Plans to build Britain's first floating village at London's Royal Docks has moved a step closer after the Mayor of London Johnson, revealed that Carillion Igloo Genesis had won the competition to design and build it.

The Mayor unveiled ambitious plans in February 2013 to create a floating village as part of his ongoing drive to transform London's Royal Docks bringing jobs, commercial space and homes back to the capital's waterways.

Following a competition, Carillion Igloo Genesis has been selected to transform the 15 acres of water at the Royal Victoria Dock site, sitting directly to the east of the Emirates Airline, transforming it into a thriving community with floating homes, restaurants, cafes and bars.

Although a first for the UK, floating developments are already a popular idea on the continent with successful schemes at Ijburg near Amsterdam and Hafen City in Hamburg as well as many others examples of floating homes throughout Scandinavia.

The winning consortium's scheme includes a custom build approach for each of the 50 residential homes, enabling prospective occupiers to be part of the design process of their homes, and a blue water square, framed by a market square and a floating corniche.

There will also be a large multi-purpose events space and a mix of non-residential uses including restaurants, cafes, shops and leisure and office space. Plans for additional facilities, such as a floating Lido and an ice rink, were also proposed as part of the bid.

The scheme takes inspiration from the tried and tested floating homes at Ijberg and have been assisted by Dutch floating structures experts Mark van Ommen of Floatbase and Ton van Namen of Monteflore who have already delivered exemplar schemes of over 300 floating structures.

The Mayor, Boris Johnson, inherited almost 700 hectares of land as a result of the Localism Act and is currently one of the largest owners of public land in London. He is determined to bring more public land forward for development and accelerate the number of homes being built for Londoners.

Working with the London Borough of Newham, this includes the regeneration of the former Royal Docks area, with recent investments in this area including the opening of the Emirates cable car and the Siemens Crystal Centre, as well as forthcoming developments on GLA owned land at Silvertown Quays and Royal Albert Docks which combined would result in over eight million square feet Gross External Area of new commercial space.

‘This site has the potential to become one of the most sought after addresses in the capital while breathing new life back into London's waterways. Carillion Igloo Genesis' scheme will create a unique mixed use development providing a range of commercial activities within a high quality water environment for Londoners and visitors, creating jobs and raising the profile of London's Royal Docks,’ said Johnson.

Chris Brown, director of Carillion Igloo Genesis said that living in a floating home you've helped to design is a dream for many. ‘By…

Construction consultant Turner & Townsend saw its UK revenue grow by 11% to £148m for the year ended 30 April 2014.

Globally, gross revenue increased 12% to £357.4m, making it Turner & Townsend’s fourth successive year of growth. Group turnover has grown by 51% since 2011.

Pre-tax profit was up 12% to £33.3m.

Revenue net of subcontract costs was £322.2m, a 12% rise from the previous year's £286.3m.

The UK remains the company’s largest market, but there was 46% growth in the Middle East last year and 33% growth in Asia.

In the UK, an operating profit of £16.5m was made, thanks to projects including Crossrail and the Battersea Power Station redevelopment.

CEO Vincent Clancy said: “After four years of uninterrupted growth, Turner & Townsend continues to deliver record turnover while building further momentum towards our long-term objectives.”

Staff numbers at the year end were 3,660 (2013: 3,239) across 87 offices worldwide, with more than 55% of employees based outside the UK. New offices were established in Seattle, Phoenix, Chicago, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, Hamburg, Maputo and Jakarta.

McCarthy & Stone, Britain’s biggest builder of retirement housing, is opening a new office for north London and northern Home Counties in September.

It will be its first new regional office in 14 years.

The move is part of a planned investment of £300m in retirement housing in the region over next four years. It plans to build 1,800 new homes across approximately 70 new sites in north London, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex.

Nationwide, McCarthy & Stone plans to spend £1.5bn in new housing for older people by 2018 across 250 sites in the UK to deliver a total of 10,000 new homes.

The new regional office will be based in Colney Heath and headed by newly-promoted regional managing director Ali Maruf. He has been with McCarthy & Stone since 1997 and was previously land director for the area.

McCarthy & Stone is also widely reported to be in talks with City advisers about either a return to the stock market or a debt refinancing. The company used to be stock exchange listed until being taken private in 2006. McCarthy & Stone cut its net debt to £93m after a £527m refinancing last year.  At that time, new leadership was installed, with former Persimmon CEO John White as chairman and former Mount Anvil boss Clive Fenton as chief executive.

On the new expansion drive, Mr Fenton said: “The demand for high-quality retirement housing in North London and the northern Home Counties is growing substantially and we want to respond better to the needs of the local market.  Opening our first regional office in 14 years in North London is vitally important to us as we look to meet our growth plans and double the size of the business."

McCarthy & Stone sold 1,527 units across the UK in 2013 and is looking to sell more than 3,000 units a year by 2018.  In addition to the new North London region, the company expects to open further regional offices in 2015 and 2016, complementing its existing five regions in the southeast, southwest, the midlands, the north and Scotland.

A bodging builder who broke his back on a demolition job has now been fined for his safety failings that could have also put others in danger.

The message from the court could not be clearer: it was your own stupid fault.

William Batten, aged 66 and trading as Bill Batten Concrete Cutting & Demolition Service, was injured when he removed key timber supports at the corners of the roof of a temporary classroom, destabilising it and causing it to collapse on top of him. The collapse, in June 2013, was witnessed by schoolchildren in a nearby playground on their lunch break.

Mr Batten suffered a fractured vertebrae and neck injury. He was in hospital for a week but has since returned to work, albeit only on light duties.

An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that Mr Batten had started work he was not supposed to. It identified that the roof of the temporary classroom had been supported by timber in each corner. Steel fixtures had been inserted to add additional structural support for the windows, but not the roof.

North and East Devon magistrates heard yesterday that Mr Batten’s firm had been contracted to demolish two buildings at Lympstone Church of England Primary School.

A soft strip of the temporary classroom took place on 11 June 2013 and demolition of the main structure by mechanical means was to be carried out on the following days when Mr Batten’s son, business partner and planner of the work, returned from leave. A further risk assessment and method statement was to also be submitted prior to the structural demolition going ahead.

