Weekly News Bulletin – 26th October 2018

This week, The Construction Enquirer announced that the University of Edinburgh has submitted plans for a new School of Engineering at its south campus. The building will be home to a mix of specialist teaching spaces and laboratories, research labs, social zones, and catering. The first phase of the construction works is to begin by Summer 2019 and the new school is expected to open doors in 2022. We’ll keep you updated as we know more about this project.

The Construction Index shared exciting news about the UK’s first for micro-homes. The 16 single-homes iKosie site community will be based in Worcester and is expected to welcome residents at the beginning of 2020. The design of the micro-homes is inspired by yacht interiors and first-class airline suites. Each suite will include a bedroom, shower room, living area and a fully equipped kitchen. iKosie hopes to tackle UK’s housing crisis, providing innovative and much-needed solutions to the community.

The Shropshire Star reported on a new series of breakfast events, organised by Telford-based consultancy – apT, to bring together industry leaders to discuss key issues within construction. The main aim of the breakfast briefings will be to build better relationships across the industry and give advice on a variety of topics in an informal setting. The first event will run on November 8^th at Shropshire Chamber of Commerce’s offices in Stafford Park, Telford. Click the link below to ensure that you book your tickets in advance.

We also saw an insightful piece from PBC Today about the importance of the site selection process and the differences between greenfield and brownfield sites. The UK now has one of the world’s most regulated planning policies and the process of obtaining permission to build on sites can be a lengthy, challenging process with both negatives and positives. PBC Today has released a handy guide to help the decision-making process easier.

Finally, The Construction Index spoke about the rise in construction profits despite a slow growth. A new analysis of data from over 1,700 companies within the industry shows the average annual profit before tax has grown up to 17.1% over the past three years. However, the report discusses uncertainties in the UK economy that could possibly affect the construction industry in the near future.

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Edinburgh Uni submits plan for School of Engineering

The University of Edinburgh has submitted plans for a new School of Engineering at its King’s Buildings Campus in the south of the Scottish capital.

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/10/23/edinburgh-uni-submits-plan-for-school-of-engineering/

Worcester gives go-ahead for very tiny homes
A community of ‘micro-homes’ each with an area of just 17.25m2 has been given the green light by Worcester City Council.

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/worcester-gives-go-ahead-for-very-tiny-homes

apT launches breakfast briefings for construction industry
A development consultancy is launching a series of breakfast events to bring together construction industry leaders to discuss key issues affecting them.

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/business/2018/10/24/apt-launches-breakfast-briefings-for-construction-industry/

Brownfield vs Greenfield construction – which is better?

During the site selection process, greenfield versus brownfield is a major decision to make.

https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/planning-construction-news/brownfield-vs-greenfield-construction/48170/

Despite slowing growth, construction’s profits continue to rise
An analysis of the accounts of more than 1700 construction companies has shown that average annual profit before tax has grown from 11.5% to 17.1% over the last three years
https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/despite-slowing-growth-constructions-profits-continue-to-rise