Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove is getting tough on construction companies four-and-a-half years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Gove has turned his ire on Rydon Homes and blocked them from the government’s Help to Buy home ownership scheme with immediate effect.

It means they no longer have government support and cannot market their properties to first time buyers, with the offer of government backed loans.

He thundered: “It is in the public interest to exclude Rydon Homes from the Help to Buy scheme with immediate effect given the extremely concerning evidence heard by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry about its sister company.

“The development and construction industry should be in no doubt: I will continue to go after those who put lives at risk, are responsible for the building safety crisis and are failing to play their part in fixing it. The Grenfell community and innocent leaseholders deserve better.”

Rydon was the main contractor on the refurbishment of the Grenfell Tower which was destroyed by fire in June 2017 with the loss of 72 lives.

Gove has also warned the construction industry “there will be consequences for those who are responsible for the building safety crisis and those who are failing to help fix it.”

A government statement on the ongoing Grenfell inquiry said: “The Grenfell Tower Inquiry is considering worrying evidence of potentially unacceptable practices by Rydon Maintenance Ltd – the lead contractor for the refurbishment of the Grenfell Tower – before the tragedy that occurred in 2017, in which 72 people lost their lives.

“Rydon Maintenance falls under the same parent company as Rydon Homes Ltd and has directors in common.”

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University College Birmingham has unveiled plans for a new  sustainable construction skills centre as part of the regeneration of the iconic James Cond print works in the city’s Jewellery Quarter.

The new Engineering and Sustainable Construction Centre will offer state-of-the-art courses and facilities specifically designed to train the workforce of the future. Tilbury Douglas is working on the scheme with the university.

The new centre will specialise in courses including sustainable construction methods, manufacturing technologies, renewable energy, robotics and cyber and digital skills.

Michael Harkin, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at University College Birmingham, said: “The recent COP26 climate change conference included high emphasis on low carbon sustainable buildings with highly ecological specifications, and there is great need of new talent in this field, with hundreds of thousands of new workers expected to be required in the next few years.

“Our exciting new courses are centred around sustainable construction and design, plus developing advanced skills in engineering and construction, and are very different to those offered by other local providers.

“It is an offering that we will continue to develop from Level 2 and T-levels through to degree courses and apprenticeships, working closely with local employers to fill skills gaps and offer training in priority areas for the West Midlands.

“First and foremost, it is firmly about supporting young people and the long-term unemployed to gain industry-relevant skills and support them into work, further study and to gain critical skills to access high value jobs that meet local and regional needs.”

Colin Hamilton, Strategic Account Director at Tilbury Douglas Construction, said: “Tilbury Douglas is delighted to be working in partnership with University College Birmingham on the development of the new sustainable construction courses.

“As an employer, it is vital that our employees can access robust, fit-for-purpose qualifications that will address the skills shortage and provide our future and existing workforce with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to demonstrate competency in their roles.

“We are passionate about recruiting and developing our own talent for the future, while ensuring we remain committed to sustainably delivering vital infrastructure to communities across the UK. This collaboration will help us to achieve this.”

The largest tunnel boring machine to be used in the UK has passed factory tests and is being shipped in pieces from Germany to the Silvertown Tunnel project in East London.

The diameter of the TBM measures 11.91m – equivalent of almost three double decker buses – dwarfing other recent tunnelling machines.

First machine pieces have begun to arrive on site from maker Herrenknecht’s works keeping the programme of assembly on track for the TBM launch next Spring.

A joint venture between BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial Construction and SK Ecoplant, known as Riverlinx Construction, is delivering 1.4km twin-lane road tunnel under the River Thames, linking North Greenwich and Silvertown.

How TBMs measure up

Silvertown diameter (11.9m); weight 1,800 tonnesCrossrail project (7.1m); 526 tonnesNorthern line extension (6.03m); 310 tonnesThames Tideway project (8.85m); 780 tonnes.Largest HS2 TBM (10.3m); 2,000 tonnesChannel Tunnel (8.8m); 1,100 tonnes

The TBM will set off from the Silvertown launch chamber, piling for which is now completed and is currently being excavated.

