This is when construction work will begin at site plagued by anti-social behaviour

More than a decade after the factory was shut down, construction workers are due to move in on the derelict site

Construction work is finally due to start next month at the site of a former chocolate factory in Greenbank, developers say.

The site of the former Elizabeth Shaw Chocolate Factory in Co-Operation Road, Easton, has sat empty and increasingly derelict for more than a decade since production at the confectionery business was closed, with a number of incidents involving antisocial behaviour being reported on the plot of land.

For the Bristol Post’s full article, click here.

Construction industry grows amid buoyant workload levels

The UK’s construction sector remains buoyant in the wake of rising workloads and a renewed growth in infrastructure activity, according to a closely-followed survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) out today.

In the last three months 20 per cent more chartered surveyors reported a rise rather than a fall in their workloads, driven by a robust take-up of activity in the private housing and infrastructure sectors following recent support from the government.

With major projects such as Heathrow expansion and Hinkley Point C getting the green light in recent months, Rics found that the near-term outlook for the construction industry “remains upbeat”.

You can learn more on this article here.

Construction of new homes at six-year low in London

The number of new home building starts in London has dropped to its lowest level in six years as a slump in the luxury apartments market is compounded by Brexit concerns.

Construction of some 3,700 units began in the third quarter of this year, the lowest figure since the same quarter in 2012, according to Molior London, which monitors property developments in the capital.

This brought the total of new homes started in the first three quarters of this year to about 17,000, putting the total for this year on track to be the lowest since 2013.

FT reports the full story here.

Culture change required for construction to adapt to digital age

Digital technology has the potential to transform the construction industry but only if the sector is equipped with the right skills and knowledge, according the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

CITB’s new report, Unlocking construction’s digital future: A skills plan for industry, shows how modern technologies such as 3D printing and drones can increase productivity, transform efficiency and help attract people to the sector.

Without widespread adoption of digital, construction risks being marginalised and losing a generation of new talent to other sectors. CITB’s report, the first of its kind, reveals that for change to happen, new cultures and ways of working need to be driven from the top; leaders of companies large and small need to ‘think digital’ in everything they do.

Scottish Construction Now details the full story here.