Author: James Anderson, FRSA, CMgr MCMI

09 Jan 2026 By Contributor Housing overview 11 per cent decrease in project starts year-on-year 11 per cent decrease in main contract awards from last year 47 per cent decrease in detailed planning approvals compared to 2024 Residential project-starts and detailed planning approvals declined against both last year and preceding… > No online subscription: This article requires a subscription to read it in full. If you already have a subscription, please click here to sign in, or see below for how to set up your subscription todayCN Intelligence is available for subscribers only. If you are already a subscriber please…

More than £3m has been spent upgrading Blackstone Wastewater Treatment Works, near Albourne, to raise the environmental standards of treated water released into the River Adur and its tributaries. The project included installing new chemical dosing equipment, such as ferric dosing, to reduce phosphorus levels in wastewater. Additional upgrades included settlement tanks to separate solids from liquids, as well as advanced control and monitoring systems. Cecile Stanford, project manager at Southern Water, said: “This investment is part of our ongoing commitment to protect and improve the environment across our region. “These improvements will mean less phosphorus and other pollutants will…

WITH temperatures already plummeting to -15C across Scotland, cranking up the heating has never been more important. But this means that our homes may feel more humid as we reach for the thermostat, which could cause mildew and condensation to build up. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! Condensation is a common household problem in the autumn and winter monthsCredit: Getty And this creates the perfect environment for mould to growCredit: Getty Especially when coming out of a hot shower, cooking in the kitchen, or even trying to dry damp clothes on radiators. This, in turn, could cause dampness and…

CHARLIE MANBY has returned to his day job as a bricklayer — just days after banking a life-changing £60,000 prize. The 20-year-old had a World Darts Championship to remember and it ended with him pocketing £60,000 from his run to the fourth round. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! Charlie Manby was back on the building site doing his bricklayer jobCredit: https://www.itv.com/ Charlie Manby operates heavy machinery – a mega change from throwing darts at Ally PallyCredit: https://www.itv.com/ The humble 20-year-old hasn’t decided what to do with his £60,000 winnings yetCredit: https://www.itv.com/ He eventually lost out at Ally…

A young man has been arrested over a five-vehicle crash involving a stolen Royal Mail van which caused traffic gridlock during Storm Goretti last night. The van was taken from Hamsey Road in Saltdean at about 2.30pm. It was spotted by officers at 3.05pm and crashed on the A259 five minutes later. Four other cars were involved in the crash. A 20-year-old man from Peacehaven was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving without insurance, and aggravated vehicle taking. He was taken to hospital as a precaution. Fortunately no other drivers required hospital treatment. Officers have thanked…

Cruden has posted increased profit as its move away from tendered construction contracts towards land-led partnership development. The Scottish firm, in its accounts for the year to 31 March, reported pre-tax profit of £2.4m, more than double the £917,000 posted for the previous year. Its turnover fell 15%, from £132.3m to £112.3m. But the firm said this was due to its strategic shift towards building its own affordable housing projects in collaboration with other organisations, rather than through traditional construction contracts, as its “refocused pipeline” commences. The move is intended to “rebalance risk transfer and significantly reduce and eliminate the…

EUR/GBP trades around 0.8670 on Friday at the time of writing, virtually unchanged on the day, after failing to establish itself above 0.8690 on Thursday. The pair remains under short-term bearish pressure, with a weekly decline of nearly 0.3% and a drop of about 1.5% from the mid-November highs above 0.8800.On the Eurozone side, macroeconomic data released in Germany provide only limited support to the Euro (EUR). Industrial Production rose by 0.8% in November, following a 2.0% increase in the previous month, beating market expectations for a decline. However, the trade balance deteriorated sharply, with the surplus narrowing to €13.1…

Industry bodies present growing concerns that many households will face challenges of high costs and signification disruption compared to their current heating systems Technicians and fuel distributors working in the liquid fuel heating sector are being urged to submit their views to a new government consultation examining how oil-heated homes should be decarbonised in the future. The Alternative Clean Heating Consultation, launched in December, sets out the government’s preferred approach to transitioning oil-heated properties to heat pumps or heat networks. However, industry bodies have raised concerns that, based on the government’s own data, many households could face high upfront costs,…

When you’re trying to perfectly pair a kitchen backsplash and countertop, the choices can be overwhelming. Design “rules” are looser than they used to be, meaning even more possibilities. Where to begin? Start by determining the design style or theme you want to apply in your kitchen — farmhouse, cottage, rustic, industrial, and coastal are just some of your many choices. Chances are, you’ll choose the same design style as the rest of your home. But truly committing to your style helps inform your backsplash and countertop choices.An early step in choosing your backsplash/countertop combo is selecting your materials. According…

HUSKVARNA, Sweden, October 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ –What if your trimmer could talk to your smartphone, or smart watch, and help you do landscaping in new ways? Following the positive response to the sensor based fleet management system Husqvarna Fleet Services, Husqvarna presents a concept of a connected battery that can collect and provide real-time data from power tools. Featuring the connected battery technology idea, Husqvarna also unveils a design concept hedge trimmer for the future, with a visor that uses real-time data and augmented reality to support operators.  To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7647251-husqvarna-future-landscaping/ During a press event…