It will then be rotated and relaunched from the Greenwich Peninsula, to excavate the second tunnel, completing a total drive of 2.2km.

The ability to turn the TBM around is an important feature of its bespoke design which also incorporates the need for it to navigate its way through the stiff clay layers and boulders in this part of London.

When finished, it will have excavated nearly 600,000 tonnes of material, extracted by barges along the river to keep construction traffic to a minimum during the project.

Juan Jose Bregel, Project Director, Riverlinx CJV: “It gives me and the delivery team an enormous sense of pride to have reached this important milestone for the Silvertown Tunnel project.

“Not only seeing the works really taking shape in preparation for launch at the two main sites at Silvertown and Greenwich but feeling the excitement of what is still to come as the pieces of the TBM arrive to be reassembled and launched in the first quarter of 2022.”

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Ibstock Brick Ltd has been fined £530,000 for safety breaches after a worker lost his hand.

North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard how, on 28 February 2020, a maintenance engineer was in the process of polishing a metal shaft as it rotated in a manual lathe, using an emery cloth directly by hand while wearing gloves.

The cloth became entangled around the rotating shaft and dragged the engineer into the lathe resulting in his hand being severed in the machine. The engineer subsequently underwent surgical amputation below the elbow.

An HSE investigation found that there were failures in the arrangements and controls for the task performed. The risk assessment in place was not suitable and sufficient in that it did not properly assess or address entanglement risk associated with the direct manual application of emery cloth to the workpiece or the use of gloves.

There was inadequate training, instructions and supervision to ensure that the risks from entanglement with gloves or the emery cloth were prevented.

Ibstock Brick Ltd of Newcastle under Lyme pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £530,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,548.20

After the hearing, HSE inspector Marie-Louise Riley-Roberts said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to assess risk and devise safe methods of working in which their employees should then be instructed and trained.

“If Ibstock Brick Ltd had, had effective managerial arrangements in place for the task undertaken and ensured their employees were following a safe system of work, based upon risk assessment, safe systems of work, supervision, information, instruction and training, then the life changing injuries sustained by this worker could have been prevented.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards”.

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Procurement body Scape is preparing to open bidding in February for spots on its third generation civil engineering framework.

The new enlarged format puts net zero carbon construction and work for local SMEs at the heart of delivery of an estimated £4bn pipeline over four years.

The re-procurement includes a £3.25bn framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a separate £750m framework for Scotland, managed and operated by SCAPE Scotland.

Scape’s existing frameworks were both secured by Balfour Beatty. More than 250 projects have been commissioned to date for public sector clients, are due to expire in January 2023.

It new frameworks will allow public bodies access to net-zero ready specialist contractors to help them achieve their aims around climate change.

Local businesses will sit at the heart of the new frameworks, with the successful principal contractor expected to engage with an extensive supply chain of SMEs.

This allows better access for small businesses to major public sector contracts they might otherwise not have been able to bid for, while also allowing clients to procure locally-sourced specialist services.

They will also benefit from being able to agree termed service options following any major works, allowing contractors to form long term relationships with clients and local supply chains.

Contractors will also be able to agree cost reimbursable contracts through the addition of NEC Option E.

Scape plans to hold virtual market awareness days for prospective bidders on 17 January 2022 for Scotland and 19 January 2022 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A contract notice will be published in February 2022 with preferred bidders announced in November 2022.

Mark Robinson, group chief executive at Scape, added: “Through the addition of a termed service agreement option, the four-year frameworks will allow contractors to build long-term relationships with clients and supply chain partners, helping them to grow their business and employ new staff from the local communities they serve.”

A glow in the dark paving system that absorbs ultraviolet rays during the day and radiates light at night has been used for the first time on a major commercial development in Derbyshire.

