at least two venture capital funds] on the basis that these bidders would agree to keep their offers on the table should the Balfour/Carillion merger not ultimately happen.

Balfour Beatty said that its board considered the revised proposal but decided the risk of undermining the Parsons Brinckerhoff sales process was too great – “particularly as there is no strategic logic for its retention other than to enhance the earnings of the combined group”.

Balfour’s statement this morning said that it feared bidders for Parsons Brinckerhoff “may not regard the cost cover as adequate to remain fully committed to the process with the resultant risk that the sale process would be terminated”.

It also fears that “a failed sale process would materially impact the motivation and retention of Parsons Brinckerhoff management and employees and damage its competitive position in a rapidly consolidating professional services market”.

If the merger with Carillion did not go ahead, Balfour Beatty would then be left holding an asset – Parsons Brinckerhoff – that had effectively been devalued by its role as a passive pawn in what has effectively become a takeover battle.

Balfour Beatty’s statement concluded: “In light of these considerations on the revised proposal, the board has lost confidence in the likely delivery of a successful transaction and has therefore concluded that the current proposal from Carillion is not in the best interests of Balfour Beatty shareholders. With the Parsons Brinckerhoff sale process proceeding in line with the board's expectations, the board is clear that its current plans to refocus and simplify the group, including the sale of Parsons Brinckerhoff, remains the most attractive option. In this case, 100% of cost savings achieved by refocusing and simplifying the group would accrue to Balfour Beatty shareholders.”

In a separate announcement, Balfour Beatty said that the Parsons Brinckerhoff sale process was "well advanced, with completion expected by the end of the year, subject to shareholder approval".

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One in 10 home owners in the UK have had a DIY or large scale home improvement project go wrong, with an average repair cost of £3,200, new research shows.

Over half, 54%, believe the cause of the issues was down to shoddy workmanship at a time when 33% of home owners are choosing to add value to their properties with home improvement projects.

The research from Lloyds Bank reveals that the average cost of these improvements is £4,000. Some 12 % spent £2,001 to £5,000, 12 % spent 5,001 to £10,000, 6% spent £10,000 to £25,000 and 2% spent £25,000 or more on their most recent project.

If the average cost at each level is compared to the average repair cost of £3,200, botch jobs at any level can add an additional 12% to 91% on top of homeowner’s initial outlay, the research report points out.

Lloyd’s says that adding value to a property is key for home improvement projects. When the job is done correctly, the perceived value of some home improvements mirrors how much people spent on projects.

For example, 29% of the total number of home owners who carried out work believed they had added £10,001 to £25,000 to the value of their home. This is compared to 31% of the total number of home owners who said it had cost them the same amount to complete the project.

Still, a high number of people buy properties cheaper with the view to renovate to add value. Some six million buy under budget, with 25% of those intending to extend or convert their property to add value in the future. In the current market, nearly half, 44%, buy properties with the view of moving when they can afford something better.

The improvements made to homes often involve changing the purpose of one room within a property. Some 32% said they had changed the purpose of a room, with the spare bedroom being the most popular choice for 16%. Of this 16%, over half had changed this room into an office, and 7% had used the space as an entertainment room.

Although alterations made to purposes of rooms are generally not made to increase the value of the home, and indeed, 40% of respondents believed this to be the case, some changes do add perceived value. Some 17% believed that the changes made had added £10,001 to £25,000 and 10% thought changes had added £25,001 to £50,000.

‘Most home owners will dabble with home improvements at some stage, whether it’s a DIY project or a major construction. What’s important is to ensure the job is done to a high standard as botched job can be quite costly to rectify,’ said Marc Page, mortgages director, at Lloyds Bank.

‘Although the reasons for home improvements may differ from person to person, making a house a home is a key motivator,’ he added.

What is believed to be the first building of Sir Owen Williams, one of the giants of 20th Century British engineering and architecture, is to be refurbished.

A £6m joint venture of Workspace Group and Polar Properties has secured planning permission for its redevelopment of Enterprise House in Hayes.

The development will provide 98 apartments and a 38,000 sq ft business centre for creative industries.

Built in 1912, it originally housed the machine shop of the His Master Voice (HMV) gramophone production factory campus at Hayes that by the 1960s employed 22,000 people.

It is said to be the only remaining factory building in Europe designed by Arthur Blomfield and Sir Owen Williams. It was built by the Trussed Concrete Steel Company with a reinforced concrete frame, with posts and beams using the Kahn system of reinforcement patented in 1903 by Albert and Julius Kahn in Detroit, USA.