However, after Mr Batten had finished the soft strip with two labourers, he decided to be extra-helpful and start further stripping work, including the removal of the timber supports to the corners and cladding.

He wrongly assumed that steel stanchions supporting the windows were holding up the roof.  When the wooden struts to the corners of the building were removed, the roof came down. The two employees narrowly escaped harm but Mr Batten, was trapped underneath the roof for several hours.

William Melvin Batten, trading as Bill Batten Concrete Cutting & Demolition Service, of Exeter Road, Kingsteignton, Devon, was fined £500 and ordered to pay costs of £868.90 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 29(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

Contractors strengthening Edinburgh’s Haymarket railway tunnels in preparation for a major regeneration project above have released the first images of their underground works.

A team of up to 40 specialist contractors is working through the night over 14 months to carry out the job, avoiding disruption to rail services on one of Scotland’s busiest routes.

The site above the tunnels will be home to The Haymarket, a £200m development of shops, offices and hotels, with an underground car park. It is being developed by Edinburgh Haymarket Developments Ltd, a joint venture between Interserve and Tiger Developments.

Interserve development director David Westwater said: “This work is the main challenge before we can begin construction above ground. It will be early next year before we can do that, but then people will soon start to see the development taking shape. After such a long time as a gap site, we’re very excited about what The Haymarket has to offer and how it will help to create a real gateway at Edinburgh’s west end.”

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The strengthening works will allow contractors to begin building the foundations for the development. This includes grouting between the tunnel lining and the surrounding ground, and drilling and inserting metal bars within the brick lining.

Line possessions are only possible in the north tunnel between midnight and 5am, four nights per week, and in the south tunnel from 1am to 9.30am for one night a week.

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Groundworks specialist BAM Ritchies is carrying out the tunnel strengthening works. Project manager Angus MacGregor said: “We are very well experienced in complex rail projects but every situation is unique, so we’ve had to develop a very specific approach for this work based on the skills and knowledge of our team. There are many constraints to working on this site, but we have made good progress so far thanks to the working relationship we have with our client and Network Rail.”

Network Rail’s Gary Walker added: “Clearly our priority is to ensure that the works are carried out safely and with no disruption to rail passengers on this extremely busy section of the network. We have worked closely with Edinburgh Haymarket Developments and BAM throughout the design process over the last 12 months and it is pleasing to see work being carried out as planned.”

Property sales in Scotland increased by 22.4% in the second quarter of this year compared to the same quarter the previous year, according to the latest figures from the Register of Scotland.

It is the fourth consecutive quarter in which the sales volumes have increased in excess of 22%, demonstrating sustained growth over the past year when compared with the previous year. It is also the highest volume of sales for this quarter since the first quarter of 2008/2009.

West Lothian again showed the largest percentage rise in the number of sales with an increase of 39.1% compared to the same period in the previous year and the City of Edinburgh recorded the highest sales volume with 2,944 residential house sales, an increase of 30.6% on the previous year.

All Local Authorities showed an increase in the volume of sales, with the exception of Aberdeen City, which showed a decrease in volume of sales of 2.1%, and the Shetland Islands which is below the 1% threshold.

The average price of a residential property in Scotland increased by 5.9% during the first quarter of 2014/2015 compared with the same period the previous year.

The average price of a residential property for this quarter was £162,122. This increase represents the first time in almost four years that the average price has increased by in excess of 5%.

The highest percentage rise was recorded in Renfrewshire, with an average price of £128,138, a rise of 16.8% compared with the same quarter the previous year. East Renfrewshire recorded the highest average at £232,987, a rise of 10% compared with the same quarter the previous year.

The largest percentage fall in price was again in Midlothian which showed a drop of 6.3% with an average price of £169,014.

The total value of sales across Scotland registered in the quarter increased by 29.7% compared to the previous year to just under £3.95 billion. This again consolidates on the large increase in the value of sales reported last quarter.

The City of Edinburgh remains the largest market with sales of just under £670 million for the quarter, an increase of 39.4% compared with the same quarter last year. West Lothian showed the highest percentage rise with the value of sales increasing by 54.1% compared to the previous year.

All property types showed an increase in average house price in this quarter, the biggest increase being in flats at 5.3%. All property types showed an increase in sales volumes with detached properties showing the biggest increase in sales volumes of 23.3% and semi-detached and flats showing the next biggest increase at 22.2%.

Simon Brown, partner and head of residential sales at CKD Galbraith, said the figures fit in with the firm’s experience which has seen a steady increase in sales throughout 2014. The volume of sales agreed up by 32% compared to the first quarter of this year and a 31% increase compared to the second quarter of 2013.

‘Overall we have seen very…

London and the South of England are seeing more offices converted into residential properties, according to the latest commercial property market survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Nationwide the availability of commercial property has declined at its fastest rate since the index series began and a lack of stock is pushing investors away from prime locations and into B grade commercial investments, the report shows.

Overall during the second quarter of 2014 chartered surveyors saw a rise in the number of transactions of commercial properties being sold with Permitted Development Rights (PDR) to be converted into residential properties.

UK wide, a net balance of 49% of respondents said this activity was having a 'moderate' impact on commercial market activity, while almost one in five, net balance of 18%, said it was having a 'substantial' impact.

The picture across the country, however, was more polarised, with respondents in the north being less affected by PDR transactions, a net balance of 49% saying it was having 'no effect' on the market, compared with 32% of respondents in the south saying it was 'substantial'.

Further compounding shortage issues, overall availability of commercial property declined at its fastest rate since the commercial market series began in 1998, net balance of 33% more surveyors reporting shortages, with sharp declines in office and industrial space availability and the lack of supply to the commercial market is pushing investors away from prime location investments and towards B grade investments.

In London and the South particularly, respondents reported that growing demand and the resulting drop in yields is encouraging investors to look for opportunities beyond prime locations.

In London, a net balance of 50% of respondents indicated that investors were looking to add 'secondary or tertiary' assets in their portfolios, while in the South, 62% signalled a growing appetite secondary space.

Looking ahead, expectations for rent levels over the course of 2014 revealed a net balance of 33% more surveyors expecting rent levels to increase throughout the year. Respondents forecast rents will rise by 5.5% in the industrial sector, 4.3% in the offices sector and 2.8% across retail space.

