According to it’s website, construction ERP software developer Eque2 has already added over 60 new clients, of various sizes and industry types, in the first quarter of 2016.
They also provide a round-up of the construction sector for April:
This month has been a busy one for the construction sector in both the commercial and residential sectors, while there is mixed use is that right? in the energy industry.
Residential
This month has been a big one for major residential projects, with many of these involving the transformation of old office buildings into residential accommodation. Examples of this include the conversion of the iconic Millbank Tower in London and Falcon House in Dudley.
Skyscrapers are in the news again with London mayor Boris Johnson being shown the blueprint for a proposed 984 ft residential skyscraper made from timber. It would be by far the tallest structure made from the material anywhere in the world, and the team behind the idea at Cambridge University have proposed it be located in the Barbican area of the City of London.
It is not just in London where skyscrapers are proliferating, as planning permission has been sought for a cluster of four huge towers in Manchester that will contain 1,400 apartments. One of the buildings will, if bult, become the tallest in the city.
Building on green belt land has been a hot topic, with the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England noting that planning permission now exists for 275,000 homes on such land, a rise of 50,000 on last year. It argues the government is reneging on promises to protect the green belt.
One of the regions where the pressure group has identified pressure on the green belt as being particularly acute is the West Midlands metropolitan area, and this month saw Birmingham City Council win approval from the planning inspector for a scheme that will see 6,000 homes being built on green belt land in Sutton Coldfield.
Commercial
The issue of the visual impact of the growing number of skyscrapers in the City of London has been in the news, after the square mile’s corporation used a section 237 order to confirm planning permission for the 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper. This comes despite opposition from firms working in buildings that will see less direct sunlight as a result of the construction, a matter taken up by legal firm Eversheds.
The decision of the planning inspector to back Birmingham City Council’s development plan means areas of greenbelt land in Sutton Coldfield will be set aside for a new business park. The plan envisages 71 hectares of land at Langley being used for this purpose.
Commercial development has not just included offices, with a £25 million contract being agreed for Wilmott Dixon to build a new ice rink in Romford.
Infrastructure
Railway infrastructure has been a big issue in the Scottish Parliamentary election campaign, with the Scottish National Party pledging to look closely at the possible restoration of a couple of closed lines. This would include the upgrade of the freight line between Alloa and Dunfermline to enable passenger traffic between those towns for the first time since 1930. It is also looking into the case for extending the partially-restored borders line between Tweedbank and Carlisle, via Hawick. This move would fully restore the Carlisle to edinburgh link that existed before the Beeching Cuts.
In England, work has begun on designing the HS2 station at crewe, which will need to accommodate the high-speed line alongside existing intercity services and local routes.
Upcoming plans include proposals for more new stations in Cambridge as part of the city deal for the Greater cambridge area, following the opening of Cambridge North Station.
London Luton Airport is set to get a new light rail link, which will connect the airport with Luton Airport Parkway station, 2.2 KM away.
Across England, local roads are set to be improved after the government announced 100 local authorities will share in a £50 million fund for pothole repairs. It is expected this money will lead to 943,000 holes being fixed.
Energy
The Hinkley C nuclear power project remains in doubt after EDF postponed a decision on the project until September. The company had said confirmation of the £18 billion project would come in May, but unions in France have expressed concerns that the size of the investment could financially destabilise the government-owned company. EDF is planning to raise an extra £4 billion for various projects including Hinkley, but consultation on this with the unions will take until the end of summer, leading to the latest delay.
Contact https://www.eque2.co.uk/
