Construction of thousands of new homes to be accelerated following Homes England loan to St. Modwen

Expert developer and regeneration specialist St. Modwen Properties PLC is to begin drawing down the funds from the £75 million Homes England infrastructure loan this month – unlocking and accelerating the construction of more than 13,000 new homes across England over the next seven years.

The loan, which is part of the Government’s Home Building Fund, will support St. Modwen to speed up the installation of vital infrastructure, such as roads and schools, on a number of sites.

For more on the construction of new homes, head over to GOV.

New high-skills jobs open up as UK construction sector transforms

Latest Industrial Strategy investment will promote access by a diverse pool of candidates and create better homes and public buildings through modernisation.

The UK’s construction industry has hardly changed in 40 years. It is not as efficient as it could be, and faces a looming skills gap brought on by an ageing workforce.

A new £72 million Core Innovation Hub will help to lead a transformation in construction, make it more productive and importantly create new, high-value jobs at the same time.

Head over to GOV for the full article.

HS2 northern construction timeline revealed

Key details about construction of HS2 Phase 2a between Birmingham and Crewe have been revealed following the release of HS2 Ltd information papers.

Head over to New Civil Engineer for more updates.

New app launched to support construction workers’ mental health

A new app has been developed to provide life-saving support to construction workers and tackle the shocking levels of suicide in the industry.

Two construction workers take their own life every single working day and stress, anxiety and depression currently accounts for a fifth of all work-related illness.

The free mental health app is 100% confidential will be launched on Friday 7th December 2018 at the Lighthouse Club construction charity’s annual Christmas Lunch at the Westminster Park Plaza Hotel in London.

For more information on this incredible app, head over to Highways Magazine.

Construction giant profits lift despite tough market

The construction and services group which is currently building out the controversial Site Six development at Dundee waterfront has posted strong profits growth.

New filings at Companies House show construction, infrastructure and support services giant Robertson Group achieved sales of £752 million from continuing activities in the year to March 31, up from £565m in the prior year.

For more information, head over to The Courier.