‘The latest results provide clear evidence that the economic recovery is broadening out across the country with rising employment increasing the demand for space in all sectors of the market. As a result, the balance of power is now shifting back to landlords with rent expectations turning increasingly positive,’ said Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist.

‘Meanwhile, the pressure in the office sector is being exacerbated particularly in popular locations by the gradual conversion of some secondary space into residential. While making a much needed contribution to the substantial shortfall of homes, there are understandable concerns that this could be creating a related problem for businesses looking expand their footprint as economic confidence grows,’ he added.

Property prices growth in the prime central London market slowed to just 2.5% in the first six months of this year and values now appear to have now plateaued having risen by just 0.4% in the second quarter of the year.

The most established core prime central locations such as Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Chelsea, where average values are in the £2,100 to £2,400 per square foot, have all recorded quarterly growth below 1%, while in lower priced Marylebone, where prices average £1,600 per square foot, values rose 3.5% in the quarter.

The data from real estate firm Savills also shows that at the very top end of the market, homes worth over £10 million fell by 1.5% in the second quarter of 2014, meaning that London’s highest value homes saw zero growth on an annual basis albeit values remain 48.0% above peak.

This division is also reflected in sales activity, with sales between £5 million and £10 million in the first six months of the year up by 7% on the same period in 2013 but sales over £10 million down by 10% over the same period.

The strongest growth is now being seen in the lower value core prime markets of Islington and Canary Wharf and Wapping, reflecting confidence amongst young financial sector employees and investor buyers targeting City based renters.

For example, average values in the prime East of City markets have risen 10.1% year to date, which follows 13.3% growth in 2013.

The domestic markets of prime south west London, which beat all other prime markets to rise 14% last year, have also slowed. The report says that in the face of buyer resistance to further price inflation and higher stock levels, year to date growth stands at 4.4%, having slowed to just 0.4% in the past three months.

Across the prime London index, approximately one in four properties recorded small price falls over the last three months.’ This suggests the spectre of interest rate rises, and in some parts of the market more constrained mortgage lending, is beginning to impact on buyer sentiment and constrain prices even in markets rich in equity,’ the report explains.

‘With an election approaching and the taxation of high value property still on the political agenda we expect values to plateau in locations that have seen the steepest price rises as buyers apply the brakes on further increases for a period. New sellers entering the market should price for these new market conditions and a more cautious group of buyers,’ it adds.

Leading house-building Persimmon Homes and one of its scaffolding contractors have been fined after two bricklayers were hurt falling from an unsafe scaffold.

Lincoln magistrates heard that the two men were working for Persimmon Homes Ltd on a development site in Ploughman’s Lane, Bunkers Hill, Lincoln, when the incident happened on 4th April 2012.

They were about to start work on a scaffold platform, 6m from the ground, which had been loaded with materials. Just as they started work, the scaffold collapsed and they fell approximately 2m onto a platform below.

A Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found The Cathedral Scaffold Company Ltd had constructed the scaffold to bridge a narrow gap between the gable ends of two neighbouring properties. However, the company did not build it to a recognised design, which would have incorporated standards to transfer loads to the ground. They wrongly believed they could not fit them and a four board-wide working platform, as required by Persimmon, into the gap.

Instead they used a non-standard configuration of scaffolding but failed to carry out strength and stability calculations to ensure it was fit for purpose. The company issued a handing over certificate to Persimmon, setting out restrictions on the use of the scaffold. This identified it as a general purpose scaffold capable of supporting a specified distributed weight load, but because no strength or stability calculations were undertaken, this distributed load could not be guaranteed.

Persimmon subsequently overloaded the platform, causing it to collapse.

HSE found that the weight of just one pack of dry blocks distributed evenly over the platform would have taken it over the load limit – even without the men, tools or mortar on the platform. It was likely that the actual loading could have increased the danger as the blocks were all stacked towards one side of the platform.

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Persimmon Homes Ltd, of Fulford, York, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(b)(i) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was yesterday (28th July) fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £10,426 costs.

The Cathedral Scaffold Company Ltd, of Dixon Way, Lincoln, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(b)(ii) of the same Regulations and was fined £4,000 with costs of £5,500.

HSE inspector Linda-Jane Rigby said after the hearing: “Unless a scaffold is a basic configuration described in recognised guidance it should be designed by calculation, by a competent person, to ensure it will have adequate strength and suitability. The design information should describe the sequence and methods to be adopted when erecting, dismantling and altering the scaffold. That did not happen in this case.”

One in 10 home buyers in the UK have bought a property to renovate with most intending to make a profit from their endeavours, new research shows.

However, half found the work was harder than they expected although two thirds said they would be prepared to do it again, according to the survey by loan provider Ocean Finance.

The research also shows that the average profit renovators have made or expect to make for their efforts is between £20,001 and £30,000. This was calculated by subtracting the purchase price of the property and the cost of the renovation work from the value of the house now.

While this much money is no small change, some home renovators are expecting to make much more. Some 7.8% of these respondents claimed they had either pocketed or hoped to make a profit of more than £100,000.

While the majority, 78%, of the people who have taken on a renovation project have completed it, some 22% admitted it was still underway.

Many respondents also revealed that the project had not been as easy to complete as they were expecting. In fact, nearly half, 46%, of home renovators admitted the work involved had been harder than they anticipated.

However, despite this the end result may have been worth it for most, as 63% of people who had taken on a property renovation scheme said they would do it all again.

People aged between 25 and 34 years old were found to be the most likely to have invested in a property in need of improvement, with 19% of this age group revealing they have done so. This might be because this is the age when people are thinking about taking their first steps on the property ladder, and buying somewhere that needs a facelift could save them some money.

Londoners were also the most likely to take on a renovation project at 20%. With house prices in the capital so much higher than the average across the rest of the UK, buying a house or flat that needs doing up might save residents money.

‘Taking on a renovation project can be a daunting prospect, but not only could it help you bag your dream home for a bargain price and you may end up making a profit too,’ said Ian Williams, Ocean Finance spokesman.

‘Of course, people should always make sure they carefully budget so that they don’t end up spending more than they can afford on doing up the property, and that they don’t take on a project they can’t manage,’ he pointed out.

