Consultants

AtkinsRéalis boss switches to Asia role – but will be based in UK

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AtkinsRéalis UK and Ireland boss Richard Robinson is set to become head of the consultancy’s Asia, Middle East & Australia (AMEA) business, but will remain in the UK. Robinson, also the deputy co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), will “frequently travel to offices and countries” within the region from…

Enter your best people and projects for the CN Awards 2025

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Don’t miss out - entries are open for the most prestigious awards ceremony in the UK construction industry. And it doesn't cost you a penny. Each year, the Construction News Awards lifts the lid on the achievements of the best people and projects working in the sector at a glitzy in-person…

NI rise expected to push construction costs up by 1 per cent

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Construction costs will rise by up to 1 per cent due to the increase in National Insurance employer contributions in April next year, according to consultancy Arcadis. The hike in the rate at which contributions are paid – from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent – will come alongside…

Construction industry has mixed view on Budget measures, survey reveals

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Only 20 per cent of construction professionals believe the Autumn Budget will be good for the industry, according to a new market report from Gleeds. Some 28 per cent thought it was actively bad for the sector, with issues like higher National Insurance rates potentially hitting contractors whose margins are…

Kier and Galliford Try among winners on £3.7bn Wessex Water framework

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Wessex Water has named the contractors and consultants selected for its eighth asset management period (AMP8), running from 2025-30. Kier won a place on three of the four lots on the framework that is set to see £3.7bn of planned investment made by the water company – which operates across…

Mark Reynolds to step down as Mace chief executive

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Mark Reynolds is stepping down as chief executive of Mace after more than 12 years at the helm, amid a massive governance shake-up at the tier one contractor. Reynolds, co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), joined the firm as chief executive in 2012 after serving as programme director for…

Mace: weak growth and high insolvencies to continue

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Mace is predicting weak growth to continue in 2024. The firm’s consultancy arm has warned that the Bank of England’s predictions of a flatlining economy, high interest rates and the fact that contractors have “already squeezed margins as far as they can go” means tender-price inflation will ease. In a…

Why are UK contractors less sustainable than European firms?

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Small contractors and specialists in the UK are slower to embrace sustainability than their counterparts in mainland Europe, according to a new report. In its second annual European Contractor Survey, released earlier this month, consultancy giant LEK Consulting details responses from more than 1,000 construction companies in France, Germany, Spain…

L&Q launches £200m civil and structural engineering framework

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London-based housing association London & Quadrant (L&Q) has launched a search for consultants for a £200m structural and civil engineering services framework. The housing association, which owns and manages homes for 250,000 people across 95,000 properties in London and the South East, has pulled together the four-year framework covering civil…

Challenging times ‘far from over’ as commodity prices to stay high

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Rampant construction commodity prices show little sign of easing, according to a new analysis. Construction consultancy Linesight says in a new report that although the across-the-board hyperinflation experienced last year is now over, prices are set to remain high, driven by the cost of energy and a lack of required…