Welcome to the Friday Feed, our rundown of this week’s construction news
🚉 Rail
In this week’s major rail news, the Railways Bill which aims to renationalise UK passenger services has been introduced to parliament. Contractors are being sought for a £1.7bn extension the DLR; this 3km line will branch off from Gallions Reach in the Royal Dock area and go under the Thames to a new station in Thamesmead. Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the Department for Transport has accumulated around £2.7bn in losses over the past two years due to cancelled HS2 and road projects. A large proportion of this loss is put down the cancellation of the Birmingham to Manchester proportion of HS2.
🚢Ports and Aviation
Wills Bros and Sacyr Ireland have been awarded a £233m contract for an airfield underpass at Dublin Airport. The road will run beneath one of the airport’s busiest areas. A £100m wind farm deal has been agreed at Belfast Harbour, creating around 300 jobs. The joint developers of the Mona and Morgan offshore wind farms will lease a terminal as they build between the Isle of Man, North Wales and north-west England. Lastly, Peel Ports has confirmed a £10m investment into Birkenhead port, creating around 300,000 sq ft of indoor storage.
⚡Energy
In energy news Sellafield has awarded a £4.6bn hazard reduction framework, through the Decommissioning and Nuclear Waste Partnership. The framework will last up to 15 years, taking waste materials from Sellafield oldest facilities. Meanwhile, Hinkley Point B’s 96-year decommissioning programme has been approved by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. Lastly, Dorset Council is planning a 50MW solar farm at Higher South Buckland Farm in Chickerell.
🚗 Roads
Wolverhampton Council has launched a £150m highways framework. Running from April 2026 to March 2030 it will replace the Black Country Minor Works Framework. The North Hykeham relief road has been approved by Government, giving Lincolnshire County Council the go-ahead to start construction. The new road will see a link between the A46 Pennells roundabout and the Lincoln eastern bypass. Preparatory works are underway on the A9 Dualling between Tay Crossing and Ballinluig. These include the establishment of a temporary site compound and office space, creating access points, tree felling operations and diversion works.
🏠Property and development
The Department for Education has picked tier ones for three school jobs worth nearly £130m. With Kier being awarded a £69.3m contract to deliver the main works at Upton-by-Chester High School in Cheshire. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has begun a £9bn Defence Housing Strategy which will see 40,000 military homes modernised or completely replaced. There are also plans to release surplus land to allow for 100,000 houses to be built. In Northern Ireland John Sisk & Son has completed its acquisition of Farrans Construction.
💧Water
In the water sector, Thames Water bonuses have been blocked because of serious pollution incidents and other performance issues. Over £4m of bonuses were blocked under new rules on performance by regulator OfWat. Elsewhere, Welsh Water has launched consultation on its Cwm Taf Water strategy; the plans will replace old treatment facilities and increase water storage capacity. Meanwhile, Essex & Suffolk Water have launched a consultation on a major infrastructure plan. The plans intend to increase water supplies across Suffolk.
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