‘House prices can go up and down, as can mortgage rates, and this may have an impact on the project’s budget but if all goes well, when the work is finished not only will they be left with a sense of achievement, but hopefully a healthy profit as well,’ he added.

Construction industry capacity shortages have prompted Mace to increase its forecast for tender cost inflation in London as contractors become increasingly picky about projects they take on.

Mace’s cost consultancy division reports that contractors are now turning down work in the capital as they are able to pick and choose their jobs. With competition falling, margins are rising, it says.

The surge in demand has led Mace to increase its forecast for London tender cost inflation from 3.5% to 4.5% for both 2014 and 2015.

Outside of London, there is still enough capacity across the UK to meet demand, as well as steady competition. This continues to subdue price increases. Mace’s forecast for average inflation in tender prices has therefore remained unchanged at 2% for 2014, rising to 2.5% in 2015 and 3% in 2016, by which time it is expected that the general economic recovery will have increased demand for construction across the regions.

The performance of private commercial work is also increasing, with the London office market proving to be increasingly active. However, across the rest of the country, Mace Cost Consultancy has found that the supply of private commercial space is still sufficient to meet general demand, confirming that this sector has not yet recovered across all UK regions.

In what Mace’s tender cost update calls the ‘next stage of the UK economic recovery’, capital investment has increased consistently over recent quarters. Business investment, one of the main components of fixed capital, grew by 5% to £33.4bn in the last quarter and is the highest since 2008 following five quarters of consecutive growth.

Mace Cost Consultancy managing director Chris Goldthorpe said: “While it is still possible to obtain competitive tender returns in the regions, the London market has seen contractors unable to meet the rising demand, resulting in a selective response to tender invitations and an unwillingness to take on risk.  It is now a regular occurrence for contractors to turn down tender opportunities, particularly if they involve single stage tendering, incomplete design information or significant construction risks.  We are also seeing overheads and profit allowances increasing to levels that have not been seen for the last five years as competition is reduced.”

Scientists have come up with a way of using noise cancelling technology for acoustic barriers alongside roads and railway lines.

Sonobex Limited, a newly formed spin-out from Loughborough University, has funding from the Technology Strategy Board, to bring its SonoBarrier acoustic fences to market.

The first CE mark prototypes are expected to be produced by February 2015, the company says.

Sonobex uses a patented acoustic meta-material technology called sonic crystals, which are fabricated materials designed to control, direct and manipulate sound. Sonobex sonic crystal based noise reduction technology is a passive method that superimposes disturbing noise with scattered anti-acoustic noise to cancel out the disturbance. Designs are tuned to particular dominant frequencies to achieve significant reduction levels.

Sonobex has a £358,000 budget for its project, with an anticipated £161,000 from the Technology Strategy Board.

Sonobex chief executive Paul Gooch said: “Sonobex is delighted to have secured this funding. These next generation acoustic barriers will revolutionise the market, true performance measured in-situ under the new CE will differentiate these products from current market solutions and provide the protection required and expected.”

The number of people who do not want new homes being built in their neighbourhood appears to be in decline.

The latest social attitudes survey conducted on behalf of the government found that opposition to new homes fell substantially between 2010 and 2013, with 46% saying they would oppose new homes being built in their local area in 2010, compared to 31% in 2013. The proportion that was supportive increased from 28% in 2010 to 47% in 2013.

The strength of opposition for new homes has also decreased. The proportion of respondents stating they would strongly oppose new homes being built in their local area almost halved from 15% in 2010 to 8% in 2013. At the same time the proportion of respondents who said they would strongly support new homes more than doubled from 5% to 11%.

Unsurprisingly, those who own their own homes are more likely to oppose new developments changing the face of the neighbourhood in which they have invested.

37% of owners were opposed, compared to 17 % of council tenants, 20% of private tenants and 21% of housing association tenants. Between 2010 and 2013 opposition fell by a similar proportion for all tenure groups.

Source: Public attitudes to new house building: findings from the British Social Attitudes Survey 2013

Balfour Beatty has won a £24m contract to build accommodation for more than 400 students of the Royal College of Music in London.

Client for the project is Campus Living Villages and completion is scheduled for September 2015.

The accommodation on Goldhawk Road in Shepherd’s Bush will replace existing facilities that Balfour Beatty will also demolish. The new development will have 417 new bedrooms, two self-contained flats and amenities including a gym, laundry, cinema and music practice rooms.

The bedrooms will have acoustic features to enable music students to practice without disturbing others, as well as an open plan central amenity space that breaks out onto external courtyards and an informal performance space.

The building has been designed to be BREEAM ‘Excellent’, with roof mounted photo-voltaic arrays, LED lighting and on-demand heating systems for individual bedrooms.

Other student accommodation projects that Balfour Beatty is currently building around the UK include the Holyrood Postgraduate Student Accommodation & Outreach Centre for the University of Edinburgh and 199 Westminster Bridge Road in London for Urbanest.

Wates Group director Andy Wates has taken over as chairman of the Construction Youth Trust.

He succeeds Rod Bennion, chairman of McNicholas and Mabey Group, who was chairman of the trust for 12 years and on the board for 14.

Construction Youth Trust works with young people from challenging backgrounds to help get them into the construction industry. Andy Wates has been a director for nine years already.

Andy Wates is one of five Wates family members on the company’s group board and the fourth generation of the family at the helm. He joined the Wates Group in 1995 after six years with Costain and John Shreeves & Partners. He is now Wates Group's portfolio development director, looking after long-term investments.

Mr Wates said: "Our vision with the trust is all about inspiring and enabling young people to overcome barriers and finding them work in the construction industry, and now with construction coming out of the recession there are fresh opportunities for us to create more apprenticeships. I really do have so much respect and admiration for what the trust does."

Unite shop stewards are to decide next week on possible industrial action after electricians and labourers in the union rejected a 5% two-year pay deal in a consultative ballot.

Unite said that the offer was ‘woefully inadequate’, given soaring household bills.  It added that its members are also unhappy that employers want to introduce a ‘new entrant’ grade with an 18-month probationary period with a pay rate 25% below the labourers’ grade.