Tarmac worked with developer Blue Deer Ltd and main contractor Cara Construction to install its decorative Toptint Glow concrete on the main walkways and first-floor balconies around its new Glass Yard development in Chesterfield.

Toptint Glow uses light-sensitive chippings that glow and help illuminate areas such as footpaths, cycleways and pedestrian areas.

The system works by incorporating the recycled composite luminescent chippings into a matching coloured concrete mix, providing an end result which picks up and emits light at night after dark as well as delivering a long-lasting and durable surface.

Glanville Norman, product development manager at Tarmac, said: “New developments such as the Glass Yard or other existing high-profile sites often require something visually distinctive that will set them apart, and we’re always looking to develop new and exciting materials that can complement bold design.

“This is the first time that Toptint Glow has been used on a major commercial development and we were delighted to be able to propose a solution that not only has high aesthetic and environmental quality but also helped to improve safety and visibility.”

Tim Turner, managing director of Blue Deer Ltd, said: “One of the key principles of our design at the Glass Yard was to introduce a new kind of working environment that is exciting, safe and sustainable and one that people enjoy travelling to and working within.”

“We challenged Tarmac to come up with something that was a bit different for the central walkways and were impressed by Toptint Glow, as it gave us something that was durable but also serves as a design feature that puts a smile on people’s faces.”

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Vital upgrade work can now start on the A40 to ease congestion, boost local bus services and allow the construction of thousands of new homes in Oxfordshire, thanks to £35m in government funding confirmed today.

Balfour Beatty is lined-up as main contractor on the scheme which will see an 850-space park and ride facility, including cycle parking and electric car charge points, built to the north-west of Eynsham.

Balfour will start main construction work next year with completion due in mid-2024.

The A40 is currently one of the last-remaining main roads through Oxford that lacks a park and ride service.

Works will also see the creation of a three-metre wide separate path for cyclists and pedestrians along the route of the A40 from Witney to Oxford, replacing the existing narrower path.

This will include safe, signal-controlled crossings for cyclists and pedestrians at various junctions, making greener modes of travel more accessible to people in the area.

Councillor Duncan Enright, Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy, said: “We are delighted the funding is confirmed to support transport, particularly regular swift buses and world-class cycle lanes, along this major route.

“For years residents in West Oxfordshire have had to endure congestion on the A40 and its impact on every aspect of their lives.

“This key project will not only deliver safer and more reliable travel options between Witney and Oxford, but support the growth of much-needed jobs and housing in the area. All while promoting vital sustainable transport.”

The total cost of the scheme comes to £49.3m, with the remaining funding coming from the Oxfordshire Growth Deal – Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and private developer contributions.

A new qualification in Concrete Pavement and Construction Maintenance has been launched by National Highways and the University of Derby.

The move is designed to plug the predicted skills gap in successfully delivering repairs and renewals of concrete roads.

National Highways is spending £400m in the next three years to improve the quality of existing concrete roads across the country – but 60% of the current specialist concrete workforce is set to retire within 10 years.

To fill this gap, the National Highways Concrete Roads Centre of Excellence has worked in partnership with the University of Derby to launch a BSc Honours in Concrete Pavements and Construction Maintenance.

The two-year part time course focuses on pavements and highways, and provides a pathway for those already studying related subjects to specialise or convert.

Mike Ambrose, Technical Lead at National Highways’ Concrete Roads Centre of Excellence, said: “The University of Derby and specifically the Centre for Mineral Products has a strong track record of delivering applied programmes for industry so are a natural partner for National Highways.

“As the current specialist concrete workforce begin to see out their careers we’re excited to begin upskilling and working with the next generation of engineers. This employer led programme, which is open to both National Highways and the supply chain staff, will help those people get on the pathway to becoming the future industry leaders.

Mark Osbaldeston, the Head of the Centre for Mineral Products at the University of Derby, said: “The concrete roads programme is fundamental in ensuring the future success of our road networks, and this BSc Honours provision will help provide a continued supply of highly skilled individuals to the profession.

