Buildings

£40bn boost for flagship government works framework

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An extra £40bn of work than originally anticipated could be up for grabs under the next iteration of the UK Government’s flagship construction framework. The Crown Commercial Service yesterday (4 February 2026) released an edited pipeline notice for its Construction Works and Associated Services 3 framework, which is set to…

More firms dragged into school roofing bid-rigging probe

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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has widened its active probe into suspected bid-rigging on school roofing contracts to cover activity by more firms. Its investigation now includes unnamed “additional parties”, the watchdog announced yesterday (29 January) in a statement. The probe. launched in December, was originally focused on roofing…

Hinkley Point C row tests JV firms’ right to adjudicate alone

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A judge is set to rule on whether individual firms in unincorporated joint ventures can independently commence and enforce adjudication proceedings. A High Court ruling on a £24m Hinkley Point C (HPC) adjudication could set a landmark precedent for dispute resolution in large infrastructure joint venture (JV) projects. In the…

Kier could face £18.3m action after PFI firm settles with police

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Administrators for a defunct private finance initiative (PFI) vehicle said they could move forward with an £18.3m legal claim against Kier over a police station completed 18 years ago. Administrators for Justice Support Services (North Kent) Ltd said in a progress report that they had settled a legal claim against…

Telecoms work red tape set to be reduced

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Building control procedures for some telecoms works could be relaxed, following industry concerns over delays and compliance burdens. Officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the higher-risk building (HRB) control regime had created unintended consequences, with routine telecoms tasks now subject to the same oversight as…

Multiplex denies liability in Scottish hospital infections case

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Multiplex has renewed its denial that it bears responsibility for issues at a flagship Glasgow hospital where immunocompromised children were seriously infected. In a statement to Construction News, the contractor insisted the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) was delivered “on time, on budget, and fully certified” before opening in 2015.…

Wolffkran crane strike targets Mace’s £300m London refurb job

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A major Mace job in London is being targetted with industrial action by Wolffkran tower crane operators. Nearly 100 tower crane operators voted to strike earlier this month following a dispute over pay and conditions. Construction News can reveal that striking workers represented by Unite the Union are today (27…