The union was offered a 2% rise from January 2015 and 3% from January 2016 – 5.06% over two years. Unite balloted more than 7,000 electricians and labourers and by a margin of 91% they rejected the pay package. Average pay of an electrician is currently £29,000 a year.

 Unite national officer for the construction industry Bernard McAulay called for the Electrical Contractors’ Association and its Scottish counterpart Select, which together represent more than 1,000 employers, to return to the negotiating table.

“The pay offer is woefully inadequate as the cost of living continues to soar. Pay packets are being eroded in real terms, while companies still chalk up handsome profits,” Mr McAulay said.

He described the proposed ‘new entrant’ grade as “a bid to drive down wages of highly skilled workers”.

Mr McAulay added: “The decisive result of the consultative ballot clearly demonstrates that the workforce cannot be bought off when the future stability of the industry grading structure and hard won skills sets are being put at stake.”

Unite shop stewards from across the country will meet on Monday 4th August to decide the next steps, which could include an industrial action ballot.

After six years of sluggish activity, the Barbados luxury homes market is picking up according to the latest report from Knight Frank.

Christian de Meillac, Knight Frank’s Head of Caribbean sales said that he has seen a marked increase in buyer enquiries and this is backed up by the number of online property viewings being generated via Knight Frank’s Global Property Search Website which have increased 56.7% in the year to June 2014.

‘The sun seems to be rising again on the Barbados property market as the traditional selling season is extending into summer. Buyers are back and we are seeing regeneration in the market with more and more sales along the premium west coast from Bridgetown to Speightstown,’ he explained.

‘With the positive signs coming from the UK economy, price discounts and a new impetus amongst buyers, we have seen a marked increase in sales and interestingly, this is continuing into the summer months when things traditionally quiet down,’ he added.

In terms of the nationalities buying, UK buyers still lead the market accounting for around 70% of all prime sales, followed by Canadians but the presence of European buyers is also on the increase.

‘Demand varies according to price. The most popular spot seems to be those properties located along the west coast and priced between US$1 million and US$3 million. Beachfront apartments and standalone villas are generating the most interest with a sea view and privacy the two key prerequisites,’ de Meillac pointed out.

‘However, this has also been a year of record deals at the top end of the market, with two deals circa US$20 million and one deal rumoured to be in excess of US$40 million, a sign that things are looking up,’ he explained.

An analysis of applicant numbers now with a year ago shows that not only are more applicants registering their interest in a Barbados home but a greater proportion of them are buying.

De Meillac believes the strong pound has been influential. ‘The more favourable exchange rate has certainly assisted British buyers, not only providing them with an effective discount on the property price but visits on the whole are less expensive. Cars, dining and golf are all more affordable and the UK government is considering reducing taxes on long haul flights to the island. This also encourages tourism, and in turn home owners can increase their rental income, again helping reduce the cost of the property,’ he said.

However, despite the strengthening pound and the fact that Barbados is attracting more buyers and seeing more sales, locally property prices have not begun to increase. ‘Buyers are well informed, taking their time and researching the market thoroughly. Vendors need to be patient and it is still the best priced properties that are attracting attention,’ he added.

For the first time ever, average rents in Greater London are more than double those across the rest of the UK at £1,412 and £694 respectively, new research shows.

Average UK private home rents have increased 6.3% in the last 12 months, now standing at £862 per month compared to £811 a year ago, according to the latest HomeLet rental index.

It also shows that the North East of England, Scotland and Wales offer the most affordable rent when comparing rental prices to average tenants’ incomes in the regions,

Overall it says, the average cost of renting a home in the UK has risen so quickly in some locations that Greater London, the South West and the South East of England are pushing the bounds of affordability.

While this figure was inflated by very large rental increases in Greater London, where rents are up by 11.2%, rents have risen year on year in 10 out of 12 regions of the country, with only the North East of England and Scotland seeing minor falls in rental prices.

The London market continues to race ahead with the average monthly rent in Greater London being £1,412, compared to £694 for the rest of the UK, excluding London, meaning that London rental prices are now more than double those of the rest of the UK for the very first time.

When comparing average rental prices to average tenants’ incomes, Greater London represents the least affordable rental market in the UK, with the average tenant’s gross income being just 2.23 times the average annual rental.

Other regions feeling the squeeze on affordability are the South West and South East of England with the average tenant’s gross income being 2.55 times and 2.93 the average annual rental value in the respective regions.

‘The private rental sector continues to show strong growth with rental values increasing year on year across the country, with little exception. Although average incomes have also been rising, there are parts of the country where we are seeing affordability getting tighter,’ said Martin Totty, Barbon Insurance Group’s chief executive officer.

‘As a rule of thumb, for a rental property to be affordable, a tenant’s gross income must be at least two and a half times his or her annual rent. Our data shows that rents in London have pushed beyond that boundary, with the South East and South West of England close behind,’ he added.

A breakdown of the figures shows that the annual variation in average rental value in Greater London is 11.2%, in East Anglia it is 6.4%, in Wales 4.7%, in the South West 4.6%, in the South East 4.4% and the West Midlands 4.3%.

The North West saw a variation of 2.9%, Yorkshire and Humber 2.2%, Northern Ireland 2% and the East Midlands just 0.2% while there was a decline of 2.3% in the North East and 3.8% in Scotland.

‘The options for Londoners who are looking to rent in the capital are…

Average house prices in England and Wales have seen annual growth of 6.4% but price growth stalled in June, according to the latest flagship Land Registry House Price Index.

There was no change in June compared with the previous month but with the average price of a home now at £172,011, the market is not far off the peak of £181,466 in November 2007.

London has seen the greatest increase in its average property value over the last 12 months with a movement of 16.4% and the North East saw the lowest annual price growth with a rise of just 0.8%.

The West Midlands experienced the greatest monthly rise with growth of 1.9% Yorkshire and the Humber saw the most significant monthly price fall of 1.3%.

The most up to date figures available show that during April 2014 the number of completed house sales in England and Wales increased by 31% to 66,659 compared with 51,022 in April 2013.

The number of properties sold in England and Wales for over £1 million in April 2014 increased by 39% to 1,028 from 740 in April 2013. The region with the greatest fall in repossession sales in April 2014 was the West Midlands.

