News in Brief: January 2018

British Steel’s Scunthorpe site has been named on a long list of potential locations for logistics hubs to help Heathrow Airport deliver its expansion plan. The final four selected locations will pre-assemble components for the expanded airport before transporting them in consolidated loads to Heathrow.

Plans to regenerate Croydon town centre and build a new Westfield shopping centre have been approved. Approximately £1.4 billion will be set aside for the project, which will commence in 2019, bringing the number of Westfields in the capital to three. Planners envisage the project will create 7,000 new jobs and 1,000 new homes.

Revenues and profits have increased at Severfield as it continues to work on some of the UK’s most prestigious projects. The company said it is on track to deliver its strategic goal of doubling pre-tax profits to £26.4M by 2020. Reported revenue for the six months to 30 September 2017 increased by 16% to £137.1M, up from £118.2M in the same period in 2016. Profit before tax also increased from £7.4M to £11.5M, an increase of 55%.

Suffolk County Council has opened prequalification for a £60M design and build bridge project in Lowestoft. Known as the Lake Lothing Third Crossing it will involve building three distinct parts: a lifting bridge, a new rail bridge on the north side of the waterway to cross the existing East Suffolk Line and a new road underpass on the south side.

The Government has announced a £800,000 investment in Swansea University’s SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre. The funding, delivered by Innovate UK, will be used to construct the UK’s first energy positive Active Office, capable of generating more energy than it uses.