Simon Vivian, Chief Executive of Breedon Aggregates Limited, the UK’s largest independent aggregates business, has been appointed MPA Chairman for the next two years. He will succeed Bill Brett, Brett Group, from 1 September, and of the Mineral Products Association’s (MPA) five Chairmen to date, he is the third to serve from an independent company.

The recent amendment to the CISRS Part 1 course rules on eligibility of delegates – that it is a scheme requirement for anyone wishing to attend a CISRS Part 1 Scaffolding Training course to have held a valid CISRS Trainee Scaffolder or Labourer card for a minimum of six months – is now active, as of today (September 1st).

DALROD’s strategic expansion plans have, so far this year, seen the company move into new state-of-the art 1200 square metres Head Office space in July, where three experienced managers have joined to support and strengthen the team going into the future. The nationwide drainage and civils group has recently been joined by Jon Kynaston as General Manager and Stevie Johnson, Contracts Manager for the new Civil and Construction Division. September 1 sees Bryan Lord join as Group Business Development Manager. 

It has been widely documented that the financial crisis has caused mass instability to the construction industry. However, in the past 18 months the industry has shown signs that it is bouncing back, and this recovery was underscored in a recent “State of the Trade” survey by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Aura Light is the international winner of the 2015 SEAD Global Efficiency Medal Competition in the category planar luminaires. The winning product is the LED panel Aura Lunaria.

Specialist Contractors are propping up the UK’s cash strapped construction industry and financing growth by acting as trade creditors to the large main contractors.

According to StreetwiseSubbie, a professional services organisation founded to support and advise Specialist Contractors, the financial landscape for UK subbies remains bleak. Not because of lack of work, but because certain main contractors find every way possible to delay payments, and pay less than is owed, simply to free up their own cash flow. 

The case of ISG Construction Ltd v Seevic College[1]  (the 'Seevic case') has provided helpful guidance on the court’s approach to disputes involving payment notices under the statutory payment regime introduced by the Construction Act[2]  and Part I of the Scheme[3] relating to payment. In particular the court made clear its reluctance to allow a party to use adjudication on a technicality to circumvent the payment provisions and reinforced the need to comply with the appropriate contractual or statutory payment and pay less notice provisions.

Construction companies across the UK are being urged not to 'waste' employee skills after it was revealed too many over-qualified graduates are entering the industry and their skills are not being utilised.

Anita Bickerdike (pictured), owner of Shropshire-based Positive Intention, which provides bespoke training and management development courses for the construction sector, says it is vital companies are in a position to take advantage of graduate skills.

Over the past three years, the annual APS convention has cemented its position as one of the leading CDM and construction conferences for UK industry experts, with more than 600 professionals attending from 2012-14.

On 6th September 2015 at The Building Centre, Store Street, London, APS is hosting a pioneering BIM 4 health & safety conference to raise awareness of the role that BIM can play in improving H&S and Design Risk Management in construction.