According to David Brown, commercial director of LSL Property Services, confidence is all about stability and he believes that the property market is delivering that. ‘We are seeing a shift from a period of catch-up to one of stable price growth and across the country, prices are now rising more uniformly too. All of this will reassure buyers and sellers and encourage more investment in new homes,’ he said.

‘Certainly, investment is what’s required. By contrast, the private rented sector has delivered below inflation rent rises for more than 12 months now, due to extra supply via landlords expanding portfolios. And across all tenures, the affordability of housing will ultimately depend on having enough homes to go around. A healthy purchase market is just the first step towards serious growth,’ he added.

Peter Rollings, chief executive officer of Marsh & Parsons, pointed out that after a frenetic start to the year, the pace of house price growth has slowed as the market stabilises and returns to more normal trading conditions.

‘With more choice coming onto the market, sellers are able to find their next onward purchase and consider trading up. Calmer conditions in the market have meant buyers view purchasing London Prime property as a less daunting process than has been the case previously,’ he explained.

‘London house price inflation made headlines all across the world at the start of the year, and this hasn’t escaped the attention of canny investors looking for a safe harbour for their capital. But the demographic of investors is changing and contrary to popular belief, the prime London property market isn’t being propped up by overseas money,’ he said.

He also pointed out that there is a new wave of UK ‘pension’ investors looking for steady rental yields and guaranteed long term capital…

Fewer people in the UK think the coming months will be a good time to buy a property with more than half believing it is a good time to sell, the latest confidence tracker report shows.

It says that confidence in the housing market is split and while the public have never been more optimistic about house sales, the outlook for the purchase market is at its lowest level since 2011.

The quarterly Halifax Housing Market Confidence tracker shows that 57% feel it will be a good time to sell in the next 12 months, exceeding those who think it will be a bad time at 32%.

This is the highest score of this measure since the survey’s inception in April 2011, making a net balance of +25 compared with +12 in the fourth quarter of 2013 and -6 in the third quarter of 2013. Sentiment towards selling is even stronger among owner occupiers with 63% stating that now is a good time to sell.

In contrast, the proportion of respondents who feel that now is a good time to buy has fallen to a net balance of +5, a fall of 29 points in the last quarter. This is the largest fall in this measure since the tracker’s inception in 2011.

Positive sentiment fell by 16 points among owner occupiers between the first and second quarters of 2014 and is now at 53% and those in London and the South East are the most negative.

Positive sentiment towards selling is highest in the East and South East, where 65% think it will be a good time to sell, compared with only 36% who say this in Scotland.

Overall net balance of respondents thinking that in the next 12 months it would be a good time for people to sell a property less those who think it will be a bad time for people to sell a property.

‘Over the past two years consumer confidence has continued to grow, however it appears that we’ve reached a tipping point with the equilibrium between buyers and sellers much more out of sync,’ said Craig McKinlay, mortgages director at the Halifax.

‘The results highlight the regional variations as now people believe that it’s a good time for to sell but not buy, particularly in London and the South East where house price expectations are generally higher and buyers appear to be less inclined to rush into a buying a property as we have seen over the past 12 months,’ he added.

The report also reveals a sharp rise in the number of people identifying rising prices as a barrier to buying, now at 35% which is up from 20% a year ago. Concerns about rises in interest rates is on an upward trajectory, up from 13% a year ago to 18% but, still, deposit raising remains the biggest perceived barrier as mentioned by 55%.

Some 71% predict the average UK house price will rise over the next year with 30% expecting it to…

Companies wanting to drill for natural gas deep under the UK have been invited to apply for licences under a new planning regime designed to promote fracking.

The government has today published details of how companies can apply for these licences to speed up the development of fracking in the UK.

In a sop to those who argue that pumping chemicals deep underground to release natural gas is hazardous and potentially polluting, the government has said that it would allow fracking in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites but only if there were “exceptional circumstances” or it was “in the public interest”.

Communities minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said: “Effective exploration and testing of the UK’s unconventional gas resources is key to understanding the potential for this industry – so the government is creating the right framework to accelerate unconventional oil and gas development in a responsible and sustainable way.

“We recognise there are areas of outstanding landscape and scenic beauty where the environmental and heritage qualities need to be carefully balanced against the benefits of oil and gas from unconventional hydrocarbons.

“For this reason, I am today making clear our approach to planning for unconventional hydrocarbons in National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites. Proposals for such development must recognise the importance of these sites.”

The licences provide the first step to starting drilling. Planning permission will also be needed, as well as permits from the Environment Agency and sign-off from the Health & Safety Executive.

Business and Energy Minister Matthew Hancock said:  “As one of the cleanest fossil fuels, shale gas can be a key part of the UK’s answer to climate change and a bridge to a much greener future.”

The number of products on the market to service the growing interest in buy to let mortgages in the UK has risen to highs not seen since 2008, new research reveals

The research by Moneyfacts shows that the number of buy to let products on offer in July 2013 increased to 466, but now the number has risen by 42.7% to 665.

At the same time, average interest rates charged for both fixed and variable deals have fallen to the lowest levels ever at 4.17% for the average fixed rate and 4.03% for the average variable rate.

Lender interest in the buy to let market may be fuelled by the knowledge that it falls outside of the recent Mortgage Market Review which makes getting a loan more rigorous, according to Sylvia Waycot, Moneyfacts editor.

‘This makes the process of granting any buy to let mortgage quicker and simpler as it is not subject to the new affordability criteria that is starting to clog up the mainstream mortgage market,’ she explained.

‘In addition, the new pension regime means that retirees could consider by to let as a way of supplementing their income instead of purchasing an annuity,’ she added.

She also pointed out that Help to Buy is attracting potential borrowers into the housing market, but the advent of MMR is acting almost like a contradiction, putting the brakes on the process, and the funding element, although sensible, is making it harder for some to get onto the housing ladder.

‘Ultimately this all points to the buy to let market being here to stay and to remain attractive to lenders, hence the surge in products on offer for landlords who seem assured of a healthy supply of tenants,’ Waycot concluded.

Three 100m-high cooling towers at Didcot power station were brought down in a controlled explosion yesterday.

Birmingham-based demolition contractor Coleman & Co is working on a three-year project to pull down the redundant Didcot A plant in Oxfordshire.