Workspace plans to refurbish the Grade II* listed factory building which will provide 38,000 sq ft of space tailored to the needs of small businesses with a particular focus on creative industries. One of the existing tenants to be retained will be the Vinyl Factory which specialise in producing high quality, limited edition, vinyl records.

Workspace chief executive Jamie Hopkins said: "We are delighted to have secured approval for Enterprise House in Hayes, a location that will benefit greatly by the arrival of a Crossrail station adjacent to the property. Enterprise House is one of a number of properties, in similarly advantageous locations to Crossrail, which Workspace is redeveloping.

“This is part of our wider redevelopment programme to enhance both core operational income and capital values by repositioning properties. The Enterprise House development will provide tailored space to the needs of small creative businesses, a capability which is at the heart of Workspace's key strengths."

The wider redevelopment of the 150-acre Old Vinyl Factory campus is being led by Cathedral Group, and parent company Development Securities.

Bristol City Council has called on Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Competitions to stage an international contest to design a new arena for Bristol.

The Bristol Arena project is a large indoor multipurpose arena, to be built on the former diesel depot site close to Temple Meads railway station in the city centre.

Then council is aiming to have construction completed and the arena open by summer 2017. Budget for the arena project is £90m.

Multi-disciplinary teams will have the opportunity to design the 12,000 capacity entertainment arena. It is expected that the winning team will have architectural, structural and building engineering capabilities as well as experience within the performance venue field and significant knowledge of the creation and development of urban spaces.

George Ferguson, Mayor of Bristol and an architect himself, said: “The Bristol Arena is key to the city region's future and will act as a major catalyst to the development of the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone. We have to grasp the opportunity to design a building that not only works really effectively but is an inspiring place that enriches this new quarter of the city.

“I want the Bristol Arena to become the arena of choice for performers, as well as offering an excellent visitor experience. As an architect I recognise that the design of the building is critical in achieving this. RIBA Competitions has helped to deliver some of the most outstanding buildings around the UK and is well placed to help us to secure the best possible design team.”

Expressions of interest are invited from suitably qualified design teams worldwide and must be submitted by Thursday 18 September 2014. A shortlist of five will then be selected to participate in the design phase of the competition. For further details see www.architecture.com/competitions.

Construction industry output in June is estimated to have risen by 5.3% year-on-year and by 1.2% compared with May 2014.

June saw year-on-year increases in both new work and repair & maintenance of 5.4% and 5.0% respectively.

However, quarterly output remains 10.3% below the pre-crash boom.

The second quarter of 2014 maintained output levels seen in the first quarter, with zero growth. Quarterly growth is estimated at 0.0%, an upwards revision from the previous 0.5% assumption used in official estimates for gross domestic product (GDP).

However, the annual growth between Q2 2014 and Q2 2013 was estimated to have increased by 4.8%.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that the quarterly output in the construction industry all work series has steadily increased since Q1 2013 and in Q2 2014 was estimated to be 6.7% higher than in Q1 2013.

Despite this increase, all work remains 4.1% below its post economic downturn peak in Q2 2011 and 10.3% below its pre economic downturn peak in Q1 2008.

The growth in construction output since Q1 2013 was a result of increases in both new work and repair & maintenance. New work increased 6.7% in Q2 2014 although the series remained 8.5% lower than its post economic downturn peak in Q2 2011 and 12.3% below its pre economic downturn peak in Q1 2008.

The repair & maintenance statistics since Q1 2013 show less volatility than the new work numbers but similarly to new work, from 2013 onwards, there has been a steady increase in the volume of repair & maintenance work. This series was estimated to be 6.9% higher in Q2 2014 than in Q1 2013 and has produced seven consecutive quarters of growth.

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EC Harris head of strategic research & insight Simon Rawlinson said that the data“shows that growth in output has ground to a halt in the second quarter”.

He added: “Considering that recent GDP data suggested that construction had contracted by 0.5% in the second quarter, the data is positive, but provides no room for complacency. The star performing sector in the quarter has been industrial – with activity driven both by factories and distribution.  Residential also continues, as would be expected, to grow steadily.

“The commercial sector is bumping along, but with increased confidence and much wider availability of funding, activity can be expected to pick-up later in the year as projects proceed to site in a wider range of markets in the UK.

“Data from 2014 so far points to a real challenge for contractors and clients.  If growth in workload is so steady – why are resources so constrained so early in the cycle?  Clearly part of the answer lies in the regional concentration of activity and the burst of procurement activity that is currently taking place.  However, the wider market may also being talked up as localised sectors shift into overdrive.”

