A £3.5 MILLION scheme to replace the roof of The Cresset, a community hub and theatre in Peterborough is now underway. The project is being carried out by Lindum Group. The construction company is replacing most of the ageing flat roof with a new pitched standing seam structure, along with reroofing several of the remaining flat roofs while also improving the building’s drainage system. Lindum says it expects to be onsite at the venue in Rightwell until March 2025. The work is part of a £5.1m project to secure the long-term future of The Cresset building, which was made possible by a grant fro ..read more

THE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION (CPA) has appointed Adam Turk, CEO of Siderise Group, as its new Chair. “With decades of experience across the construction industry, and having supported the CPA for over 15 years, Adam is well placed to provide both leadership and insight as we move into a new phase for the sector,” the CPA says. “The last few years have seen many challenges for the construction industry, from the impacts of COVID to the repercussions of the Russo-Ukraine war and far-reaching implications of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The CPA has been instrumental in working with the in ..read more

A SIGNIFICANT challenge when working on the roof of any existing, occupied building is protecting the people inside the building without the full roof system in place. That challenge is multiplied when the building in question is large and work has to be carried out in sections over a longer period of time. At Hatchmeadow apartments in Northumberland, a key performance characteristic of Proctor Air that helped to address these challenges was its water holdout. That, combined with its vapour and air permeability, offered long-term peace of mind for the building owners, as well as apartment ..read more

THE 7,727m2 metal roof of Norwich railway station’s Crown Point train depot will receive a full roof overclad after planning approval was granted this week. The application submitted to Norwich City Council in March is for the Norwich train engine shed, known as Crown Point Depot, roof to be overclad using an insulated metal panel system. The plans were lodged after the building had been suffering from “water ingress issues for years due to insufficient capacity” and other problems with the roof’s drainage system. The work is permitted under The Great Eastern Railway Act 18 ..read more

IN ITS first quarter trading update, Ibstock sales volumes were “below expectations” as the company says conditions remain “challenging”. Activity levels across residential construction markets remain subdued during the Q1, with weaker end market demand in part reflecting the exceptionally wet UK weather in the early months of the year. However, Ibstock Group says it delivered adjusted Q1 EBITDA “in line with our expectations”. This was achieved through cost reductions, commercial discipline and operational execution. The business says “we are encouraged by recent lead indicators which su ..read more

A KENT-BASED company was fined £30,000, and its director fined £5,000, after failing to ensure the safe removal of asbestos across two separate sites. Ironically, the firm in question was trading as ‘Asbestos Gone’. In April 2021, DOV Services Ltd, the company behind the Asbestos Gone name, had removed loose fill asbestos insulation from a retail unit in Redhill, despite not holding a licence granted by HSE to do so. The company also removed asbestos cement sheets from the fascia of a school gymnasium and sports hall in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, between 30 March and 7 April 2021. Pupils an ..read more

FROM 1 May 2024, Trisha Pickersgill will take on the role of chief executive for construction industry charity, CRASH. Trisha has 18 years’ experience in hospice management and care, having held several senior roles at Rennie Grove Peace Hospice (RGP), most recently as the director of business development, operations and performance. CRASH has worked with Rennie Grove Hospice since 2017, supporting two construction projects: the major refurbishment of its ground floor day hospice, and the design and build of a car park extension. Trisha was the internal lead for these two projects. CRASH says ..read more

A PACKED audience of Trussed Rafter Association members gathered this week to celebrate the winners of the Roofscape Design Awards 2024. The Awards, now in its second year, celebrates the technical skills required to design trussed rafter roofs, joists, and panels. The event took place at the TRA AGM and Conference at Mercure Warwickshire Walton Hall Hotel & Spa. The awards were in three categories: Residential Project of the Year (for newbuild dwellings) Conversion and Refurbishment Project of the Year (for existing housing projects) Commercial Project of the Year (for all non-domestic p ..read more

JCT HAS announced the release of all contracts from the Design and Build Contract family as part of the launch of its 2024 edition of contracts.​ Design and Build 2024 contracts are available to purchase from JCT’s online store, and are available in hardcopy, JCT On Demand digital, and via the JCT Construct digital subscription service. Design and Build Contract The 2024 edition of the Design and Build Contract family includes: Design and Build Contract (DB 2024) Design and Build Contract Guide (DB/G 2024) Design and Build Sub-Contract Agreement (DBSub/A 2024) Design and Build Sub-Contract Co ..read more

ROOFLIGHT manufacturer Whitesales has appointed Gavin Cameron as its area account manager for the roofing and merchants’ sector. In his new role, Gavin will work directly with roofing contractors and waterproofing manufacturers in the southern region. New Account Manager As a Whitesales customer in his previous roles, Gavin says he was impressed by the quality of the products and by the company’s ‘customer-focused approach and commitment to outstanding service’. He said: “My own experience of Whitesales was that they provided a level of service which was completely unmatched in this industry ..read more