At 4am on Sunday 27th July, three of the six cooling towers were reduced to rubble in less than 10 seconds.

Kevin Nix, head of RWE Generation UK, said: ”Although this is a sad day and the end of an era in many ways, I am very pleased that the technically challenging demolition of the southern cooling towers has been carried out successfully and above all with the safety of all those involved, including the local community, as its highest priority. This is entirely due to months of pre-planning and the professionalism of the specialist teams involved.”

RWE Generation UK announced the closure of the 2,000MW coal-fired Didcot A power station in September 2012 after 42 years of service. The station closed on 31st March 2013 and the nine month decommissioning process finished in November 2013.

RWE's neighbouring 1400MW gas-fired power station, Didcot B, will continue to generate electricity generation for many years to come.

Coleman & Company is continuing to clear the rest of the site, including the northern cooling towers and the chimney stack, to be completed by the end of 2016. (See our previous report here.)

Yesterday’s demolition was live streamed over the internet in a bid to keep spectators away. Several hundred still turned up to watch it, however.

Setting the charges…

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The event attracted a lot of media attention. Even the final pre-blast plannign meeting was filmed.

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Latest construction company to buy into glow-in-the-dark hi-viz gear is Aggregate Industries.

Based in Scotland, both the asphalt and highways divisions of Aggregate Industries (AI) have purchased the Fhoss Technology powered light safety wear for their on-site workers, to allow them to be more visible in the dark.

Unlike traditional reflective tape, which works by reflecting off an additional light source, Fhoss’s technology allows workers to be light up without the need for ambient light.

Danny Taggart, site manager with the Scottish asphalt division of Aggregate Industries, said:  “When wearing Fhoss, it is really noticeable just how much the boys on the ground stand out in the dark. Unfortunately, there are always going to be some areas of our site where ambient light is not present. However, with Fhoss, this doesn’t matter. When wearing their jackets, my men can be seen at all times, with or without the presence of an additional light source and from a good distance away. “

Residential property prices in Ireland have increased by 12.5% in the year to June, up from10.6% in May, according to the latest index from the Central Statistical Office.

It is substantially up on the increase of 1.2% recorded in the 12 months to June 2013 and up 2.9% month on month, up from the 2.3% recorded in May and an increase of 1.2% recorded in June of last year.

In Dublin residential property prices grew by 3.3% in June and were 23.9% higher than a year ago, the data also shows but experts suggest that a supply shortage is behind the market growth.

Dublin house prices rose by 3.1% in the month and were 24.4% higher compared to a year earlier while apartment prices were 18.2% higher when compared with the same month of 2013.

However, a CSO spokesman said that it should be noted that the sub-indices for apartments are based on low volumes of observed transactions and consequently suffer from greater volatility than other series.

The price of residential properties in the rest of Ireland rose by 2.3% in June compared with an increase of 0.7% in June of last year and prices were 3.4% higher than in June 2013.

A breakdown of the figures show that house prices in Dublin are 42.7% lower than at their highest level in early 2007 while apartments in Dublin are 50.5% lower than they were in February 2007.

Residential property prices in Dublin are 44.5% lower than at their highest level in February 2007 while in the Rest of Ireland they are 45.8% lower than their highest level in September 2007. Overall, the national index is 43.4% lower than its highest level in 2007.

Meanwhile, figures from estate agents, Douglas Newman Goode (DNG,) suggest that there has been a 5.9% increase in Dublin house prices since the end of April. It says that house prices in the capital climbed by €20,000 since the end of March or €220 per day in the capital and found that houses with price tags of less than €250,000 grew at the fastest rate 10.9% in the second quarter of the year.

Between April 2005 and April 2006 the growth in national prices was 13.2%, up on the rate of growth to March 2006 of 12.1% and more than twice the 6.5% rise recorded in the 12 months to April 2005.

Although the rise in prices is generally welcome, experts point out that the recovery in property prices is mainly confined to the Dublin market and the price growth is due to a shortage of supply.

Indeed, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland has called for the prompt implementation of the measures recommended in the government’s Construction 2020 Strategy to address the current housing supply shortage and pace of increases in property prices.

‘Average property prices have increased by almost a quarter since this time last year in Dublin and while property values still remain approximately 45% lower than in 2007, the…

House prices in England and Wales increased by 0.1% in July, a further decline in the rate of growth from 0.3% last month, and the lowest level of growth over a month since February 2013, the latest index shows.

Seasonal factors and an increasingly pronounced slowdown in the London market where prices have stalled in July, have been taking hold, according to Hometrack’s July Housing Survey.

It also reveals the slowest growth in house prices in 18 months and says that weakening demand and a continued slowing in the rate of house price growth is more than just a seasonal slowdown.

Indeed, tougher lending rules and changing buyer sentiment have impacted demand. London, which has been the engine for house price growth, has seen a particularly pronounced slowdown in the last month with a small proportion of markets in the capital now registering price falls.

Also, demand for housing fell slightly in July, with the percentage change in new buyers registering with agents at -0.9% compared to 0% in June. The gap between overall supply and demand has narrowed sharply in the last three months, pointing to a reduction in the upward pressure on house prices, meaning that the measure of demand has moved into negative territory.

Less than a quarter of postcode districts registered a price rise in July, almost half the level seen in the spring, when 50% of markets were registering price gains.

The proportion of the asking price being achieved is starting to decline nationally, as agents find it harder to push prices ahead in the face of weaker demand. The measure is still relatively high but has fallen from 96.8% in May to 96.1%. In London it has declined more sharply from over 99% to 97.5% over the same period.

The time on the market remains flat at an average of six weeks nationally, but there has been a slight rise in London from a recent low of 2.7 in March 2014 to 4.3 weeks. It’s also starting to rise in the South East, but elsewhere the downward trend continues.

The momentum of price rises in the London market has slowed dramatically in the last few months. Just 12% of London postcodes registered price gains in July. 11% of London markets actually recorded lower prices over the month.

‘Seasonal factors always lead to a slowdown in demand and market activity in the summer months, but it is clear that there are bigger forces at work with a pronounced loss of momentum in the London housing market in the last three months,’ said Richard Donnell, director of research at Hometrack.

