Welcome to the Friday Feed, our rundown of this week’s construction news
🚉 Rail
In this week’s railways news, the final HS2 tunnel bore has started, heading towards Euston. The tunnel which is a Skanska, Costain, STRABAG joint venture, starts from Old Oak Common Station. The 198-metre-long boring machine will operate 24/7, excavating earth and installing concrete segments. Also in London, public consultation on a west London orbital rail line is being planned for later this year, with funding agreed for development of preferred options using under-utilised freight tracks. In Manchester, a new £10m depot has opened, with the aim of keeping passenger and freight trains moving smoothly. The depot at Guide Bridge will have capacity for 120 Network Rail staff.
⚡Energy
UK Industrial Fusion Solutions has appointed the ILIOS consortium led by Kier, to its £200m nuclear fusion plans. The redevelopment of the West Burton power station in Nottinghamshire will see a joint venture between Kier and Nuvia. The UK Government has announced a wave of initiatives to ensure energy security. These include bringing Allocation Round 8 forward, with the move being made to strengthen Britain’s energy security amid heightened global tensions. On the Isle of Grain in Kent, National Grid has finished the main structure of the Wallend substation. The new 400kV substation will improve network resilience, flexibility and capacity.
đźš— Roads
Herefordshire Council have appointed Graham to deliver initial works on a 3.6km bypass, the firm will undertake the initial design and technical development to begin the first phase of the long‑planned Hereford Bypass. In Somerset, Councillors have approved a major transport delivery plan. The four‑year transport plan sets out investment in buses, active travel, road maintenance and accessibility. In Wales, Caerphilly Council is considering using a CPO for critical £20m A469 works. The plan has been called a “necessary next step in repairing this long-standing highway issue” by Council leader Jamie Pritchard.
🏠Property and development
Housing Developer Vistry is appointing a new chair, as its CEO succession planning also gathers pace. Rob Woodward will serve as the new non-executive chair. Woodward will take over from Greg Fitzgerald at the company’s AGM on 13 May. In Port Talbot, Morgan Sindall has started construction on a £28m steel decarbonisation centre. The research facility is being built to accelerate the decarbonisation of the steel and metals sector on a brownfield site at Port Talbot’s Harbourside. Barking Councillors have given permission for 13,000 more homes. A joint venture consisting of L&Q and the Greater London Authority has secured permission for the homes at a huge riverside east London site. It will be one of Europe’s largest regeneration sites.
đź’§Water
Severn Trent’s Rugby Newbold sewage treatment works are set to be upgraded by Costain in a £45m partnership. The firm will use off-site manufacturing and design to deliver a storm capacity upgrade; with works running to 2028. The Environment Agency has launched procurement for a £5.5bn Framework, the second Collaborative Delivery Framework, is an eight-year agreement for flood, coastal, navigation and environmental works across England, with individual jobs worth up to £150m. Lastly, Strabag has been appointed to renovate Aldenham Reservoir in Hertfordshire. The company will construct a new dam embankment incorporating an 8-metre-deep slurry wall as well as delivering a new spillway, stilling basin and weir.
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