“Our team of academics have extensive experience within the mineral products sector and are very much looking forward to sharing their knowledge and practical expertise with the next generation of industry leaders.”

The course begins in January and is aimed at a range of learners including those with foundation degrees, Level 5 apprenticeships and pavement engineering consultants and suppliers who want to extend their knowledge and understanding of the subject.

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Leeds developer Citylife has finalised a contract with Morgan Sindall to deliver a luxury £31m residential apartment scheme in the city.

Following a four-month pre-construction service agreement, Morgan Sindall has now formally started the 16-storey Springwell Gardens project to deliver 223 one, two, and three-bedrooms.

The construction project is due to be finalised by 2023 and is on the doorstep of the Leeds Southbank Holbeck Regeneration Project – the largest city centre regeneration plan in Europe.

Gareth Morgan, Managing Director at Citylife, said: “For the last four months we have collaborated with Morgan Sindall under a pre-construction services agreement.

“The sector is experiencing some of the most challenging and volatile conditions in recent times, but the team at Morgan Sindall Construction have worked tirelessly to make our vision a reality. We look forward to working with them on this prestigious project and cementing the relationship for our future projects.”

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A builder has been jailed for three years and three months following an investigation into the death of a labourer on a site in Hampshire in 2019.

Paramjit Singh, 48, of Southampton, was found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter following a two-week trial at Winchester Crown Court.

On Friday he was sentenced to three years and three months for the gross negligence manslaughter charge.

Singh was also sentenced to 20 months for safety breaches which he had admitted previously. Both sentences will run concurrently.

He was charged following a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive into the death of 64-year-old Kulwant Singh Athwal from Southampton.

The court heard how officers were called to the site on 16 July, 2019, following the discovery of the body of a man in his 60s.

Kulwant Singh Athwal had been working for Singh, who was previously the owner and manager of SAB Builders, as an ‘odd job man’ on the demolition of a house in Chilworth. They had been hired by the owners to clear the garden and garage to make way for an extension.

The day before the incident Singh had demolished all but one side of the garage on the grounds. On leaving at the end of the day, no signs or boarding had been put up around the site to indicate it was unsafe.

On 16 July, 2019, Singh returned to the site just before 9am to demolish the final wall of the garage. No exclusion zones were identified around the wall, and Singh was not aware of where the members of his team were when he started up the digger and moved toward the wall.

Kulwant Singh Athwal was on the other side of the wall when it collapsed onto him.

Post mortem examinations were conducted by Home Office Pathologist Dr Basil Purdue, and concluded that Athwal died as a result from his injuries, which were consistent with being crushed by a heavy object.

The court also heard how Singh’s public liability and skills card were expired after SAB Builders went bankrupt in 2015 and the company ceased trading.

Hampshire Constabulary’s investigation was led by Detective Chief Inspector Kate Gunson.

Speaking after today’s verdict, she said: “This was an extremely tragic case resulting in the completely avoidable death of Kulwant Singh Athwal.

“It is a tragedy for all involved. We hope that lessons will be learned that prevent this from ever happening again.”

HSE inspector James Lucas said: “All demolition work, however large or small, has the potential of serious risk if it is not properly planned and controlled.

“Paramjit Singh failed to prepare a written plan for the demolition of the building or any site-specific risk assessments. In this case, simple control measures and safe working practices, such as excluding people on site from danger zones with physical barriers, could have saved a life.

“There are no winners here. The victim, Kulwant Singh Atwal, so sadly lost his life because of the absence of basic safety measures. The perpetrator, Paramjit Singh, will spend time in prison and will always carry the heavy burden of having caused another person’s death.

“HSE would like to encourage all small builders to ensure they know how to properly plan, manage and monitor all construction work they undertake. The HSE website provides a wealth of information, some of it translated into other languages.

“In addition, HSE wants to stress to all workers from minority communities or anyone from any background who may feel vulnerable, that health and safety law is there for their protection, just as much as any other workers. HSE always focuses on making workplaces safer and healthier, whoever is at risk.”

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