‘The lead indicators in the survey have pointed to a slowdown in the rate of growth for the last two months, in part due to warnings from the Bank of England and others of a possible house price bubble. Demand for mortgages has also been slowing for several months now,’ he explained.

He also said there…

The number of tenancies agreed across England’s Home Counties rental market between was 50% higher year on year in the second quarter of 2014, according to the latest Knight Frank lettings index.

This has been driven by an increase in demand from corporate tenants working in London and in the first half of the year nearly 40% of all tenancies agreed were to international tenants led by individuals from North America.

The report explains that tenants relocating from the US are often present during the first half of the year, with many wanting to move before the new American school term starts in August.

Not only have activity levels risen in the second quarter, but there are indications that there could be a further pick up in the coming months with the number of potential tenants registering with Knight Frank lettings agents over the three months to June rising by 49%, compared to the same period last year.

Prime rents in the Home Counties increased by 2.6% in the second quarter of 2014, a marked improvement on the 0.7% growth in the first quarter of the year.

The recent strong performance of the Home Counties lettings market has come as global economies return to health, and business confidence in the UK grows, prompting companies to expand and increase corporate relocations. In fact, the latest ICAEW/Grant Thornton UK Business Confidence Monitor shows that business confidence was at a record high level in the second quarter of 2014.

Corporate demand for rental accommodation has come from a range of industries including the oil and gas, tech and mining sectors.

However, despite two consecutive quarters of rental growth, over the 12 months to June 2014, rents are still 3.8% lower.
Looking at supply, the number of new instructions, regarded as a good indicator on the level of stock coming onto the market, was 14% higher across the Home Counties between April and June compared to the same period last year, although the rise varied depending on location.

‘The strong prime sales market in Beaconsfield, for example, where prices rose by 5.4% over the year to June 2014, has resulted in some landlords deciding that now is a good time to sell,’ said Oliver Knight of the firm’s residential research team.

‘This has resulted in a fall in the number of available properties to rent and could serve to underpin further rent rises in the area,’ he added.

The latest update of the government’s National Infrastructure Pipeline says that planned investment has now increased to £383bn up to 2020 and beyond.

The previous update in December put the value at £375bn.

The sectors with the largest values of planned spending are energy with almost £204bn identified and transport, with a value of more than £140m.

The Pipeline, which is converted into an interactive map format by Barbour ABI, is designed to increase the visibility of future infrastructure investment in both the public and private sectors. It is reviewed every six months to ensure new opportunities are reflected and more details are provided as they emerge.

Michael Dall, lead economist at Barbour ABI, said: “This latest Pipeline update will come as very positive news for the construction industry. With the Pipeline representing more than £380 billion of planned infrastructure investment over the coming years, the construction industry will receive a much-needed boost just as the latest output and new contract figures seem to indicate that the high rate of growth is slowing.

“While there have been concerns recently that the industry is becoming too reliant on the housing sector, this Pipeline will offer greater visibility and understanding of the potential opportunities available in the infrastructure sector too.

Multiple safety failings have resulted in fines for a Lincolnshire poultry firm and four of its contractors after workers were caught on a roof without taking proper safety precautions.

GW Padley Poultry Ltd was prosecuted by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) after inspectors witnessed unsafe working at height while a poultry shed was being built at the company’s site in Wigtoft, Lincolnshire, in March 2012.

The poultry firm was the principal contractor but had no representatives on site. The poultry buildings were supplied by Harlow Bros Ltd of Loughborough, who sub-contracted the erection of the buildings to K & M Tomlinson Ltd, and Philip Bates.

Lincoln Crown Court was told today that HSE visited the site on 13 March 2012 and saw four workers on the roof of a new poultry building. There was no edge protection or scaffolding in place and the height of the gable roof was about 6m.

When the inspector asked the workers to come down, they had to walk about 10m along the sloping roof and down an unsecured ladder. The inspector issued Kenneth Tomlinson, director of K & M Tomlinson, with a prohibition notice, stopping further work on the roof until suitable edge protection was put in place.

When the inspector revisited the site three days later, work on the roof had been completed. A tower scaffold was at one end of the eaves and 12 airbags were on the floor at the other end of the building, but there was still no edge protection.

The inspector returned later the same day with a colleague and found workers, including Philip Bates, on the roofs of two sheds. The scaffold tower seen earlier had been dismantled.

HSE found airbags used for cushioning a fall were loose and anyone falling would have hit the ground. Faults were also found with a forklift truck being used in conjunction with work platform fitted to its prongs. A second prohibition notice was served, preventing further work on the shed roofs.

Further enforcement notices were issued to GW Padley Poultry, Harlow Brothers and Mr Bates to prevent all work on sloping roofs until adequate edge protection and internal fall protection was provided and an Improvement Notice was served on the poultry firm requiring appointment of a competent site manager.

Harlow Brothers put in place a lifeline and harness system for safe working at height, but this was found to be inadequate on inspection and a further improvement notice was served.

The court heard that Harlow Brothers Ltd and Philip Bates have previous convictions for work on poultry house roofs without edge protection.

GW Padley Poultry Ltd of Mount Street, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 22(1)(a) and regulation 22(1)(c) of the Construction (Design and Management ) Regulations 2007 and was fined £9,000 and ordered to pay £15,000 costs.

Harlow Brothers Ltd of Long Whatton, Loughborough, Leicestershire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 on two separate occasions, the 13 and the 16 March 2012 and Section 4(2) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £15,000 costs.

K&M Tomlinson Ltd of Nottingham Road, Long Eaton, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Section 5(1)(a) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, and was fined £1,000.

Kenneth Tomlinson of College Street, Long Eaton, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) by virtue of section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £3,000 costs.

Philip Bates of The Square, Leasingham, Lincolnshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £4,500 and ordered to pay £5,550 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Martin Waring said: “In this case there was clear evidence of a very poor attitude to health and safety generally on this site. Each of the defendants had clear duties to ensure the safety of the workers, however these were repeatedly ignored.

“Working at height poses very obvious dangers but our visits uncovered a catalogue of safety breaches which could have had led to a fatal or very serious injury for a worker had they fallen. There was a continued and deliberate neglect of duties by particular parties in this case; and directors who disregard their responsibilities will be held personally accountable.”