He said that the construction recovery “remains at an early stage and is yet to cemented by a step change in workload”.

Mr Rawlinson concluded: “The challenge for the second quarter is to ensure that projects in the pipeline remain viable and actually get built.”

Two construction workers were lucky to survive after being hit by a 5kg steel pole that fell from nine floors above them.

Ryan Smith, 31, damaged a vertebra and had to wear a neck brace for several months as a result of the incident at a renovation project in Bournemouth on 16 July 2013. Co-worker Paul Martret, 42, suffered a fractured elbow from the blow.

East Dorset magistrates heard last week that either or both could have been killed by the falling object, which was knocked into a stairwell during work from a temporary platform.

Harbourview Developments Ltd appeared in court as the principal contractor for the refurbishment and conversion of two properties on Christchurch Road.

The work involved removing a stairwell and converting it into a lift shaft. A temporary platform was created using a series of scaffold planks resting on a scaffold tube structure, which was then put in place over the opening to the stairwell.

An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) established that work had started to fit a series of vertical and horizontal steel sections around the stairwell to facilitate the construction of additional floors and walls. The installation of the steel sections involved chipping concrete around the edges underneath the temporary platform, which created a series of gaps up to 160mm wide along the edges.

On 16 July 2013, a subcontractor placed a 1.4-metre long, 5kg piece of steel on a structural beam running parallel to the temporary work platform in order to step over it. However, he knocked the steel as he raised his leg, sending it plunging into a gap in the stairwell and towards the workers nine floors below.  They were unable to move away in time and it struck them on their back and elbow respectively.

Magistrates heard the incident could have been avoided had Harbourview Developments Ltd better managed the temporary works to ensure there was no risk from falling materials. 

The Poole-based company, now in liquidation, was fined a token amount of £1 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 8(b) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

A bankrupt building boss is serving 27 months in prison for a string of offences including fraud and running four separate building companies despite being disqualified as a director.

The conviction of Trevor Lawrence – also known as Trevor Fail – follows an initial investigation by the Insolvency Service and a full criminal investigation and prosecution by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS).

Trevor Lawrence, 50, also pleaded guilty to acting as a director whilst a disqualified along with seven other related offences including three counts of fraud. He was sentenced on 14 July 2014 at Northampton Crown Court. The judge also disqualified him from acting as a director for seven years.

Commenting on the sentence, BIS deputy chief investigating officer Ian West said: “This was a particularly blatant example, of offending where members of the public were defrauded of substantial amounts of money, and where enforcement agencies working together have ensured that the perpetrator has been penalised for his crimes.

“Many customers lost substantial amounts of money paid in advance for projects not completed which demonstrates the risk to the public that such an individual poses when they breach orders and undertakings whilst clearly unfit to manage and control such businesses.”

The court heard that Trevor Lawrence was adjudged bankrupt for a second time in July 2007 in the name of Trevor Fail; his previous bankruptcy was in the name Trevor Lawrence. As a result of his bankruptcy, he was not allowed to run a limited company. In September 2007, he had also been disqualified from acting as a director of a limited company for a period of nine years as a result of his conduct as a director of another building company, Silverstar Construction Ltd, which had been wound up in September 2006.

Between July 2007 and June 2011, despite being disqualified, acted as a shadow director and continued to manage building companies, namely Astone Building Solutions Ltd, All Seasons Building Solutions Ltd, Acorn Building & Construction Ltd and Gadsby & Fay Ltd.

It is not suggested that the companies were completely fraudulent. Building work was undertaken but there are insufficient records to determine what proportion of that work was carried out, or not carried out and to what standard.

On behalf of Astone Building Solutions Limited, Trevor Lawrence submitted invoices to one client with a total claim for VAT amounting to £30,000 despite the company never having been registered for VAT.

The last company, Gadsby & Fay Ltd, went into went into administration in June 2011, leaving contractors unpaid to the value of £60,000.

From September 2007, Trevor Lawrence operated as a sole trader under the name of Allbright Building Solutions. He took substantial deposits from two customers, and in breach of his bankruptcy restrictions, used a name other than that which he had been adjudged bankrupt and failed to inform them of his bankruptcy status. As with the limited companies, he failed to progress the building works and two customers lost £30,800 between them.

Mr Lawrence was sentenced to 27 months for each fraud act offence, to run concurrently and a total of 8 months for the Company Director’s Disqualification Act (CDDA) 1986 and Insolvency Act offences to also run concurrently: a total of 27 months.

BIS has started confiscation proceedings against Mr Lawrence.