Fenchurch Street’s new skyscraper looks great. Will it ever get built? October 2, 2025 The City of London Corporation has approved plans for another skyscraper in the Square Mile. Having had a look at the application, the building looks gorgeous and will surely make a great addition to the City’s skyline. I particularly like how the facade is interspersed with patches of greenery. But will it ever get built? [...]
Converge AI: Meet the UK tech decarbonising concrete with AI September 24, 2025 Concrete is everywhere; It’s in the roads we drive on, the buildings we work in, and the infrastructure that shapes the UK’s cities. Yet despite its ubiquity, it’s also one of the hardest materials to make environmentally friendly. This is the challenge that British construction tech scale-up Converge AI, founded in 2014, is trying to [...]
Construction firms are ‘lagging behind’ as confidence plummets September 4, 2025 Construction firms are struggling to kick back into growth, fresh data has suggested, as more bosses are becoming worried about a bleaker future ahead. The Labour government is pinning hopes on a revival of the construction sector to build 1.5m homes by 2030. However, a new survey has raised doubts about whether Labour can achieve [...]
Costain shares tumble after HS2 delays spark revenue slump August 20, 2025 Shares in Costain tumbled 13 per cent in the opening minutes of trade in London after the construction firm was hit by further delays to HS2. The Bishopsgate-based business said its overall revenue fell 17.8 per cent to £525m for the first six months of the year, of which revenue for its rail infrastructure services [...]
Reasons to be optimistic about the UK’s construction sector August 13, 2025 There are some early signs the UK’s beleaguered construction industry is turning a corner as higher demand, higher government investment and lower interest rates set shovels in the ground. Judging by the numbers so far this year, the UK’s construction industry is in a bad place: The sector contracted at the fastest pace since 2020 [...]
Balfour Beatty receives profit boost from government contracts August 13, 2025 Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty recorded a jump in profit for the first half of the year after a bumper performance in its UK construction. The London-listed firm posted a £20m rise in pre-tax profit for the first six months of the year to £132m, up from £112m last year. It came as the business’ UK [...]
Bellway: Issues with government planning reforms cause delays August 12, 2025 Housebuilder Bellway has said local councils have found it difficult to adapt to the government’s changes to the UK planning system, causing delays in the building process. The government recently announced an overhaul of Britain’s clunky planning system, promising to unleash “seismic change” on the country’s construction process. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has [...]
Construction sector contracts at the fastest pace since 2020 August 6, 2025 Activity in the UK’s construction industry is contracting at the fastest rate since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 as high costs and tax hikes bite. The sector is vital for the Labour government’s plans for a house building boom and improvements in infrastructure, with the private sector expected to help boost the UK’s economic growth. [...]
Laing O’Rourke: Heathrow Terminal Five builder doubles profit August 4, 2025 Laing O’Rourke, the construction giant behind Heathrow’s Terminal Five, more than doubled its profit during its latest financial year. The business has posted a pre-tax profit of £41.5m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2025, up from the £18.1m it reported for the prior year. The profit comes after Laing O’Rourke lost £288m in [...]
Labour’s new quarry tax is rock bottom green policy August 4, 2025 A man’s freedom to fill up his quarry absent extortion must stand, writes Charlie Amos in response to Labour's expanded landfill tax.